Seblaine Oneshots ❤

A Lesson in Acceptance

a/n: This is a very emotionally charged fic I wrote about a month ago. Much like Blaine in here, I was not in the best place when I wrote it. But like I tend to say, I'll be okay someday, just not today. Additionally, it's not very edited, so I hope I make my point at the end well. Though I'm publishing it now instead of letting it sit in my drafts because of words my very good friend said in her most recent fic's notes: "this is your friendly PSA that not everything you create has to meet your standards of perfection - art is good because it is art." (her ao3 user is floradawn - check her out, she's amazing!)

tags: hurt/comfort, bullying, verbal abuse, confessions, cooper is not nice in this, implied suicidal ideation, dalton academy, first kiss

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It only ever happened when their mom was out. When she was home, Cooper would act like an angel: helping with chores, speaking politely, joking with his brother. But the minute she left for work and the boys were alone together, he'd turn and rage on Blaine until the boy was left crying, running up to his room. It's been like that since they were kids, and only worsened when their dad left. And while their mom knows Cooper's hard on his little brother, she doesn't know the full extent of it. She's heard the nick-picking comments; she's even scolded him for them plenty of times. But what she has no idea about is the verbal abuse that comes from Cooper on a daily basis.

"You missed a step, you need to fix that," he tells Blaine, his mom in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

The next morning, though, she's out the door quickly, late for a meeting. Cooper opens his mouth and Blaine can only wonder what comment he'll make.

"You're not good enough to be a dancer. You keep making the same mistake over and over."

Blaine's eyes tear up, the words hurting like a knife to the chest.

"You can't cry like a baby every time I'm honest with you."

He only cries harder, wishing he could escape, but having nowhere to go but his room.

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When he's fifteen, Cooper leaves for Los Angeles. For the first time in his life, Blaine feels like he can breathe. His dad nor his brother are no longer breathing down his neck, filling him with worry and doubt, and he can begin to heal and learn to love himself.

Or so, he thought. The feeling of fear soon catches up to him again when he comes out at school, resulting in assault at the school dance. It was the first time he felt physical violence; his father and Cooper had always been verbal. And between his own fears and his mother's, he transferred schools, seeking some sort of safety. Even praying, once, that he could find peace through this escape.

To his shock and relief, Dalton provided exactly that. He had a place where he felt like he belonged. It felt like home. He'd never been insulted or slurred at the all boys' school, even despite fears that the transfer could somehow be worse. Instead, Blaine became so comfortable, he began to let down his walls and heal.

In December, a boy who faced a similar situation in his own school transferred to Dalton. His group of friends took this boy in and gave him peace, just as they did with Blaine. Three months they spent joined at the hip, and soon, one thing led to another and they became more than friends. It was terrifying, but it felt right. Even when the boy left, coaxing Blaine to follow with him, it still felt right. It was as if Dalton was a temporary shelter until he moved into his own house.

But, caught up in the honeymoon stages of love, Blaine quickly realized that was not the case. The outside world wasn't safe because Dalton taught him how to love himself, no, the outside world wasn't safe because Dalton was the safe place. Sure, it taught him how to love himself, but that lesson alone couldn't protect him from the demons of the world - the hateful comments, the icy weapons, and most ruthless, the self doubt.