Chapter Text
“Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves
When everyone has gone,”
Blaine sings out while the warm, soothing water runs down his back, while he scrubs the shampoo into his scalp.
“Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger,
But we love to try them on”
He dries off, combs his hair.
“Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger,
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell.”
He puts his binder on; lets go of the silly notion that he needs to breathe deeply for a while.
It hugs him, a familiar yet slightly unpleasant feeling. Because he knows what it means, why he has to wear it. He adjusts, assuring that his chest is as flat as possible.
He doesn’t think about the fact that at this point, it is essential that he keep his chest this flat. He doesn’t let himself think about the repercussions he would face if he slips up.
“Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?”
He slips his too-tight underwear on, followed by blue chinos. He runs his belt through the pants, but doesn’t zip up, doesn’t do the belt buckle. Not yet.
He puts his green polo on, then a blue and green-striped bow tie. He slicks his hair back. He slips on his light blue dress shoes.
“Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south
Every now and then
You've done it, why can't someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself.”
He reaches into his dresser, and then into his underwear. He puts his packer in place, secures it, and pulls his underwear up.
“Once I used to believe
I was such a great romancer
Then I came home to a woman
That I could not recognize.”
And he hopes to a God, one that he doesn’t know if he believes in, that the packer will behave, that it won’t slip out of his underwear and down the leg of his pants.
“When I pressed her for a reason
She refused to even answer
It was then I felt the stranger
Kick me right between the eyes.”
He checks the time.
“Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?”
He gets his phone and wallet off the nightstand, gets his tan-colored suit jacket off the hook and lays it over his arm. He grabs his keys and double-checks that he has everything he needs.
“Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south
Every now and then
You've done it why can't someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself”
He walks through the door, goes to his car, drives to the little café that he frequents. He’s still singing to himself, just a whisper that can barely be heard.
“You may never understand
How the stranger is inspired
But he isn't always evil
And he isn't always wrong
Though you drown in good intentions
You will never quench the fire
You'll give in to your desire
When the stranger comes along."