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sunsetinmyvein · 6 years ago

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Just Off the Key of Reason - Chapter Seventeen - I’ll Be Your Best Kept Secret

Sunday, 24th of June, 2007 - Phoenix, Arizona

Pete was discharged from the hospital later that evening and brought back to the tour bus by 7pm. He was asleep by 7:05. They set off on their relatively short drive to Arizona that night, deciding that a real meal and potential lack of sleep was better than more sleep and having to make do with what they hadn’t already devoured in the cupboards. But it’s not like this decision affected Pete anyway, he slept like a log until about 2 the following afternoon. By that point they had well and truly arrived in Phoenix and, unbeknownst to the still sleeping Pete, had finished their sound check for the show that night. Everyone was still unsure if he’d be okay for the show, but the doctors had assured them that he should be fine as long as he takes it easy leading up to the performance. Joe wasn’t mad about having to do a third sound check for their bassist, happy to let him rest if that meant that they might have him on stage. It wasn’t the same without Pete’s rapport with the crowd , or his screaming into the microphone. But as they went through their checks, things finally seemed to feel right again on stage for the first time since they’d gotten back on tour. There was no awkward tension, no angry glances, everyone just seemed happy and like they were having fun. Patrick had many questions that ate away at the back of his mind, but he thought it best to bide his time and let things cool off a bit. He didn’t want to ruin the good thing that it seemed like they had going, especially after what they’d all just been through. They all had high hopes that their show tonight would go well.

Pete awoke in his bunk and instantly braced himself for the headache and nausea that he had been expecting after his night of drinking. But as a few moments passed, it seemed like it wasn’t coming. Those fluids the hospital had given him clearly did a better job of curing his hangover than he thought that they had. His heart still felt heavy in his chest from everything that had transpired. The little voice at the back of his mind started to chime in with its usual routine of pessimism and depression, but at least now another voice was there to remind him that his friends gave a shit about him. His friends. His band. What time was it? They had a show today. When Pete finally tumbled out of his bunk, there was nobody to be found. He glanced out of the window at the back of the bus to see the midday sunshine glaring down at the asphalt and decided it was probably best to stay in the bus until they came back. He was relieved that his headache was finally gone, but his stomach still felt weird and his throat still ached. His memory of what they’d actually done to him in hospital was fairly hazy, but he had a feeling that tubes had been down his throat at one point. Certainly that would explain the almost-burn that he felt there now.

He realised as his stomach growled loudly that he hadn’t eaten in nearly two days. Sugar. Sugar was what his stomach craved. The words: “you are banned from the gas appliances” vaguely floated around at the back of his mind, but he wanted a Pop-Tart and he’d be damned if he let anyone stop him. He shuffled into the small kitchen, fishing around at the top of the food cupboard for the box that he knew Patrick had stashed at the back. Patrick’s hiding spots were never as good as he thought they were. It was a surprise he hadn’t learned to find new ones after Pete stealing his treats for years now. Pete’s hand came into contact with a rectangular object that felt Pop-Tart-box-y and he pulled it down with excitement, nearly dropping it to the floor in his rush. There was no toaster on the bus, but he assumed that the grill on the oven would do much same job of toasting the delicious sugary goods. He pulled out the metal tray, emptied the contents of the whole box onto it and then crouched down to stare at the dials. In true style of their management, as much as the tour bus looked fancy, the appliances were knock offs. This didn’t help Pete in the slightest as he stared at the foreign language and weird illustrations on the dials, trying to work out which would turn on the grill. He frowned to himself, deciding to try them each one by one until he found one that did what he wanted.

At first, most of them just hissed for a moment before he shut them off. Eventually he came to one on the far end that didn’t make any noise, but it did click. He muttered a few insults about the appliance to himself before going back through the dials, trying to listen closer this time to which one sounded like it was making noise in the grill-area. He wasn’t sure if the fog hanging around his brain was from the lack of caffeine, or the hospital visit, the remnants of his hangover, or maybe it was the seventeen hour sleep, but he just couldn’t get the oven to work. The third to last dial finally sounded like the noise was closer to where he wanted it to be, so he tried it a few times but there was still no heat coming from the grill. He was trying his best not to get angry at the hunk of metal, but the longer he spent trying to work it out, the more his stomach rumbled. And he couldn’t eat these Pop-Tarts raw. That’s just not how it’s done. In a moment of brilliance, he finally realised that maybe the clicking dial at the end was an ignitor. He pressed it in, and was suddenly enveloped in a ball of flame. It was gone as quickly as it had come and left him no time to react, but it left a series of black marks and the smell of burnt hair in its wake. He stared at the kitchen in disbelief, unsure if he was still alive at this point in time. When the world didn’t fade to black, he realised he hadn’t been so lucky as to die and not have to face the consequences of this.

“Shit. Shitshitshit.” He repeated to himself as he looked at the charred cupboards. The label was going to destroy his career for this. Pacing the small kitchenette, he tugged at his hair as he tried to work out what to do. He nervously reached out to touch one of the black doors, expecting it to still be hot or to come apart in his hands. Much to his relief, the black marks simply wiped away. “Oh, thank fuck.” He sighed as he grabbed a roll of paper towels and began wiping down the kitchen.

When the kitchen was finally free of the evidence of the damage he had done, he removed the pastries from the grill and put them on a plate on the counter. As he put the plate down, he caught sight of the black marks on his hands. He had been in the fire as much as the kitchen had. How much of him was blackened and charred? He raced to the bathroom, analysing himself in the mirror. His face was covered in soot, as were his hands. He quickly wiped himself down to see if there was any damage underneath. Thankfully, his eyebrows were still intact and there didn’t seem to be any burns. He noted that his fringe was a bit worse for wear as he ran a hand through it, but that was nothing that a self-administered haircut and some clever styling couldn’t fix. Knowing that Andy was always prepared for any situation, he fished around in his backpack until he found the scissors he was looking for. Ten minutes and a hack-job of a haircut later, he was applying copious amounts of hairspray and gel to try and get it to look right. When he was finally satisfied with what he had achieved and that it wouldn’t be noticed, he opened a window to air out the smell, replaced the scissors and sat down at the small dining area.

Not long after he’d finished the first tart, the four people he had expected to see when he woke up came waltzing back into the bus, chattering amongst themselves. Their voices were quickly hushed as they spotted Pete sitting at the small table, who only watched them quietly. He wasn’t usually quiet… The silence dragged on, a sudden tension filling the air as Joe and Andy shuffled to the back lounge to avoid whatever was coming. She eyed Pete suspiciously, but saw no signs of mayhem in the nearby area. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged around a mouthful of raw Pop-Tart.

Patrick suddenly poked his head around her, spotting what Pete was eating. “Hey, those are mine!” He shouted as he scrambled over to Pete and took the remaining two pastries, seeming to not notice that they weren’t cooked. The two of them ate the sugar coated treats, the sound of their munching being the only noise filling the bus. Pete watched as she stared at the remnants of the uncooked food and walked over to the stove. She fiddled with a few switches but didn’t seem to find what she was looking for.

“We should attach a flamethrower to my bass one day.” Pete mused, staring down at his now empty hands and wondering if they still smelled like the flames they had been captured in half an hour ago.

“Who the hell would let you have fire?” Andy laughed loudly from the other room.

“What gave you that idea, Pete?” She asked as she leaned back against the oven. The accusation was thick in her tone.

“It just came to me. Seemed cool.” He said, refusing to meet her gaze and instead opting to stare at the empty plate. She watched him for a few more moments, but in the end had nothing to hold against him and the tension dissipated.

Their concert that night went even better than they could’ve hoped for. Everyone was on their game and playing at their best. Pete started out fairly quiet, keeping his distance from his mic and mostly standing near Patrick as he played. But eventually he came back out of his shell and used the stage as his catharsis. The amount of emotion he poured into the show made it one to remember, both for the fans and the band. They could see he was putting his all into it. By the time he got off stage he was dripping with sweat and grinning ear to ear. The show went so well that they decided to go out for a drink (emphasis on a drink) to celebrate. Pete seemed somewhat uneasy in the bar at first, flinching whenever someone said his name like he was about to be reprimanded, until the five of them settled around a booth and spent most of the night chatting away. Once things felt natural again he was able to relax. But he never ended up finished the one drink that he asked for, it didn’t seem to sit right in his stomach. They didn’t spend long in the bar, their next stop was Dallas and they had a fifteen hour drive to Texas to prepare for. All of them hoped for a good night of sleep before being stuck on the road for two days. Patrick also hoped that the extended period of time in a confined space might work in his favour.

#patrick stump #patrick stump x reader #sunsetinmyvein

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askblainedwarbler · 8 years ago

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Less Gel; More Muffins || A Jeff/Blaine Para

Who: Blaine Anderson and Jeff Sterling ( @askjssterling ) What: Jeff comes over for muffins and hair styling with Blaine When: Sunday, February 5th Where: The Anderson Household Notes: None

Jeff texted Blaine that he was heading to his place as he walked out of the house, getting into his car and pulling it out of the driveway. He was more than willing to help Blaine finally get rid of the amount of hair gel he used daily, but the moment he mentioned freshly made muffins, Jeff was more than sold. He drove to the house he had been once or twice, parking it outside before walking up to the front door with the help of his crutch. He rang the doorbell, waiting for Blaine to open the door quickly before Jeff froze outside.

Blaine had to admit that the thought of doing his hair any other way than using copious amounts of raspberry scented hair gel made him extremely nervous. Nerves made him bake and this time it had been muffins. Which he'd promptly offered to Jeff in exchange for help and opinions about his hair. He had to admit, he truly valued the other's opinion and he was excited when the doorbell rang. "Jeff!" he greeted, a huge smile on his face as he pulled the door open and ushered the blond inside and out of the cold. "I just pulled the muffins out of the oven, so the chocolate chips are all melty." He almost skipped at the excitement of having a friend over- he really needed to get out more.

Jeff smiled as Blaine opened the door, getting inside before hugging Blaine quickly. "I arrived at the perfect time, then." he chuckled, taking off his jacket and hanging it up before following Blaine into the kitchen. He had spent most of his time since he came back at home, and that was slowly driving him mad. He missed Blaine, too, and he promised himself he would get back in touch with all of his friends from back home, so visiting him was the perfect excuse to get out of the house and keep that promise. "They smell amazing, that's for sure." he pointed out as soon as he could smell the muffins.

Blaine pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and gestured for Jeff to take a seat as he went over to the counter and pulled hot muffins from the tray. He carefully arranged them on a plate and turned around happily to set them all but in front of the other on the table. "Okay, so tell me what you think," he said, sitting down and watching Jeff expectantly. He nodded in encouragement; it was his favorite thing when people enjoyed the things he baked. Baking was so new to him, but making people happy was not a new thing, and he'd never seen anything that came out of an oven make people unhappy. His hands clasped under his chin and he nodded.

Jeff thanked Blaine with a smile as he gestured for him to sit down, pulling up a chair and sitting down with a soft sigh, stretching out his hurt leg. He wanted to believe he was getting better, but even if he could walk with just one crutch now, it didn't mean his knee stopped hurting. Today wasn't a good day, his knee hurting as soon as he woke up. Jeff turned to watch Blaine as he got everything ready "It smells great, so I doubt it would taste bad." he said honestly, smiling widely as Blaine placed a plate in front of him "Chocolate could never taste bad." he winked playfully before picking up a muffin, taking a bite with a hum, giving Blaine a thumbs up as he chewed.

Blaine knew that Jeff was right. Chocolate could never taste bad, but he still liked the validation that he got when someone enjoyed what he'd made. Satisfied, he grabbed a muffin for himself and took a bite, smiling to himself. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows. "So, YouTube tutorials are really going to help, you think?" he asked, bringing up the real reason he'd asked Jeff to come over. He reached up to feel his hair, which was currently smooth and glassy, full of gel, and very solid. He couldn't imagine letting his curls loose. It was sure to be laughable and he wasn't sure he wanted that kind of attention.

Jeff joined the chat 18 seconds ago

Jeff should be embarrassed about how quickly he devoured that muffin, but he was still young, he could do that sort of things. "Did you really just bit into yours after I was half way through mine? Were you trying to poison me, Blaine?" he laughed, shaking his head fondly before reaching for another one, this time breaking pieces off and eating like a normal person and not a starved teen boy. "Yeah, I think they will." he nodded confidently "If you still aren't comfortable with it, you just have to promise me you will use less hair gel." he compromised. He knew Blaine wouldn't be comfortable to go out with his hair completely untamed on the first try, but he could work through it. "You didn't wear this much back in our freshman year, you had some waves."

Blaine laughed a little and shook his head, still eating pieces of his own muffin. "Okay, maybe I didn't devour this one because I didn't wait for you to get here before I ate one, so I'm already one down and you're catching up," he said, keeping the air light. "Less gel means all of the curly mess that the gel is hiding will be all out there fore everyone to see. Freshman year I just hadn't learned how to control it yet. I didn't have the right gel and I didn't know that I had to style right out of the shower. I know better now, but... I guess I can try. If it looks okay..." He was obviously uneasy but not against trying something new. "What do we search for?" he asked, pulling out his phone and bringing up YouTube.

Jeff laughed, eating another bit "You're the worst. But they're so good, I can't really blame you." he winked playfully. "If you want my honest opinion, I think your hair looked great back then. Totally not a mess, it was all tidy and didn't look like a literal... helmet." he said honestly, biting his lip and hoping he wasn't too harsh. He didn't want Blaine to feel bad, and his quest of getting him to use less hair gel wasn't something he was doing to change him, but he remembered his hair from freshman year, and it looked so much more like the Blaine he knew than the way it did now. "I'm not being a dick, I promise. I just think your hair a bit looser would fit you more. You're so bubbly, it would look more like you. Can you imagine me with dull brown hair?" he pointed out, before pulling the chair closer to Blaine, so he could watch the screen "How to tame curly hair sounds like a good start?"

Blaine made a face at the word 'helmet.' Did his hair really look like that? He thought it was nice and neat like everyone else's hair was- the people who didn't have super curls anyway. Unconsciously, he touched his hair, nodding at Jeff. "I know you're not. I trust you. I'm going to try and change it up," he said, thinking about how the way he looked was suddenly coming into play with more than one person in his life. He smiled a little. "No, no I can't imagine you with dull brown hair. You wouldn't be Jeff. I guess I see your point." He cleared his throat and searched in the app for pertinent videos, and clicked the first one that had someone with short, curly hair. It should have been obvious, how to tame his own hair, but it wasn't really. The step by step that the video featured was helpful, and Blaine hoped he remembered all of it. When the video was over, he took a breath and looked at Jeff. "Okay are you ready for this?" he asked, mostly asking himself.

Jeff smiled a bit as Blaine said he was going to at least try to change it up "And if you still don't like it, I guess I'll have to admit defeat." he shrugged playfully. He didn't know what the obsession with hair gel came about with the Warblers, but he remembers all the times he went around and tried to hide the bottles from everyone. He always thought everyone looked so much older than they really were, and with most people, the hair style didn't fit their personality. "Yeah, I would be boring. Not saying you're boring, far from it, but maybe you just didn't find the perfect style yet. I used to use hairspray back at Dalton, but I dropped it as soon as I moved to California." he shrugged softly "Maybe hairspray will work with you? Who knows." Jeff watched the video along with Blaine, slowly making his way through his second muffin before it ended "Do I get to see curly Blaine in his full glory?" he asked with a wide smile. He was a little bit excited to see Blaine without any hair gel on.

Blaine thought about how most of the Warblers were obsessed with their hair. It it wasn't hair gel, it was hair glue, hair spray, shine spray, mousse, or any other trendy hair product that they sold in stores. Maybe it was because of that that he'd fallen into the gel trap. Or may it was because it was so much easier to avoid the comments about his poofy hair than to accept that people would talk about it. "I... don't know if just hairspray will do anything. But I'll try it," he said, nervously. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, if you're ready, I'm ready. Curly Blaine in his full glory." He nodded and smiled and swallowed his nerves. "You want to come with me or should I bring stuff here," he asked, trying really hard not to glance at his friend's knee.

Jeff was also guilty of being a little bit obsessed with his hair. He liked it to be all neat, so that his hair flip would look cool, but now that he was out of Dalton, he didn't have that need anymore. Maybe it was the change from a preppy school to a place as laid back as San Diego, but Jeff didn't care about his hair as much. He let it grow out, just trying to keep it as blonde as he could. He didn't think he could ever let the brown take over. Maybe Blaine was just still used to it like this. "I don't know either, but it's a possibility." he grinned widely, nodding excitedly "I was born readt." Jeff smiled softly at Blaine's suggestion, glad he wasn't flat out pointing out his injury, but acknowledging it "I can go with you, I'm not invalid." he smiled, reaching for his crutch before standing up, leaning against it "Lead the way, Mr. Blaine." he moved his arm like a butler would do, with an exaggerated accent, trying to lift up the mood.

Blaine smiled at Jeff, realizing that he'd missed the way the other was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day-- even if he hadn't been blond. He led the other through the house the way they'd come through to the kitchen, and then up the stairs, which had been the main reason for Blaine asking if Jeff wanted to come along or not. He hated that his friend was hurt, and especially that he wasn't sure exactly how badly. But he led him through nonetheless and arrived at a too-large bathroom that was too fancy for anyone's tastes (except Blaine's mom), with a massive whirlpool corner tub and double sinks with a huge mirror. He opened a small cabinet and pulled out a towel. "Okay, I'm going to wash this out," he said, pointing to his hair. "Promise me you won't laugh." He didn't think Jeff would laugh to be mean, but Blaine looked seriously weird with curly hair, he thought.

Jeff looked up at the stairs. On a normal day, he wouldn't look at them as if he was climbing Mount Everest, but today wasn't a good day for his knee, so he took a bit longer to get to the top. Once he reached Blaine, he gave him a smile, showing him that he was okay, before following him to the bathroom. "Oh wow, this is fancy." he pointed out dumbly as he looked around the bathroom. His parents where well off in life, but the bathrooms in his house certainly didn't look like this. He walked to the toilet, putting the lid down so he could sit down, "I like to joke around, but I wouldn't laugh at you. Promise." he crossed his heart with a smile.

Blaine felt like he was about to go over the first drop on a massive, super tall roller coaster. He liked roller coasters enough, but he didn't like having this feeling when he wasn't actually on one. He laughed nervously at Jeff's comment about his mom's decor in the bathroom. He was right, but Blaine forgot to respond out loud to the comment. Why in the world was he so nervous about washing the gel out of his hair? He nodded and pressed his lips together and got down on his knees in front of the tub, keeping the towel close and turning on the hot water. After a few seconds his hands were in his hair and the familiar raspberry scent was washing down the drain. He used a little shampoo to make sure all of it was out, and nervously rinsed the rest of the stuff from his hair before turning the water off and reluctantly pulled the towel over. He rubbed the towel over his wet hair and stood up, facing away from his friend. His heart was beating so fast; he knew that his hair was a curly mop on his head now and it took all of his bravery to turn around to face the other. There was a blush on his cheeks and he pointed to his hair. "So, this is what we have to work with."

Jeff fixed his knee brace as Blaine started to washed out the gel, sighing contently as he managed to make it feel a little bit better. When he looked up, Blaine was almost done, and the smell of raspberry finally hit him "At least it smells really good." he chuckled, watching as he dried his hair, waiting expectantly for Blaine to turn around and finally show him his hair. Jeff always thought that Blaine was over reacting before, that his hair really wasn't that curly, but even if still damp, Jeff could see how his hair formed tight curls around his head. It was much more curly than he was expecting, but it wasn't that bad, and he wasn't going to laugh, having promised him or not. "It is very curly." he pointed out with a smile "But it's not that bad, really. I'm sure we can work with it. Now come here, I'm an old injured man who can't get up." he motioned for him to come closer.

Blaine watched Jeff, trying to see if there was any maliciousness in his eyes. He knew there wouldn't be any, but he was scared, so of course he assumed the worst in everything. But Jeff didn't have anything bad to say. It was relief for Blaine, and when asked, he walked a little closer to Jeff. He was concerned about the other's knee, especially after the stairs. He tried not to frown, and instead let out a chuckle. "Jeff, you're not an old man. If you're old, then I'm old. You're definitely not old," he commented, reaching out his hand for the other to take. Jeff made him feel at ease. "Do you really think we can do something with this mess?"

Jeff knew he teased Blaine, and any of his friends that used too much hair gel, but he never did it to hurt them. He would hate knowing that his joking around actually hurt the people he cared about. He could joke now, because that's what they did, but he knew Blaine would feel worse than he already did, so he wouldn't do that. Jeff was very good at joking about serious thing, specially when it was about himself. He hated the fact that he was hurt, but it was easier if he joked about it and made others laugh, it took his head out of the dark place it normally did when he let his thoughts take the best of him. "I'm super old, I need a walking aid. I'm older than you, probably." he joked, taking Blaine's hand and hoisting himself up, nodding softly "I'm sure we can. Now, I really want to run my fingers through your hair, just once. It's so curly." he asked with a smile,

Blaine actually laughed this time, shaking his head as he helped Jeff up. "Yeah right, when is your birthday?" he asked, immediately regretting asking that, since today was his own birthday and he didn't really want to have to tell anyone about that. He hated having so much attention drawn to himself. Suddenly, he felt shyness creep over him, remembering Jeff saying that he'd run his hands through Blaine's hair, and now hearing him say that he wanted to right then made him think about the last time someone had run their hands through his hair. "Are you sure?" he asked, biting his lip and looking up more shyly than he had earlier.

Jeff fixed his hair as Blaine let go of him "November.... Okay, maybe the odds are against me." he laughed. Jeff nodded "What if you never let your hair out again and I lose the opportunity?" he sighed dramatically, before running his fingers through the curls, watching them bounce back with a smile. He was careful not to run his fingers along his scalp or anything, just through his damp curls, thoughtful about what he had confessed before. As much as he would love to tease him, he didn't want to make this awkward. "That's so cool, seriously, why do you hide it?" he asked honestly.

Blaine smiled a little. "Okay, you're older than me, you win, old man," he said, obviously joking. "Okay, okay," he said, listening to reason. It was quite possible that he'd never let anyone be in his presence with his hair not full of controlling gel ever again. He was very thankful that Jeff only fluffed at his curls instead of fully running his finger through his hair. It would have been very awkward if he'd tugged at them or something. He watched the other's face as he did it, and glanced down when it was time to reply. "I don't really want to stand out too much, I guess. And I hated when I was a kid and my parents always wanted to shave my head because curls weren't manly. So, I got to keep my hair if I made it look flatter." He hadn't confessed that to many people before, and glanced up and laughed nervously. "But mostly because I just don't know how to do my hair."

Jeff laughed, shaking his head "I actually feel horrible that I don't remember your birthday, What is it, December? For you to be younger than me." Jeff smiled as he let go of Blaine's hair, taking a step back. Now if Blaine never listened to him and would never get rid of the hair gel, at least he could say he touched the mythical curls once. Jeff frowned softly as he heard Blaine. He hated how familiar all of that sounded, but he never let what his parents said get into him, at least not enough he would start doing something just to please him. It wasn't fair Blaine only started doing that because his parents never bothered to help him with the hair they gave him. He gently squeezed Blaine's shoulders, making him look at him "Your hair is fine, okay? No matter what they say." he said firmly, getting serious all of a sudden. He defied his parents, kept doing the things that made him happy no matter what opinion they had, and Blaine should have the chance to that, too. "We're going to learn how to do it so you like it but don't have to wear so much gel all the time, okay?"

Blaine shrugged. "Dude, it's totally okay. Not important," he said, not wanting to admit that it was his birthday today. "I'm not one of those guys that is going to get really angry that someone doesn't remember something like that. You're good." He smiled lightly as Jeff got his attention with a little squeeze to his shoulders. He knew the other was right, but it was just something he'd always done. Or maybe something he'd just never learned because he'd found a solution and it no longer mattered. He reached up and felt his hair, which was starting to air dry and get poofy. "I believe you but the evidence is overwhelmingly opposite." He smiled a little. "I think I need at least some gel."

Jeff pouted "Birthdays are always important. And I like knowing my friend's birthday. If anything, just to see if our signs are compatible." he joked, hoping it would make Blaine finally tell him. He really couldn't remember his birthday, and he didn't know if it was because he forgot or because Blaine never told him. "That's because you never learned how to deal with it. But we'll find something today." he squeezed his shoulder one last time before leaning back, nodding with a small smile "Some gel. Not a full container of it every morning." he compromised with a laugh.

Blaine pressed his lips together. "I mean, I don't think they're that important," he said, debating for a second before blurting. "It's today." He quickly tried to change the topic by pulling out a huge bottle of gel and holding it up in his hand. "So, how much should I be using here? More? Less? Do you think I should get out some of my mom's shine booster stuff?" He opened a cabinet and started pulling out more bottles of different sprays and hair products. "There's mousse here too," he added, pushing them over to where Jeff could see them.

Jeff shrugged softly "It's not a big deal, but they're important. A whole day just for yourself were you can just get away with anything? Sounds pretty awesome. And there's cake. You gotta love the cake." he chuckled, before frowning deeply "You're birthday's today?" he looked at Blaine, and from the way he was reacting to that, he didn't seem like he was lying. He always acted extra serious when he was trying to pull his leg like that "Your birthday's today and you didn't say anything? Blaine! I could have taken you out to get cake, instead you're the one baking." he shook his head softly "Why didn't you tell me anything?" he asked, reaching for his crutch to walk to where Blaine placed all the products, picking up a bottle of mousse, reading the back of it, hoping that would give Blaine the time to explain why he didn't mention that it was his anniversary.

Blaine knew that he was going to get caught. He should have planned it a little better, honestly. He shrugged and pretended to look at a bottle of gel. "I didn't tell anyone about it, it's not just you. And I like baking. It's one of my favorite things to do, so it's not really that big of a deal. Kurt is taking me for dinner later." He shrugged again. "It's really not a big deal. It's just a birthday." He didn't know why he was so anti telling people about the day. When Jeff knew him, he'd definitely have been all over making sure that everyone knew it was his special day. But since breaking up with Kurt, he just wanted to stay out of the lime light. "So, I should just use a little bit of gel then?" he questioned, trying to segway back into his hair.

Jeff had no idea why Blaine didn't say anything before, but he looked uncomfortable, which was something, if he was trying to get the attention back to his hair. He wasn't going to ask, either, he was sure Blaine would eventually tell him something if he wanted to, but it didn't mean Jeff wasn't going to try to make this experience a little bit nicer "Still, it's supposed to be a special day. I would have got you something, like a bow tie, or something." he pointed out, nodding as he talked "You and Kurt... You managed to stay friends?" he asked instead, picking up the gel and giving it to Blaine "Okay, you can have your gel, but let's start with like... a quarter of what you normally wear and work it from there?" he raised a brow with a smile.

Blaine smiled at the fact that Jeff would have gotten him a present. He didn't expect gifts from anyone, and honestly just being to hang out with his old friend was more than enough of a present. "It's nice to just be able to hang out with you. And yeah, we did. I mean we weren't at first. He was in New York and I was here in Lima and I was sort of... depressed for a long time. That break up was really hard. Till I got the job with the Warblers I had no direction." He cleared his throat. "But when he came back he apologized and he's been really nice to me since then. And he asked me to go for dinner tonight. So, I said yes." He was looking forward to having dinner with Kurt, though he still wasn't sure if it was because Kurt was familiar and it was comfortable, or if he really did want to be with Kurt in every way again. He blinked out of that thought. "Only a quarter? Wow. Okay..." he said, squeezing the gel bottle, using way more than a normal person would. "Are you sure?"

Jeff smiled, pulling Blaine into a quick hug "I know I'm awesome, but not as awesome as a birthday present. I'm still going to give you one. Just not today." he promised. He was back home, and he was going to get back all those friendships he left behind when he went to California, starting with Blaine. It wasn't like they stopped being friends, but they grew apart, and that was normal, but Jeff was going to nurture his friendships better this time. "But now you have /one/ direction." he made finger guns at him with a laugh, before shaking his head at himself, "But I'm glad you two are better. Never thought you'd break up, but things happen sometimes, you can't control them." he shrugged, watching him taking too much gel into his hand. It seemed too much for Jeff, but if that's only a quarter to him, he was keeping his promise. "Yes, I'm sure. If you need a little bit more, then we'll add it."

Blaine returned Jeff's little hug with a smile. "I promise that you don't have to do that, Jeff," he said, though he didn't really mind all that much, he supposed. He nodded. "I didn't think we would either, but he just decided one day that he wasn't happy with me anymore and we broke up. I guess that's how it works. We're too young. Everyone's told me that. I guess everyone was right. But yeah, he's a good friend." Blaine bit his lip and looked at his face in the mirror, trying to tell himself that the frizz was going to look okay when he was done, and started to work the gel in. It wasn't nearly as gooey as when he normally did his hair, but the curls were at least sticking together a little. Enough that it wasn't like he had a bush on his head anymore. He looked to Jeff. "Okay, what do you think?"

Jeff shook his head "I want to give you something, even if it's just to make up for the years I didn't." he listened to Blaine, nodding softly "Yeah, relationships end, it's not the end of the world. I'm just glad you are still friends, because it would suck to lose your boyfriend and your friend all at once." Jeff watched Blaine through the mirror as he started to style his hair, nodding approvingly as they locked eyes in the mirror "I think it looks good, but how do you feel? And don't say you hate it because it's not the normal amount you put in." he warned with a smile.

Blaine could tell that Jeff wasn't lying about the way his hair looked. Now he just had to figure out if he liked it. It felt more breezy than normal. Lighter. Curlier. He did kind of like the way you could see the curls; it was like they were highlighted. His hair was still smooth and definitely not frizzy. It was different, that was for sure. As he stared in the mirror, his face was completely untelling. He smiled back a little. "Actually. I don't hate it. It's just... it feels weird," he said, reaching up and touching it. He was surprised to find that the thin edges of the curls were already drying a little, which was completely different from when he coated all of his hair in the stuff and plastered it to his head. That took at least an hour to be dry to the touch. "I look so different..."

Jeff watched Blaine expectantly, hoping that he would at least not hate the new look. It wasn't that different, really, it was clearly gelled down, but now Jeff could see waves in his hair, and even if it wasn't as curly as it would naturally be, it was still a bit looser than the full head of hair gel he normally used. Jeff smiled widely as Blaine seemed to at least enjoy it "Well, your scalp is used to be drowned in too much gel, it's just learning how to breathe again." he said playfully, nudging their shoulders "It's still you, so it's not that different. Just curlier...and lighter." he nodded in approval "I think it looks awesome."

Blaine listened for any clues of Jeff not telling the truth when he spoke, and there weren't any at all. He cracked a little smile, turning his head at all angles to try and get a really good look. "Okay, it wasn't too much gel, just a lot. I go through a whole bottle of this stuff in a week," he said, holding up the large bottle of raspberry scented hair gel to make his point. "I guess... it's been kind of a safety net, you know? But... if I want things to change, I have to start making changes, right? And you have to start somewhere." Mostly he was thinking out loud, and maybe it was the fact that his hair was weighing him down less, but he felt so much lighter than before.

Jeff wouldn't be able to lie to Blaine. Yes, maybe he would have rather convinced him to wear it natural, but he got it, Blaine was so used to his hair gel that it would be too much of a shock to just wear it naturally. But this was a nice compromise, and it fit his personality so much better, in Jeff's opinion, it almost reminded him a bit of Blaine in their freshman year at Dalton. Jeff picked up the bottle "I wouldn't need this much gel in my life time, and you go through it in a week. It's /too much/." he chuckled, placing it down on the counter "At least you'll save a lot of money." he pointed out with a playful shrug. "Exactly, that's the spirit. And if you're too focus on your safety net, you won't be able to enjoy life fully. We're adults now, safety nets aren't that safe sometimes."

Blaine didn't like that Jeff was right. Doing away with his safety net was a very scary thing for him. Even when he'd had noting else, he still had his classic look, and to change that meant that everything was different. It was almost terrifying, but he wanted this chapter of his life to end and to start the new one. "I'm trying really hard here, so you should be proud of me," he said, leaning down to wash the remaining gel from his hands. "And also... thank you," he added, drying his hands and turning around. "This was a birthday present that I wasn't expecting, and it kind of gives new meaning to birth day, being philosophically reborn and whatever." It was a typical Blaine ramble, and he was glancing at the ceiling as he thought it through while saying it. "So, thank you," he said, looking back down and smiling at his friend.

Jeff chuckled "I'm sorry, you know me. Just trying to make it less dramatic." he smiled, waving it off as Blaine thanked him "You seriously don't have to thank me. If anything, I'd be the one thanking you for actually listening to me this one time. And for the delicious muffins." he listened to him silently, letting him say everything he wanted before laughing softly "That was very deep. I'm glad you like it, it wouldn't have worked out if you weren't comfortable with it." he pulled Blaine into a tight hug "You're more than welcome, Blaine. I'm glad I ended up helping and not making it worse."

Blaine shook his head as they hugged. "You did help. You did. I promise," he said, squeezing tightly as a thank you. "I'm really glad you came back from California. I mean, not that you got hurt and had to have... everything... and the crutch thing and... yeah I mean it's just really great to have you back." He nodded as he pulled back. "You want some more muffins?" he asked. "Change makes me hungry."

#chatzy #para #para:jeff #a:jeff

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