#gpbb prompt

[gleepotluckbigbang]

Barista/Bartender/Waiter AUs

I know it’s finals season and you look like you’re on the edge of a breakdown here have a free cookie too

Vampire owned coffee shop - open 24hrs a day - with humans working morning shifts and vampires working night shifts [human customer works overnight shifts at the place next door and goes for late-night coffee runs all the time]

I work as a barista in a coffee shop you frequent and I tried to make a leaf design on your coffee but it ended being a dick instead

The restaurant we work at is attached to a hotel and there’s a wedding reception we’re catering to and usually I only see you in work clothes but now you’re dressed to serve in a waist coat and everything and damn you have a nice ass.

You’re always seated in my section of the diner and one day you look really sad so I brought you a free desert to cheer you up

You just started working at my coffee shop and I know that I don’t look like it, but I’m your boss, so stop flirting with me

You’re really cute but you always order from the cafe’s app so I never get to talk to you, but I love seeing you come into the cafe every day

Please help, I’m an intern and my future career depends on this list of coffee orders being made exactly right!

You’re the bartender that rescued me from the creepy person that was hitting on me in the bar

You own the bakery across from me and I own a cafe, maybe we should work out a deal since my customers often go get dessert from your bakery

We both work at the same cafe and I’ve got the say, the uniform looks really nice on you 

I asked you what you wanted to order, you said “you” and now I’m kinda blushing?? And you look mildly horrified??

You’re a barista at my favorite cafe and usually you’re pretty happy and cheery in the morning but you’re super angry today what’s wrong?

The bartender here is super cute but it’s really hard to flirt with them when I’m drunk and giddy and probably embarrassing myself

You’re drunk and just started dancing on the bar top and now I am getting distracted from doing my job by the view of your ass - maybe I should help you down from there

You always come in, sit in my section, and order the same thing every time, so now I just let the chef know ahead of time if I see you coming in

You’re the bartender and you catch someone slipping something into my drink

You’re a famous critique and I’m a waiter and I get so nervous that I trip and spill the dish all over you

I was trying to take a sneaky picture of you because I told my friend about the hot barista at this cafe and she wanted to see but you totally noticed and yeah this is awkward

My parents own this restaurant/cafe that you just got hired at, you always see me sitting alone at a table doing homework for hours every day and you think I just like the coffee/pastries and don’t realize my family owns this place

Prompts sent in by @random-klainer0100 (thank you, these are fantastic!!)

[lilyvandersteen]

More Coffee Shop AU Prompts

why the hell is this mall so big and the map so confusing?? Please help me I’ve been looking for a bathroom for twenty minutes au

“sir I can’t give you any more samples this is the third time you’ve come here today” au

Found in this list.

[lilyvandersteen]

Hmm, does this qualify as mutual pining?

[gleepotluckbigbang]

Single Parent AUs

You’re my child’s favorite assistant/teacher/helper at their daycare

We’re both single parents that volunteered to chaperone the school field trip

I’m a teacher at your child’s school and we meet during a PTA bake sale

I’m the coach of your child’s little league (sports) team and you’re the enthusiastic parent that doesn’t understand the sport but is still supportive of your kid

Our kids are both a part of the same afterschool program/club and have become best friends - now they are trying to set us up on a date so they can become siblings

I was at the store with my kid when they ran up to you to tell you that your outfit was hideous - I’m so sor-wait, no, I agree with them, let me help you shop for something that actually looks good on you

I was late picking up my child from their afterschool sport/music/art club and you are another parent that stayed with my kid (and yours) until I arrived

You come to this park all the time with your kid and got nervous when you saw me talking/playing with another child you recognize since you’ve never seen me there before but I’m actually their parent’s friend/sibling not a kidnapper

My babysitter cancelled last-minute so you agreed to come to my place for our date to order take-out and watch movies, and my kid keeps hogging all your attention - i don’t know if I’m enamored or annoyed

You’re a single parent that is moving into the apartment next to mine and I volunteer to help you out when I see you struggling with juggling moving boxes and keeping an eye your kid

I own the comic book store/arcade/bowling alley that your child hangs out and you like to check-in with me every once in a while to make sure that your kid is okay

We’re coworkers and I overheard you complaining about how your ex was supposed to get a specific toy for your child’s birthday tomorrow but they completely forgot and you’ve been going crazy trying to find one - don’t ask why but I happen to have one I can give you

You design children’s clothing and my child is your company’s top model

Prompts sent in by @random-klainer0100 (Thank you, I love these!)

[lilyvandersteen]

Proper Cup of Tea Prompt

You were putting milk in your tea at Starbucks but you didn’t take the teabag out first and that really upsets me so I feel the need to show you how to make a proper cup of tea au 

From this set of prompts (but none of the others is a Coffee Shop AU).

[lilyvandersteen]

I’d like to read this as a mutual pining story. The one saying this could be Badboy!Blaine/Cheerio!Blaine/Jock!Blaine or Skank!Kurt/Cheerio!Kurt, and they’re head over heels for the other, but not willing to be with them because they’re a nerd, and their reputation would suffer.

so what if im in love with you mind ur own business

[hkvoyage]

Prompt for the GleePotLuckBang

So, I’m thinking that the glee club has the body swap like they did in canon, only when everyone returns to normal, Blaine doesn’t swap back, and becomes a bad boy. Kurt figures out how to break the spell (after he takes advantage of bad boy!Blaine when everyone is out for the day).

@gleepotluckbigbang

[caramelcoffeeaddict]

Since it is almost December, I thought I’d put together a list of my Klaine fics that have a Christmas/Holiday theme. Enjoy!

Attachment - Blaine’s co-workers are constantly trying to set him up on blind dates. To get them off his back, he tells them he already has a boyfriend. They insist he brings the boyfriend to the office Holiday party. (Rated G)

Bucket - Kurt comes home from work to find his fiancé sitting on the floor playing with Legos. (Rated G)

Genuine - Kurt and Blaine doing some Holiday shopping during their first Christmas as a married couple.  (Rated G)

Key - Blaine is determined to keep Kurt’s Christmas gift a surprise until Christmas morning.  (Rated G)

Hallmark Christmas Movie AU - This is a sketch fic written for the Klaine Advent Day 1 Prompt: Achievement & the GPBB Drabble December Day 1 Prompt: Hallmark. Cooper is the lead actor on a Hallmark Christmas Movie, Blaine is an extra in that movie, and Kurt is the costume designer. (Rated G)

SeXXXy Santa & the Naughty Elf  - ((One-shot in the Desperate Times ‘Verse. This takes place at the beginning of November during the epilogue)) Kurt and Blaine agree to film a new Holiday-themed porno. This is the filming of that video. **For those of you looking for some Holiday smut, this could probably be read w/o having read the main fic. (Rated NC17)

Christmas Fashion Show - When Kurt's photographer quits 2 days before his big Holiday Fashion Show, he hires Blaine to take his place. (Rated Teen&Up)

The Calm Before Christmas - Kurt and Blaine enjoy a relaxing day at home before they have to prepare for the upcoming hectic holiday (Rated G)

A Season of New Developments - Shortly after Kurt moves into a new apartment building and meets his hot new neighbor, Blaine, he hires Blaine to photograph a huge fashion spread that he's organizing for the January issue of Vogue. In the meantime, the two men spend their free time getting to know one another better. (Rated Teen&Up)

A Boyfriend for Christmas - When Kurt takes his 6-year-old nephew, Caleb, to see Santa, he's mortified when Caleb asks Santa to give his Uncle Kurt a new boyfriend for Christmas; Blaine - who is working as one of Santa's helpers - however, is eager to help Caleb get his Christmas wish. (Rated Teen&Up)

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Having also read Glass Houses and bemoaned the lack of more empath stories in the fandom, I actually prompted this for my GPBB fic exchange story! "Let's Sit Around the Campfire" by Blurglesmurfklaine!

Oh, wonderful! Thanks for letting us know. ~Lynne

Let’s Sit Around The Campfire by BlurglesmurfKlaine

On the night of Halloween, the New Directions decide to go camping. For Blaine, an empath, this isn't too exciting. But spending time with Kurt, his best friend who he's hopelessly in love with, definitely is.

[lilyvandersteen]

Vampires that are also practical jokesters. Niff, anyone?

In Seattle, Washington, an aged and allegedly “haunted” coke machine has been in the same spot for over fifteen years, but despite its outward appearance the machine is fully functional. In fact, the machine has always worked. Some of the drinks it dispenses are normal Coke products, but some are products that are no longer on the market and don’t exist any more. Some of the buttons are labeled as a “mystery” and give a random product when pushed. The business closest to it, a locksmith, state that they have never witnessed anyone restocking the machine at any time, No one ever has, and the mystery of it has attracted tons of people to test out the machine for themselves. It’s also pretty interesting to note that the prices for the sodas have risen over time, recently being from 55 cents to 75. I guess ghost machines have to pay the bills somehow.

[grlnxtdr30]

Anyone taking story prompts?

I posted this last year during the GPBB December Drabbles, and thought I’d repost it;

Person A is having a really bad day, starting when he slipped on the ice on his way to work and severely sprained/broke his ankle. Someone stole his coat with his phone in the pocket while he was getting his xrays taken. And of course, there are no cabs available due to the weather. Freezing cold, miserable, and struggling to deal with the crutches on the icy, crowded streets of New York, he ducks into a coffee shop he’s never been in before, just wanting to warm up and rest his throbbing foot, but as he looks around, he spots his boyfriend of two years (who he has been trying to call all morning) in an intimate kiss with another guy. Huge fight and very public breakup ensues. Meanwhile, person B, who works at the coffee shop, takes pity on him, gives him a free coffee and pastry, and offers to drive him home after his shift gets over in an hour. Of course, it’s not a good idea to rush into a new relationship ten minutes after breaking up with your asshole ex, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a new friend, right?

[andersonswalsh]

Fic: All I Want For Christmas Is You (for Klaine Advent/GPBB Day 1: Achievement/Hallmark)

Well, here I go again. We all know my track record when it comes to Klaine Advent (and now the Glee Potluck Big Bang's entry) is awful, and I'm dealing with a lot work-wise. But of course I was hit with an idea the moment I saw the prompts today. We'll see how far this goes!

Title is, obviously, courtesy of Mariah Carey.

Day 2 | AO3

Kurts sets a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate and a bag of mini marshmallows on the coffee table before taking a seat next to Blaine. “I can’t believe you’re spending the evening after you finished recording watching a Hallmark marathon.”

Blaine smiles at him as he grabs a handful of marshmallows out of the bag and pops them into his mouth. “Why?” he mumbles around the sweet fluff.

“Ew, gross,” Kurt scoffs.

He swallows the marshmallows. “It’s our tradition to start December with cheesy Christmas romances, isn’t it?”

“I know, but Blaine, this is your first major album for a label! That’s a huge achievement! You should be out celebrating with everyone you worked with, not here in my apartment where my heat might die at any moment.”

Blaine knows Kurt’s right. Simon, the producer, invited him and the engineers out for drinks once they wrapped the final song. It would have been an opportunity to get to know everyone better after the whirlwind two months since an executive from Highline Records found him at a gig. A dream Blaine has had since he was in the Warblers, one that sent him to Berklee for college and New York as he aimed for the exposure of its nightlife, was coming to fruition. By March his debut single will be playing all across the country and everyone will be wanting to know who this Blaine Anderson kid is.

The album is definitely a glimpse into his life. Blaine began writing songs shortly after he transferred to McKinley, and many of the ones he’s loved and performed at bars across the boroughs were recorded. They reveal the story of a young man who’s been through plenty in his life. Themes of acceptance, trauma, heartbreak, and love. Especially the unrequited love Blaine has kept to himself for the past nine years.

“Why would I go out and skip our annual December kickoff?” Blaine asks.

Kurt rubs Blaine’s head, ruffling up his gel-hardened locks. “We could have waited until tomorrow. I would have understood.”

Blaine grins and turns to the television where the beautiful woman is arriving to the mystery man’s house. “Kurt, even when I’m winning Grammys and touring the world, I’m not going to push aside our traditions. You’re my best friend, the one person who believed I would make it even when I thought it was worthless to keep trying. Years from now, when we’re both married, our husbands and children will also be included in our annual Christmas kickoff whether they want to be or not.”

“But we’re going to celebrate at your Malibu mansion,” Kurt says.

An image runs through Blaine’s mind, of the two of them decorating said mansion together with their son and daughter to bring the feel of winter in Ohio to California. “Whatever you say.”

[musiclovingbitch]

Hiccup

Summary: AU. Kurt gets hired to decorate the Anderson’s garden for the holidays. What will happen when their son comes home for the holidays early?

Written for the 2019 Klaine Advent prompt: hiccup.

A/N: I don’t know how secret santa works, nor do I have the time, will and energy to find out, so I’m skipping today’s GPBB prompt.

~1k words

on AO3

Kurt closes the kitchen door behind him and leans against it, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He fishes his phone out of his skintight jeans, admittedly maybe too tight for the occasion, and calls Rachel.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Rach, it’s Kurt,” he says, then lowers the volume of his voice, “You know how the Andersons invited me over to help decorate their garden?”

“Yeah? I thought you’d be on your way home right now. I hope you’re not calling me while driving.” Rachel says, frowning into the receiver.

“Well, I seem to have run into a bit of a hiccup.”

“What kind of hiccup?”

“Um… the the - hot - Anderson - son - is - back - for - the - holidays - early kind of hiccup.” he says.

“What?” Rachel gasps.

“Yeah, I know! He feels horrible that his parents hired me ‘cause he was planning on decorating the garden himself when he got back, but he wanted to surprise them so he told them he’d be arriving a couple days later, and they wanted him to come home to a decorated house, and it’s both sweet and slightly weird, and he keeps trying to help me even after I refused!”

“Well, wow, that was such a long sentence, but okay, what’s the problem? You’re still getting paid, and you get someone to help you with the work.” Rachel says.

“The problem is--,” Kurt starts to say but realizes his voice has progressively gotten louder over the course of this conversation without him realizing it, so he adjusts the volume and continues, pressing the phone closer to his mouth, “the problem is that he is so hot, and sweet, and engaging, and funny, and it’s really distracting, okay? He accepted that I wanted to do the work myself, but he stayed outside with me to keep me company, and, like, we talked for a solid twenty minutes without getting any work done. I’ve got so much to do, this garden is massive, and they want me to hang Christmas lights on every single tree they have.”

“You talked for twenty minutes straight?” Rachel asks inquisitively.

“Yes, and I didn’t get any work done!”

“What did you talk about?”

“Broadway. He’s studying musical theater in NYU, isn’t that awesome? We mostly talked about music, that’s his minor. Well, music composition, but whatever. We have very similar tastes, actually.”

“Kurt, it sounds to me like he might like you.”

“What?” Kurt asks, eyebrows arching up in disbelief, “No, absolutely not.”

“He keeps trying to ‘help’ you, even when you’re getting paid for what you’re doing.”

“Maybe he has a very specific idea of how to decorate the garden. It is his house, Rach.”

“He stayed outside, in this time of day, in this weather, even after you refused his help, to keep you company, and engaged in a twenty minute conversation with you about something completely unrelated to Christmas or decorating.”

“Rachel, just drop it. He’s not into me!” Kurt says firmly.

“Okay, okay, fine. If you refuse to see what’s in front of you then I can’t do anything about it. How much work do you have left?” Rachel asks reluctantly.

“I have, like, three trees left to decorate. Then it’s just dragging some other decorations from the garage and arranging them. I should be on the road in an hour, but if this guy doesn’t stop being so charming I might be stuck here forever.”

Rachel laughs. “Would that be such a bad thing? That house is massive.”

“And I would have something pretty to look at.” Kurt concedes.

“Also a great point.”

Kurt sighs. “Alright, I should probably hang up now. I just called to tell you to have dinner without me, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll let my dads know. Good luck, and get his phone number!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kurt says and hangs up. He takes a deep breath and opens the kitchen door, stepping out only to bump right into Blaine.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” he says, grabbing onto Blaine’s forearm to steady himself.

“No, no, I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Blaine asks.

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Kurt says, letting go of Blaine’s arms and righting himself. He smooths his clothes down and looks up to find Blaine’s eyes tracing the movement. He clears his throat lightly, and Blaine’s eyes snap up to meet his.

“Uh, I just, you took a while and I came to find you, I didn’t know if you’d gotten lost, or something.” Blaine says.

“No, I, uh, I made a phone call.”

“Yes, I, um, heard. You talking.”

“Oh,” Kurt says, and oh, oh fuck, “um, exactly how much did you hear?”

“I think… most of it? Enough, definitely enough.” Blaine says.

Kurt winces. “Look, I’m sorry, I’ll just get the decorating done and leave, okay?” he says, and moves to step around Blaine.

“No, please,” Blaine hastens to say, catching Kurt’s elbow and keeping him there, “please stay. I just wanted to say that… well, I wanted to say that--that you were wrong.”

Kurt’s eyebrows knit together. “I was wrong?”

Blaine nods emphatically. “Yes, you were very wrong.”

“About what?” Kurt asks. He watches as Blaine takes a deep breath, seemingly steels himself, and opens his mouth to say

“I am into you.”

Kurt freezes. “Oh.” he utters.

“Yeah. And that was my maybe - too - subtle attempt at flirting.”

“Oh,” Kurt echoes.

“I’d make a joke, but I’ve been told I’m pretty oblivious myself at times.”

“Okay,” Kurt says. That’s a step up from ‘oh’, at least.

“So,” Blaine swallows, “I would like to get your number, and I would like to take you out on a date.” he says, staring straight into Kurt’s eyes, and maybe his soul.

Kurt stays silent for a moment, blinking.

“Did I read this wrong?” Blaine says, stepping away, “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate, I’ll let you finish your work and I won’t bother--”

“I’d love to,” Kurt says.

Blaine stops speaking. “Really?” he says, eyes sparkling in a way Kurt thinks he wouldn’t mind seeing for the rest of his life.

“Really, really.” Kurt says and smiles. The answering smiles from Blaine is brighter and more radiant than all the stars on top of all the trees in the Anderson’s garden combined.

[lilyvandersteen]

Clearly vampires, these lunatics, right? Their names are Cooper, Blaine and Sam. The one they save is Kurt :-)

[forabeatofadrum]

Myosotis sylvatica (11/24)

Notes: Merry Christmas Eve!

Prepare for a word vomit, because I just want to thank the people behind this year’s advent for organising it. I am so happy that even now, 4 years after glee ended, we still have the community of Klaine fic writers and readers. I also want to thank the people behind the Glee Potluck Big Bang and their Drabble December. I personally didn’t incorporate their prompts into their story, but we cannot overlook the GPBB while talking about fanfiction.

The Klaine Advent has officially come to an end, but not for me. Today, I present you with a double update, so it’s quite funny that I’m exactly halfway on the 24th. I hope you enjoy these two chapters. There’s a time jump of a few weeks and Kurt’s back in Lima to see his dad.

One last note: please take the neuroscientific stuff with a grain of salt. I Googled amnesia and I even read some articles of scientific journals, but science is useless if you don’t understand it. I’ve added the references in the end notes in case you do understand neuroscientific talk and you’re interested.

AO3

--

KINSHIP

Kurt and his dad have never truly lost touch. Even now, Kurt speaks to his dad weekly. They mostly text, since that’s the main form of communication these days, but they also call.

Kurt just hasn’t seen his father yet.

He’s refused his father’s requests for video calling. He doesn’t want Blaine to put the photos of his family members back up. He’s been completely ignoring it.

Kurt still finds it difficult to see his own reflection in the mirror, so he certainly isn’t ready to see his dad’s. He’s not ready to see how blatantly his dad has aged. Same goes for Carole, who is probably sprouting grey hairs by now.

Blaine keeps encouraging Kurt to see them and Kurt keeps finding excuses, until he doesn’t. His dad wants him home for Thanksgiving. Just him. Blaine agrees that it’s a good idea that he stays behind in the city.

The day before his flight, Kurt’s shaking in front of his mother’s dresser and Blaine’s holding him. Kurt knows that he can’t escape the fact that he’s lost his memories. Even with some small things resurfacing, it’s still not enough. He hasn’t been able to escape it for weeks, but it was nice to pretend that his dad was still his dad.

--

He flies home with Sebastian and Adam, who are visiting Sebastian’s family for Thanksgiving, but they part at the airport. Kurt has to go back to Lima. To him, he hasn’t been back to Lima since he moved to New York. He stayed at home during Thanksgiving and his dad came to visit him in New York for Christmas where he dropped the prostate cancer bomb.

In the midst of all the crazy, Kurt had completely forgotten about it, and no one brought it up again, since it’s in the past for everyone else. That has been happening a lot, so Kurt just has to adjust to taking some things for granted. Kurt can’t believe that his dad’s cancer became an insignificant thought.

Well, he supposes he’s grateful that he can’t remember all the stress. When Kurt had asked his dad about it over the phone, Burt had laughed (“Oh yeah, that happened.”) so it’s clear that he’s completely recovered.

So Kurt’s back in Lima. Technically, the last time he was home was fifteen years ago. Lima isn’t ugly. It will never match New York or any big city, but it’s definitely gotten better and more modern.

Of course, there are tracking wires everywhere. Kurt isn’t going rogue for once, because he has his phone with him, and it makes him anxious. It’s easy to tell someone to ‘just go rogue’, but the truth is that 2027’s society has completely embraced the new tech, so without the tech, Kurt’s limited. He needs his phone to find the condo in the suburbs and his Springo for public transport and payment.

Kurt doesn’t like to admit it, but Lima is still home. Right now, he just doesn’t know where to find it. His dad had offered to pick him up, but Kurt declined. He’d like to postpone their inevitable meeting.

Since he can’t ask his bus driver to go the long way round, Kurt has to face his father earlier than anticipated. He arrives at the small condo in the suburbs and he has the sad realisation that the home in Lima is long gone.

Maybe Kurt’s wrong. Maybe Lima isn’t home anymore. The moment Kurt moved into the loft, he knew it was going to happen one day, but he expected it to happen under different circumstances.

He rings the bell and his dad immediately opens the door, as if he’s been waiting at the door.

His dad is older, as expected. There are no grey hairs, since he’s bald, but the number of wrinkles has increased and to Kurt’s sadness, there’s a cane in his father’s hand.

That cane falls to the ground when Burt hugs Kurt tightly. The hugs still feel the same and for a second, Kurt forgets the sadness and he leans into his father’s embrace.

“Welcome home, kiddo,” his dad sounds happy.

I’m not home, Kurt thinks, so he just nods and he follows his dad inside. The condo is well decorated and it’s definitely Carole’s doing, since his dad is unable to do this on his own.

Or maybe…

Kurt stops in the doorframe of the living room. The dark teal shades on the wall is something he would choose and he knows that he’s picked it, probably with the help of Carole. These small things have been happening a lot lately, and it really messes with Kurt’s head.

“Kurt, darling!” he hears and he sees Carole walking towards him with open arms. Seeing Carole is like a punch to the gut. Her dark brown hair has gone grey and she’s wearing glasses and some sort of cast around her wrist. She’s not limping like his dad. On the contrary, she moves quickly and she pulls Kurt into a hug before he has time to say anything.

“Hello Carole, you look great,” he says, but Carole just laughs.

“You always say that, Kurt, I just got old,” she jokes, but then she realises what she must’ve said and her face falls, “I mean- I did get old and I, uh, well…”

Kurt shrugs. He already feels out of place in this unfamiliar condo. The last thing he needs is an awkward atmosphere, so he says: “Still, you look great. I just look young.”

He does a dramatic hair flip to show off his styled quiff. He’s also shaved again. Broadway will have to wait.

“Oh Kurt, I am so glad you’re here,” Carole says, sounding more relaxed, “Finally someone who appreciates Thanksgiving cuisine as much as I do.”

“What’s wrong with getting some microwaved turkey?” his dad asks and both Kurt and Carole start protesting at the audacity of that comment. Maybe it will all be okay.

--

The next morning, his dad is already having breakfast by the time Kurt comes down. He’s slept in the guestroom, since this condo does not have his own room. He wonders what happened to all his stuff.

Kurt hasn’t slept very well. Everything is too unfamiliar and he couldn’t wipe his mother’s dresser, since that’s still in New York. At least he can still tap his nose, but it’s not enough. Right now, he is in the desperate need for coffee.

“Morning, kid,” his dad grumbles.

“You’re up early.”

“Not everyone is like your fiancé. Some people are morning people.”

Kurt snorts. Blaine is indeed a pain in the ass in the morning, especially before he’s had his first coffee.

“He truly is a night owl,” Kurt says and his dad nods knowingly. It is a surreal conversation for Kurt. Of course he knows that his dad knows Blaine and judging by the way he talks about Blaine, he likes him. Blaine also seems to adore Burt.

So logically, this conversation isn’t very weird at all, but to Kurt, Blaine is his first boyfriend.

Oh wow, his dad probably knows his boyfriend - fiancé, Kurt reminds himself - better than Kurt does.

“You really like Blaine, don’t you?” Kurt says while he makes a pot of coffee.

“What is not to like, Kurt? He’s nice, he’s kind, he loves you and cares for you. He’s a great man,” his dad answers easily.

“Of course,” Kurt also grabs some yogurt and he joins his dad at the breakfast table. His dad unlocks a tablet to read the news, since paper newspapers are a thing ‘from the past’, but every now and then, he looks over to Kurt.

Kurt sighs. “It’s okay dad, you can ask.”

“Just wondering how the amnesia is going, kid. Yesterday was very nice, but we both know that it was all a bit too polite.”

His dad is right, of course. They had a really nice evening, but the conversations were very shallow and there were some awkward moments where Kurt, Burt and Carole realised that they do not all have the same knowledge. Apparently, Kurt’s aunt Mildred has died in 2017, so when Kurt asked about her, it fell silent.

“What can I say, dad? The memories are still gone.”

“Really? There’s absolutely nothing?”

Kurt takes a sip of his coffee, so that he can avoid talking about it. His dad doesn’t know about the recent developments and Kurt wants to tell him, but he also doesn’t want his dad to have false hope. Kurt knows that he subconsciously has started remembering some things. He would say something or do something, and then Blaine’s entire face would light up.

And then Kurt would become confused, and Blaine would realise that Kurt cannot remember remembering it, and his face would fall.

Yet, he wants to tell his dad.

“Dad, promise me not to think too much of this, okay?”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to think that everything will be fine and that my memories are back.”

“Kurt, what are you talking about?”

“But sometimes, I do remember something.”

And as expected, his dad gets a hopeful look on his face. Kurt hates it.

“I’m not exactly remembering things. Things just feel familiar to me and I can’t remember why. I don’t remember doing it, but I just remember or know that I’ve done it. Does that make sense?”

“Is it like a déjà vu?” his dad asks. He still looks hopeful, but not as much anymore now that he knows it’s not as simple as it sounds. Kurt knew it was coming, but it still makes him feel uneasy.

This is why he hasn’t told anyone else, like Kitty or Rachel or Mae. He can’t bear seeing the disappointment on Blaine’s face and he also won’t be able to bear the disappointment on his dad’s face, but Blaine and his dad are inarguably the most important people in his life. Is it weird to say that he feels a very strong kinship? Probably, but that is how Kurt feels.

Even though he’s only known Blaine for three months, Blaine feels like home.

“I don’t know. Kind of? I don’t have flashbacks or concrete memories or anything, dad. I truly have never been here before,” Kurt makes some hand motions, so that his dad knows that he’s referring to the condo, “But it’s more like I just know. Did I pick the teal shade for the walls, dad?”

His dad nods solemnly.

“That’s what I mean, dad. I can’t remember doing it, but I know that I’ve picked it with Carole. That’s all it is. I just know. I don’t know, dad, but that’s how I can describe it best. I’m sorry I can’t say more.”

His dad looks away and he balls his fist. He doesn’t immediately tell Kurt to not apologise, that he can’t help it, and that there’s nothing wrong. Instead, he breathes in and out. And again.

Kurt reaches out to touch is dad’s hand.

“It’s fine,” his dad eventually says, “It’s- It’s something.”

“That’s what Blaine said.”

His dad does another breathing exercise. Kurt obviously can’t remember everything, since his memories haven’t fully come back, so he doesn’t know why his dad knows all these techniques. Did Kurt teach him? Did Blaine?

Kurt gives his dad time to fully process it.

“Please don’t tell Carole yet. I don’t want her-”

“-to feel disappointed?” his dad finishes.

Kurt nods.

“Alright. I won’t tell her,” his dad promises, “But what does this mean?”

“We don’t know,” Kurt says and once again, the disappointment on his dad’s face is evident, “We’ve started talking with the hospital again. They referred us to some neuroscientists who specialise in different kinds of amnesia, since this is too difficult for the doctors at the hospital.”

“Why is this too difficult? Shouldn’t there be high-brow neuroscientists at the hospital?”

Kurt wishes he could understand as well. All he knows is that his amnesia is not ‘normal’ amnesia. He has no history of brain damage, he has no drug history, there’s no psychic traumatic past, there is no illness… Kurt is in absolute perfect health. Everything is great, except for the memory loss.

“There is this thing called retrograde amnesia, which basically means that I’ve lost my memories up until a certain point,” Kurt tries to explain, but it’s going to be difficult, since he barely understands it himself, “There have been neuroscientific studies about retrograde amnesia without direct brain damage, and neuroscience has come a long way, but many are still grasping in the dark. There’s also dissociative amnesia or something. They call it autobiographical, since I cannot remember my own life. I mean, I think that is what autobiographical amnesia means.”

“What can you do about it?”

“Occupational or cognitive theory have been discussed, but since we can’t really find the core of the problem, we can’t really treat it. Besides, reminder treatment doesn’t seem to work at all. Most people recover from retrograde amnesia through spontaneous recovery. We just have to wait. It sucks.”

“So you being here… it isn’t going to trigger any memories?”

Kurt nods, but then he turns to look at the teal shade wall. His dad follows his look.

“But you remember the teal shade wall,” his dad sounds confused.

“Like I told you, I don’t exactly remember things. I just know things. For example, I know that Blaine’s favourite sauce for a barbecue is garlic, but we haven’t actually grilled anything since we can’t fit a grill on our balcony. I don’t remember him liking it, but I know it. It’s little things like that. And it messes with my head, dad, it really freaks me out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kurt.”

“Sometimes, I don’t even realise that I know something that I can’t remember,” Kurt says and he thinks back to the few times he figured it out by reading Blaine’s facial expression, “I don’t know what’s real or not. When I saw the teal shade, I knew I picked it, but I couldn’t know for sure till I asked you a few minutes ago.”

“And the neuroscientists don’t understand it either?”

Kurt laughs bitterly. “As far as I know, I am completely defying all the laws of neurology. I am creating a new research branch.”

“I see.”

The two of them eat their breakfast in silence, although Kurt doesn’t really feel hungry anymore. A few minutes later, Carole comes downstairs and the conversations turn shallow again.

Kurt really, really likes seeing them again, but he can’t wait to go back to New York.

--

End notes: Since academia has ruined me, I present you the scientific references in proper APA style.

Amnesia (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on December 23rd 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesia

Jenkins, K. G., Kapur, N., & Kopelman, M. D. (2009). Retrograde amnesia and malingering. Current opinion in neurology, 22(6), 601-605. doi:10.1097/WCO.0b013e32833299bb

Retrograde amnesia (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on December 23rd 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrograde_amnesia

Squire, L. R., Clark, R. E., & Knowlton, B. J. (2001). Retrograde amnesia. Hippocampus, 11(1), 50-55. doi:10.1002/1098-1063(2001)11:1<50::AID-HIPO1019>3.0.CO;2-G

Staniloiu, A., Markowitsch, H. J., & Kordon, A. (2018). Psychological causes of autobiographical amnesia: a study of 28 cases. Neuropsychologia, 110, 134-147. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.10.017

[gleepotluckbigbang]

Teacher/Professor AUs

You’re the Music teacher and I’m the Drama teacher and we have to work together to produce this year’s school musical but we have wildly different ideas of how to do that

I’m the university librarian and you’re the hot new professor that keeps coming into the library to do research and prep for your classes, and you’re constantly asking me for help finding certain books/materials even though I’m pretty sure you already know where to find it

Someone stole my lunch out of the fridge in the teacher’s lounge, so you offer to share yours with me.

We are teachers in the same field of study but at different schools in the area and we meet at an out-of-town conference/convention where we are assigned to be roommates

We are both teachers at the same school that were somehow talked into being chaperones on the overnight class field trip

I’m a theater professor and you’re my spouse who is also a famous Broadway actor. My lesson this week is on a production that you won an award for, so you agree to drop by my class to talk to my students

We were making out and we stumbled into a classroom that we thought was empty but it turns out there was detention going on. Do you think we’ll be able to bribe the students to keep quiet so we don’t get fired? 

Two teachers bonding over a shared dislike for the administration/other teachers

I notice you look tired/stressed so I volunteer to help you grade that huge stack of mid-terms on your desk

The benefit of being the only adult in this college course is commiserating about the woes of being single parent over a beer with the hot professor 

I’m a famous actor and you’re an elementary school teacher. I was told by my studio to shadow you for a couple weeks to prepare for my new movie role as a teacher