Blaine on the brain. Or something.
There's this blog I've been following called Ask the Anderbros. It's in turns amusing and heartbreaking, and I in no way expected to get hit with the Mack Truck of Head!Canon while reading it. Naturally, I did just that.
Here's the particular prompty entry: (I'd cut and paste if I knew how; sorry.)
Question: "What's the worst thing you've ever said to each other?"
Blaine: "You're not my father."
Cooper: Yeah, that one stung a bit.
Blaine: I'm so sorry, Coop.
Cooper: Hey, it was years ago, I know you didn't mean it, it was just a bad week. The worst week, actually.
Blaine: Coop?
Cooper: Yeah?
Blaine: Would you have said yes to chaperoning the dance, if I hadn't said it?
Cooper: Don't you dare. (space) Guys, we're taking a break for a minute.
Which somehow led to this long-ass thing that's more "plot bunny" than "head canon," even though I've reread it & realized it doesn't make sense in context of the original exchange, but whatever. (ETA: I think I've modified it enough to make it work now. Maybe.)
Anderbros #41
The thing is for both of them their issue, the argument is about their relationships with their parents, how Dad doesn't accept Blaine & never really has, and how Cooper wants to BE there for Blaine in a way their dad never is/was, yet Coop doesn't want to be nor is he trying to be a dad-substitute. Frankly, the idea offends him, if not outright disgusts him. He does NOT want to be Dad Jr.
The school asks for adult volunteers for chaperones. Of course Blaine knows his parents are out but he immediately thinks of his brother. In the way of boy-siblings, he doesn't want to ASK Cooper. Instead he 'casually' mentions it in conversation - maybe he leaves the volunteer form laying out somewhere Cooper is sure to see it.
Cooper is worried about Blaine taking a boy to this dance, but only in the sense of the verbal taunting Blaine's likely to encounter. Coop isn't unaware of homophobic violence; rather, it honestly never occurs to him that a middle school kid could or would get beaten up over something as minor as holding hands/dancing. This is a big part of the mentally-beating-himself-up that he does in the waiting room.
Anyway. Cooper wants to go to keep an eye on Blaine and maybe tells B as much? And Blaine doesn't want that, chafes against the idea he needs "babysitting," he just wants Cooper to be there as support, as the one family member who still treats Blaine as the same person he was before he came out - which most of the time Cooper does and does well. It's just that Coop is (perhaps) overcompensating for what he sees as their parents' disregard for Blaine's emotional needs, coming across as patronizing and more parental than brotherly - exactly what Blaine DOESN'T want (need?) from him.
So there's the back-and-forth about that. Cooper finally gets off his ass and calls about being a volunteer; he's told that they already have the required amount of chaperones, but of course the school would be grateful for the extra help if he'd still like to be there. Cooper, naturally, decides that of course he's going to go...he just doesn't mention that fact to Blaine.
Blaine is increasingly in that kind of a "woe is me, my life is so hard" sulk that only teenagers who don't (yet) have serious problems get into. He's focused on the dance, his friend-date, wondering if he'll get his first kiss, coming up with all kinds of witty rejoinders to every single homophobic slur the mean nasty bullies could possibly sling his/their way. Like Cooper, the thought of encountering Actual Violence at this point in his life simply isn't there.
Things are increasingly tense between the brothers in the days leading up to the dance. Less conversing, and Blaine is kind of a smartass, mouthy brat. Cooper keeps his feelings and reactions tamped down because he's (supposed to be) more mature than that. Of course he's every bit as hurt as Blaine is; perhaps more, because his heart is in the right place. He wants to be there to keep tabs on if anything is said, who says it, and to make sure none of the other chaperones give Blaine and his date grief about slow dancing together. He's also their ride to and from the dance.
Night of the dance. Mom and Dad Anderson are out of town, have already pissed off Cooper both because they aren't present for Blaine's dance and also because Dad made sure to pull Cooper aside to demand Coop doesn't allow any "funny business" between Blaine and the date. Coop barely keeps from rolling his eyes; Blaine thinks Cooper is too stuffy and parental, and at the other extreme, Dad thinks Cooper isn't mature enough to be responsible. Add to that Cooper's frustration at being left in charge of two young teenage boys simply because the parents don't want to deal with Their Gay Kid.
Blaine gets ready laughably early due to nerves. Asks Cooper to fix his tie (or a similar contrivance). Coop's emotions are already running high - the talk with Dad plus all the baiting Blaine has been dishing out over the past week - and, being an overtalker at the best of the times, is fussing over Blaine like he's 3 instead of 13. Typical "don't spill on your shirt, do you even know how to slow dance, nag nag nag" type of bullshit. Blaine is barely controlling his temper, ready to get away from Cooper. Cooper grabs his keys to go w/Blaine to pick up friend-date. Blaine tells Cooper to pick them up at the same entrance where he drops the boys off. Cooper laughs but (still) doesn't tell Blaine he's staying. They get in the car, pick up the friend-date, and get to school.
Once there, Blaine expects to be dropped off like everyone else; instead, to Blaines utter mortification, Cooper walks them in. The teacher-in-charge is obviously relieved to see another adult and - out loud, in front of everybody, asks Cooper if he can stay. Before he can answer, Blaine asks if he can have a word with his brother.
Blaine is, in a word, pissed. He's already aggravated with Coop's hovering and starts out with a "you cant stay."
"Sure i can."
"No, Cooper, you really can't."
"Why (the hell) not?"
"Youre embarrassing me; i dont need you, i can handle myself," etc etc.
"i just want to look out for you, (diminutive nickname)"
This is the last straw for B. "Jesus Christ, Cooper," he says in his most disparaging tone, complete with eyeroll, and spits out the "you're not my father" line.
And Cooper has had it. He half-thinks Blaine has made him look like an idiot in front of the "real" grown ups; also, he's petty enough at this point to think 'well, fine, I hope somebody DOES talk shit to him about being gay. Then he'll regret not having me here to back him up.'
Cooper quietly seethes. In clipped words, he tells Blaine to fuck off (incidentally the first time hes ever used those words at his brother) and wishes him good luck finding a ride home from the dance. Then, with an icy politeness, tells Teacher-in-Charge that unfortunately, he is unable to stay to chaperone, pointedly ignoring looking at Blaine but definitely speaking just loud enough for Blaine to hear him.
Cooper storms out of the school, drives home. Realizes that Blaine didnt get a photo or any of that other "your first dance" BS that kids typically get, the stuff Cooper wanted to make sure Blaine got since clearly their parents weren't going to see to it. He sighs, idly wonders what to do with his newly-free evening.
***
Blaine is late for curfew. Ten minutes, then fifteen. Half an hour. Forty-five minutes. Cooper is pissed; this is certainly Blaine's passive-aggressive "fuck you" right back at his brother. Coop is seconds away from jumping in his car to go track down that little shit - once he's an hour late, Cooper will be out that door, and there will be hell to pay once he finds Blaine.
Then the police/hospital calls.
Here's the particular prompty entry: (I'd cut and paste if I knew how; sorry.)
Question: "What's the worst thing you've ever said to each other?"
Blaine: "You're not my father."
Cooper: Yeah, that one stung a bit.
Blaine: I'm so sorry, Coop.
Cooper: Hey, it was years ago, I know you didn't mean it, it was just a bad week. The worst week, actually.
Blaine: Coop?
Cooper: Yeah?
Blaine: Would you have said yes to chaperoning the dance, if I hadn't said it?
Cooper: Don't you dare. (space) Guys, we're taking a break for a minute.
Which somehow led to this long-ass thing that's more "plot bunny" than "head canon," even though I've reread it & realized it doesn't make sense in context of the original exchange, but whatever. (ETA: I think I've modified it enough to make it work now. Maybe.)
Anderbros #41
The thing is for both of them their issue, the argument is about their relationships with their parents, how Dad doesn't accept Blaine & never really has, and how Cooper wants to BE there for Blaine in a way their dad never is/was, yet Coop doesn't want to be nor is he trying to be a dad-substitute. Frankly, the idea offends him, if not outright disgusts him. He does NOT want to be Dad Jr.
The school asks for adult volunteers for chaperones. Of course Blaine knows his parents are out but he immediately thinks of his brother. In the way of boy-siblings, he doesn't want to ASK Cooper. Instead he 'casually' mentions it in conversation - maybe he leaves the volunteer form laying out somewhere Cooper is sure to see it.
Cooper is worried about Blaine taking a boy to this dance, but only in the sense of the verbal taunting Blaine's likely to encounter. Coop isn't unaware of homophobic violence; rather, it honestly never occurs to him that a middle school kid could or would get beaten up over something as minor as holding hands/dancing. This is a big part of the mentally-beating-himself-up that he does in the waiting room.
Anyway. Cooper wants to go to keep an eye on Blaine and maybe tells B as much? And Blaine doesn't want that, chafes against the idea he needs "babysitting," he just wants Cooper to be there as support, as the one family member who still treats Blaine as the same person he was before he came out - which most of the time Cooper does and does well. It's just that Coop is (perhaps) overcompensating for what he sees as their parents' disregard for Blaine's emotional needs, coming across as patronizing and more parental than brotherly - exactly what Blaine DOESN'T want (need?) from him.
So there's the back-and-forth about that. Cooper finally gets off his ass and calls about being a volunteer; he's told that they already have the required amount of chaperones, but of course the school would be grateful for the extra help if he'd still like to be there. Cooper, naturally, decides that of course he's going to go...he just doesn't mention that fact to Blaine.
Blaine is increasingly in that kind of a "woe is me, my life is so hard" sulk that only teenagers who don't (yet) have serious problems get into. He's focused on the dance, his friend-date, wondering if he'll get his first kiss, coming up with all kinds of witty rejoinders to every single homophobic slur the mean nasty bullies could possibly sling his/their way. Like Cooper, the thought of encountering Actual Violence at this point in his life simply isn't there.
Things are increasingly tense between the brothers in the days leading up to the dance. Less conversing, and Blaine is kind of a smartass, mouthy brat. Cooper keeps his feelings and reactions tamped down because he's (supposed to be) more mature than that. Of course he's every bit as hurt as Blaine is; perhaps more, because his heart is in the right place. He wants to be there to keep tabs on if anything is said, who says it, and to make sure none of the other chaperones give Blaine and his date grief about slow dancing together. He's also their ride to and from the dance.
Night of the dance. Mom and Dad Anderson are out of town, have already pissed off Cooper both because they aren't present for Blaine's dance and also because Dad made sure to pull Cooper aside to demand Coop doesn't allow any "funny business" between Blaine and the date. Coop barely keeps from rolling his eyes; Blaine thinks Cooper is too stuffy and parental, and at the other extreme, Dad thinks Cooper isn't mature enough to be responsible. Add to that Cooper's frustration at being left in charge of two young teenage boys simply because the parents don't want to deal with Their Gay Kid.
Blaine gets ready laughably early due to nerves. Asks Cooper to fix his tie (or a similar contrivance). Coop's emotions are already running high - the talk with Dad plus all the baiting Blaine has been dishing out over the past week - and, being an overtalker at the best of the times, is fussing over Blaine like he's 3 instead of 13. Typical "don't spill on your shirt, do you even know how to slow dance, nag nag nag" type of bullshit. Blaine is barely controlling his temper, ready to get away from Cooper. Cooper grabs his keys to go w/Blaine to pick up friend-date. Blaine tells Cooper to pick them up at the same entrance where he drops the boys off. Cooper laughs but (still) doesn't tell Blaine he's staying. They get in the car, pick up the friend-date, and get to school.
Once there, Blaine expects to be dropped off like everyone else; instead, to Blaines utter mortification, Cooper walks them in. The teacher-in-charge is obviously relieved to see another adult and - out loud, in front of everybody, asks Cooper if he can stay. Before he can answer, Blaine asks if he can have a word with his brother.
Blaine is, in a word, pissed. He's already aggravated with Coop's hovering and starts out with a "you cant stay."
"Sure i can."
"No, Cooper, you really can't."
"Why (the hell) not?"
"Youre embarrassing me; i dont need you, i can handle myself," etc etc.
"i just want to look out for you, (diminutive nickname)"
This is the last straw for B. "Jesus Christ, Cooper," he says in his most disparaging tone, complete with eyeroll, and spits out the "you're not my father" line.
And Cooper has had it. He half-thinks Blaine has made him look like an idiot in front of the "real" grown ups; also, he's petty enough at this point to think 'well, fine, I hope somebody DOES talk shit to him about being gay. Then he'll regret not having me here to back him up.'
Cooper quietly seethes. In clipped words, he tells Blaine to fuck off (incidentally the first time hes ever used those words at his brother) and wishes him good luck finding a ride home from the dance. Then, with an icy politeness, tells Teacher-in-Charge that unfortunately, he is unable to stay to chaperone, pointedly ignoring looking at Blaine but definitely speaking just loud enough for Blaine to hear him.
Cooper storms out of the school, drives home. Realizes that Blaine didnt get a photo or any of that other "your first dance" BS that kids typically get, the stuff Cooper wanted to make sure Blaine got since clearly their parents weren't going to see to it. He sighs, idly wonders what to do with his newly-free evening.
***
Blaine is late for curfew. Ten minutes, then fifteen. Half an hour. Forty-five minutes. Cooper is pissed; this is certainly Blaine's passive-aggressive "fuck you" right back at his brother. Coop is seconds away from jumping in his car to go track down that little shit - once he's an hour late, Cooper will be out that door, and there will be hell to pay once he finds Blaine.
Then the police/hospital calls.