#i really think half the people who complain about klaine like that

[angelhummel]

Top 5 scenes that show that Klaine are best friends.

Oooh that one's super hard bc like. Literally every scene of them is them being best friends lmao. Also everything I'm thinking of now, isn't even when they're together. So it really is just bestie moments lol. Again, not in a strict order bc they're all great moments but...

I always go back to their first meeting but... It's so choc full of goodness that you really can't help it. They're still relative strangers when Kurt trusts Blaine enough to open up to him, and then Blaine is immediately willing to go to Kurt's school and help him confront his bully. It shows us right away that Kurt can open up to Blaine, Blaine will try his best to help Kurt, that they've been there for each other from the start, and will continue to do so. It's one extremely solid foundation to their relationship so it's very important to me

Blaine surprising Kurt in NY so they can keep up their Christmas duet tradition. And so Kurt doesn't feel like he's dealing with his dad's cancer scare alone. Blaine promises to keep an eye on Burt in Lima which is just so sweet and also funny cause you know Burt is really the one keeping an eye on Blaine. And Blaine and Kurt promise that they're always going to be there for one another, even if they aren't together romantically

Blaine coming over to Kurt's place to help him practice his sexy faces. Which is just. Hilarious as hell. That's totally what friends do, right?? And obviously Kurt is uncomfortable talking about sex, not even Blaine can help that. But he does the best he can, and when Kurt tells him to leave, he seeks out Burt. He just wants his friend to be educated and safe and not end up getting himself into trouble

It's a little one, but when Kurt is hyping Blaine up to go serenade Jeremiah to ask him out. Obviously Kurt is crushing hard, obviously he's heartbroken when he realizes Blaine doesn't feel the same (not yet at least). And he STILL puts all that aside to help Blaine with his serenade, and to give him a few extra words of encouragement when he starts to get cold feet

All of Somebody Loves You and their talk outside Rachel's house. There are other fun duets, there's plenty of other instances of snappy banter between them. But it shows that even after all the drama and the pain and the heartbreak, on some level things are still this easy for them. That they can just let loose and be silly with one another, or tease each other like they do. It shows that underneath it all, they really are one another's best friends and always will be

[in-superbloom]

8 songs, 8 rules (or something)

RULES: 8 song prompts & tag 8 people

hai hai so @bandsanitizer tagged me to do this lil fun game so here we are <3 alison i can't explain how much i love opportunities to talk about my music so pls just feel the soul crushing hug i'm sending you right now 💜

also i'm completely incapable of choosing only one thing for anything ever – let alone music, so enjoy this catalogue of all over the place songs with a lot of unsolicited commentary <3 also all links are from spotify because i don't support iphone supremacy <3

anna from the future came to say: this got way too long, so i'll put it under the cut & i'm sorry in advance if you're reading this and pls know you don't have to read it at all, i won't blame you 👁👄👁

1. favorite song at the moment.

oh man. gotta say starting line by our resident sad boi hemmo ofc. it hasn't left my head since i first listened to it & i'm honestly still digesting it 🥺 but also ! can't not mention my main men <3 wrecked by imagine dragons also just came out and already managed to give me way too many breakdowns which is completely uncalled for but i can't complain 💜

2. a song you associate with your favorite ship.

which one 👁👄👁 i have so many favorite ships that i just stopped keeping track of them lmao but like, i don't really know? i used to associate songs with ships a LOT when i was younger but it's been a while since i did it. so let me check.

oh boy okay, alison mentioned glee which reminded me of klaine and the amount of love i have for these stupid lil gay men. the song that immediately stands out for me is teenage dream (acoustic) which yes it's the katy perry song but like. big big sad. i literally can't listen to it without wanting to cry. if you know the context, you know. and if you do, i'm sorry </3 this is not my absolute favorite ship ever but it's the one i relate with music the most, so let's leave it there or else this will get way too long lmao but also ! all you need is love 💖

3. a song that could be about you.

ehhh i have a whole playlist of these. like. over 100 songs. so let me pick 😌 okay there's too many so let me list them or else i'll end up talking too much about each one:

hear me - imagine dragons (13-years-old me cried over this on a weekly basis no joke) // clean - taylor swift (no link bc we're waiting for the taylor's version) // my kind - alessia cara // body - julia michaels // matter of time (interlude) - ashton irwin // memórias - pitty bc this woman singlehandedly built half of my personality so i gotta mention her <3

4. a song that you think is underrated.

look i might make a whole playlist for this someday, but for now i'll list artists that i think are underrated with my current favorite song from them:

honest - mali-koa // bardot - raffaella // i like myself (most of the time) - k.flay // get high - herizen // breaking my bones - friday pilots club

and honestly? my man ashton irwin does not get enough credit for the masterpiece that is superbloom and i'll never shut up about it <3 i know 5sos is not really underrated but i think we all know how things would play out if/when all the boys release a solo album, and we're getting a taste of that now, so yeah. gotta praise my main man <3

5. a song that reminds you of a good memory.

very unsurprisingly there isn't many for this category bc unfortunately my brain mainly associates songs with bad moments in my life 🥴 however, i will say more than words by extreme bc it reminds me of my babe/soulmate/love of my life @bluesdelis and of the best month of my life hands down. not much context for this one bc it's too damn special and personal but it's our song™ so yeah <3 (but i also almost put the glee version <3 love you tho 😌🖤)

6. the last song you listened to.

brutal - olivia rodrigo, shocking i know 😌 it was playing from my disco cowgirl playlist while i showered <3

7. a song that makes you laugh.

at this point almost anything from glee, especially if it's from season 4-5 lmao (why glee won't leave my head, alison this is your fault) but i already talked about them so let's go with don't phunk with my heart by the black eyed peas bc this song is absolutely ridiculous & i love it 💖

8. A song you want your mutuals to listen to.

all of the songs mentioned above <3 😌 but let me leave one from my new favorite band (thank you kaykay): hush - the marías ❤ so in love with this album 🥺

tagging: @bluesdelis @suchalonelysunflower @wastelandcth @ijustdontlikepeople @mulletcal @littledrummerangie @aintmyjewelry @talkfastromance4 💜 (i have no idea at all of who already did this so i'm sorry if you have !! but if you haven't, no pressure at all !! <3 and if you see this & wanna do it then i'm tagging you 😌 pls do it & tag me bc i love to take a peak at people's personality through their music <3)

also if you've read all of this? i love the shit out of you 💜 and i'm sending you the warmest hug and a tender forehead kiss 😚💓 here have a candy too 🍬

[spaceorphan18]

I agree that fandom got too caught up on who kissed and when, but I'm uncomfortable with the way that you dismiss the censorship in Glee. Leaving aside that the script for TFT proves it was there (what do you think those "scene redacteds" were all about?), TV, particularly network TV, has a history of censoring same sex relationships. This is not a thing made up by horny fans who wanted Glee to be porn. It's a valid topic for discussion, even if it's not a discussion you want to have

Alright. I’m in a mood, so we’re going to do this.  

First of all, I’d say where did I say I’m dismissing censorship -- but then I’m sure y’all will dig up whatever quote I said, so we’re gonna skip past that part. 

Alright, so here’s my thing.  I actually do think it’s a valid topic of discussion and I’m not even opposed to having it.  ;)  

Yes, most definitely, Network TV has a history of censoring same sex related things -- especially moments of intimacy.  They’re getting better about it, especially with streaming being so open about things, but it’s taken a long, long time.  And big social changes -- like what can and can’t be on tv, don’t happen overnight.  Should people be upset about things? Yes - absolutely, that is how change is made! 

But what happened during Glee’s airing is a complex beast to tackle.  

If you notice -- over the course of Glee, things changed.  When it started, when Kurt and Blaine kissed it was a big, big deal -- Glee got hate mail, and it was all over the media, and it was HUGE.  The fact that a TV show was going out of its way to show teenage intimacy this way hadn’t really been done.  Sure Dawson’s Creek had the first M/M kiss, but that wasn’t Klaine.  

But by season 5 and 6 we had a ton of gay/lgbt+ content in a row, and no one cared.  Society changed.  But Glee was just a step in one direction.  Klaine and Brittana weren’t really allowed to be unclothed and sexual with each other -- while straight teen couples still could get away with a lot more.  Especially when we see something like Blaine and Brittany get to be half naked in bed together, but they can’t be half naked in bed with Kurt or Santana.  That’s a double standard.  

I also see the issues with, for example, The Break Up, when at the end - the two straight couples got their first kisses shown, and the two gay couples did not.  I still think this was mostly the glee editors being dumb asses and not the network, but it is something that people had every right to complain about.  

Season 3, however, is another beast entirely.  Because there was a lot going on at the time.  

Yes - there was some interference going on from the network at the time, I do believe that.  The First Time had to have a warning aired in front of it (which is ridiculous and stupid) when it first aired.  And I do think there was some general -- can’t have it be too gay -- rhetoric coming down, because both Klaine and Brittana were held back quite a bit in a way that they aren’t Season 4+.  

But -- there were two other distinct things going on, too.  

1. The writers did not care as much about Klaine (or Brittana) as the rest of us did.  At the time, there were a TON of stories going on.  Will was still a main character.  Finchel had this ridiculous stupid year long arc.  Quinn had to be crazy.  Rory needed things to do.  There was a LOT of stuff going on, and the narrative of the time was less interested in telling Klaine (or Brittana)’s romantic stories, and more about the seniors and other things they wanted to talk about more.  That was not censorship.  That was the writers not giving a flying fuck.  

I also don’t believe the actors were told that they could only sit so close to each other, or that they weren’t allowed to kiss.  Or whatever other conspiracies like that that were going on at the time.  Production and writing just did not give it as much thought as we did.  

2. Meanwhile, there were a lot of people who claimed to here for lgbt+ rights, but only seemed to be mad when the gays didn’t kiss.  They did not care about Brittana or what was going on there.  They did not care about how Unique’s story was being handled.  They did not care that the writers wanted to tell other stories.  All they cared about was whether or not the gays kissed in the episode.  And that’s all they yelled about.  And it did feel hollow, especially since it was coming from a lot of straight women, who weren’t always listening to what the people in the lgbt+ community were saying at the time. 

Not to mention -- there were a lot of other minority groups who were being treated even worse (anyone of color on the show) and those kind of things were falling on deaf ears, too, and in some cases (the racism) were being handled much worse.  

It wasn’t everyone, and there were/are people have legit complaints that should be heard.  But let’s not ignore the fact that the fetizishing was there.  

But -- I will say, that Glee did start to change, as society changed, as the network’s antiquated rules changed, and as the writers seemed more interested, the show became much better about the lgtb+ content.  It wasn’t perfect -- nothing is, and we still need to fight for it, but it tried.  

Meanwhile -- stay passionate, keep fighting for rights because god knows lgtb+ people still need a strong community and helpful allies.  But also, I’ve always been open to having these kinds of conversations, so let’s not be quick to assume I’m dismissive of anything -- whatever the fuck I may (or may not) have said whenever I said it.  K? K. Thanks! 

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Coffeegleek Day 2

Author : @coffeegleek​ 

Share one of your strengths.

Humor, even if I'm the only one who's laughing. There's a reason I have the often used tag, "Sometimes I think I'm funny." :)

Share one of your weaknesses.

Redundancy. I try so damn hard not to repeat words, phrases, and sentences yet they always sneak in.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

A Nest of Scars because it terrified me to put it out into the world. I both wanted to tell Kurt's origin story of his time in juvie, yet was/am still afraid I would attract haters and pedos. I held onto it for a year before publishing it. It doesn't have much traction at all and most of me is okay with that. I wrote it because I wanted to expand more on why Kurt acts the way he does in Empty Nest and Rebuilding the Nest. I also wanted to tell about the RL horrors that are happening to POC kids in the U.S. It was NOT an easy fic to write emotionally. It wasn't fun to write Kurt being abused from ages 6-13. My brain wouldn't let the story go, so now it's out there and done. Once the sequel to it and a couple of one shots are written, I'm hoping to let the verse go. Of course, I said that after Rebuilding the Nest too. Another hard part of that verse is wanting to write Kurt and Blaine's much happier life after Rebuilding the Nest. I have the characters, setting, and some basics down, but never could get enough plot to turn it into a worthwhile story.

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

The crack fic one shots, whose names escape me. The Hallmark Christmas fics have been a blast. The only challenge to A Very Hallmark Christmas was when I started spiraling into more Kurt angst than I'd wanted for the verse and had to pull myself out of it. Writing A Soulmate for Santa Claus, the movie Kurt and Blaine were filming during A Very Hallmark Christmas, and the commercials that aired during the movie were a joy. It's why I want to get back to the verse.

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

A true passion. I've been writing my entire life and have totes full of my work from childhood to now. It's a life long dream to have my original sci-fi novel published. I worked on it on and off for nearly twenty years; the last major overhaul was finalized a few years ago.

Is there an episode or character or arc above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Burt's deep love for Kurt. As the parent of a gay son who ended up with PTSD due to homophobic and racist bullying, harassment, and assault it's a relationship I deeply relate to. I also relate to Kurt being an outsider who tries his best to rise above it all. Carole is a wonderful, relatable parent figure too.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Write the fics you want to read, what you love, and want to see more of.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

That language is changing and that I should stop complaining (in private or on posts about grammar) about people not using pronouns in their fics. Yes, language changes over time, but in this time, Kurt should not reach over to Kurt's dresser to pull out Kurt's lube and condoms.

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

A Very Hallmark Christmas. It would be such a humorous delight with just a bit of relevant angst. It has everything - two actors (Kurt and Blaine) falling in love as their characters do on screen. An obnoxious child actor (Justin Goolsby's son) who makes the other child actors cry. A frustrated production assistant (Tina) who wants to kill the director (Artie.) A famous guest star (Mercedes Jones) who sings the movie's pivotal Christmas song. The actress who is so tired of having to be super nice in her roles (Santana.) POC actors complaining about the roles they're always forced to play. The shameless product placements. I watched hundreds of hours of Hallmark Christmas movies to get the cheesy dialogue just right. I even threw some fun Burt and Carole in the end. Can you tell I shamelessly love this fic and verse? :)

What’s your process? Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? What are the perfect writing conditions for you?

I write the scenes out of order. Or rather, I start to write from the beginning, but there always ends up being a scene or block of scenes which take place later in the story that are written in-between. I always have at least one, sometimes two, google docs of notes that accompany it. If I didn't, the fic would get way too messy with my color-coded notes. I have outlines of sorts. For A Nest of Scars, its chapters go by Kurt's age and each has a line or two of dialogue as the quote at the beginning that tells the reader what's going to happen. I had many of those outlined before and during the writing process because I was very selective about what happens to him when. I had rules set in place and the ending had already been established in the original fic, Empty Nest. 

With A Very Hallmark Christmas and A Very Weird Christmas Adventure, each chapter was defined by the Klaine Advent words of the day. I could never keep up to a chapter a day, so often I would have chapter notes with the words and ideas for them. 

Perfect writing conditions - living room couch (where I essentially eat, sleep, and live as it's "my space" within the house,) a blanket and laptop on my lap, pillows comforting my back, lights off, cup of coffee on the coffee table, and the TV on to something I only half want to watch with the sound off and the remote at the ready in case I glance over and want to take a break from writing. Sometimes I'll have a song that I'll play on repeat if it's helping me to write a scene. (I do this a lot when writing original work; less so with Klaine fanfic.)

***

Check out Coffeegleek’s Fics

A Very Hallmark Christmas - Semi-famous actor!Kurt and semi-famous actor!Blaine work the Hallmark Christmas Movie circuit in true B-actor form. Though they’ve worked on the same movies before, this time they land roles that could change their lives forever. Mostly happy fluff, but has some angst. This is Hallmark, so of course it has a happy ending. Many of my favorite tropes have been included: badboy!Kurt who really has a heart of gold and sweetness, famous!Kurt, famous!Blaine, actor!Kurt, actor!Blaine, soulmates, soulmarks, AU Glee, angst with a happy ending, and fluff. There’s also a heavy dose of cheesy Hallmark Christmas Movie writing in both the script and commercials. In true AU form, canon characters abound in various non-canon roles.

Originally this was my Klaine Advent 2018 fic that I brain froze on and knew was confusing because the first 2 chapters were stand-alone, random one shots before I got the idea in chapter 3 for a whole verse. So this is that Hallmark story verse only reworked to make it better and stand on its own. All of the Advent words are included in this fic.

A Soulmate for Santa Claus -  This is the movie, A Soulmate for Santa Claus, that was being filmed in the Kurt/Blaine fic, A Very Hallmark Christmas. It includes the commercials that were being filmed as well. New material is included.

A Very Weird Christmas Adventure - A crack fic of fun and all the tropes that continues after A Very Hallmark Christmas. You don't have to have read the original fic, but it helps.

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine one-shot “On Your Mind” (Rated NC17)

Summary: Blaine is sitting at a bar, ill-advisedly looking for Mr. Right ... and failing. But as he plans to leave, he sees an incredibly gorgeous man who captivates him. He sits back down and watches him, fantasizing about who he is, what he's doing, and why he's there. But before too long, Blaine discovers that this man is far from ordinary. (3448 words)

Notes: This is a re-write. 

Read on AO3.

Being a New Yorker isn’t for the weak-hearted. Living here is rough.

And as the days go by, it doesn’t get any easier.

The city can be cruel. But it’s exciting, too. Blaine loves living here. He may be a small town boy, but he can’t imagine living anywhere else. But he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t overwhelming.

Back home in Ohio, people wore their hearts on their sleeves. That made it easier for him to survive as the token gay kid at his high school. From bigots to allies, he pretty much knew where everyone stood from the start. But in New York, everyone has their own unique brand of armor, forged through the give and take necessary to thrive in a diverse metropolis. It’s harder to tell from the outset who’s truly on his side and who’s faking it.

When Blaine first moved to New York, he stumbled into a few hornet’s nests. He learned a valuable lesson, but now he has a habit of being super-cautious about everyone, over-analyzing behavior, picking actions and conversations apart in search of clues.

It keeps him safe, but it also leaves him lonely.

He feels the weight of that as his butt falls asleep on the hard-as-a-rock barstool he’s monopolizing, stirring the watered-down rum and coke he’s been nursing for over an hour. He doesn’t actually like rum and coke too much. He’ll drink it, but it’s not his preferred choice overall. If he wasn’t so concerned about looks, he’d order a strawberry daiquiri. But a tall curvy glass filled with pastel pink drink and topped with a colorful umbrella isn’t the impression he’s trying to give off. He’s afraid it might scream flaming gay. A rum and coke always struck him as a man’s drink, probably because that’s what his dad used to order. And if there was a man’s man anywhere out there in the world, it was definitely his dad.

But Blaine, sighing in the solitude that is his corner of the bar, really wants a daiquiri.

He runs a hand over his tired face and up into his hair, mussing what was once a helmet of meticulously plastered curls, though he figures that the way he looks far from matters now. If not a single man looked him up and down when he was fresh faced and crisp as a brand new hundred dollar bill, then no one’s going to look at him now.

Not anyone who’d want to spend more than one night with him anyway. And even then, he’s giving them too much credit. More like fifteen minutes in the bathroom. And as much as Blaine has had fun in his fair share of bathrooms, he’s really looking for something deeper. Something more.

Of course, this bar that he’s scored most of the ass he’s tapped since he’s lived in New York probably isn’t the smartest place to go looking for it.

But his choices are limited. He’s a creature of habit, and this bar happens to be a block away from his apartment. Aside from that, he’s a certifiable workaholic, and he doesn’t like to shop at work. He’s a producer and a songwriter, currently slumming the orchestra pit down at the Lyceum Theater as a favor for a friend, and even though Broadway is rife with gay men, the ones he’s hooked up with have mostly been social climbers, warming his bed, hoping for the opportunity to snag something better than chorus line.

Blaine Anderson is no one’s stepping stone.

He takes a sip of his drink, checking to see if it’s any more salvageable than it was five minutes ago, and since the answer is no, he reaches into his back pocket for his wallet, preparing to settle his tab and head out. Who knows? Maybe if he hits Whole Foods on the way home, he might stumble across a nice, eligible bachelor in the organic produce department.

And this is where his imagination runs wild.

They’ll both reach for the same Asian pear. They’ll brush fingers, giggle bashfully. Blaine will offer it to him, but the man will insist Blaine take it instead. Small talk will ensue. They’ll find out they have tons of stuff in common. They’ll go for coffee and end up talking till five in the morning because time will fly by. And as the sun peeks over the horizon, they’ll share Blaine’s pear, along with a few sweet kisses …

It’s the rom-com variety meet-cute New York City is known for.

The romantic in him says it’s worth a shot.

The realist in him says don’t hold your breath.

He puts a tenner on the bar and tells the bartender to keep the change.

High-pitched laughter cuts through the murmur of drunken conversation, stopping Blaine cold, half-standing with his hand thrust awkwardly down the back pocket of his pants. He doesn’t understand why he has such an extreme reaction to it, but it calls to him, goes through him – in his ears and around his brain like a silk sheet, sliding down his throat like a rich mouthful of hot chocolate and settling in his belly. He’s never had that reaction to a laugh before. It’s almost ludicrous. He waits for it to continue, but it doesn’t, and the heat in his belly begins to cool.

But I didn’t just imagine it! he thinks as the sensation drifts away. It was clear as day!

He turns his head, eyes sweeping the dingy bar for whoever made that sound, pausing at the front door as traffic flows in and out. A thin stream of average, uninteresting faces make an appearance but nothing that fits that voice. A few faces later, Blaine decides to go with his first instinct and leave, but he stops for a second time when a gorgeous, almost otherworldly man with pale skin and impossibly blue eyes walks into view. He turns to the bartender as he passes Blaine, not even sparing a glance for the man staring numbly like a dumbstruck teenager. When the stranger speaks, his voice sounds even more magical than before.

“Shirley Temple, extra cherries if you please, Ronnie.”

Ronnie, a surly manticore of a man with a handle-bar moustache and bright red suspenders, raises a hand to acknowledge his order.

“Sure thing,” he says, his gruff, smoker’s voice sounding happier now that he – whoever he is – has arrived. Other patrons at the bar turn to welcome him with a wave or a smile. Blaine notices that the overall atmosphere of the bar has become lighter, less depressing, as if whoever this man is swept in and cleansed the aura of the room.

Or maybe the rum, weak though it is, is finally hitting him.

Either way, this man, taking a seat at a table not too far from him – this ethereally handsome, fashion-forward man with the sea blue eyes, and (Blaine can’t help noticing) incredible ass stuffed into ridiculously tight jeans - convinces Blaine to sit back down and hang out a little while longer.

Whoa, those jeans are tight! he thinks. I mean, I guess I can’t talk. My pants are pretty tight, too. But those look dangerously tight. Like … health endangering tight.

The man sits up straight and runs his hands down his thighs, stopping briefly at his knees, then continuing back up to his hips again. Blaine leans forward at the sight of this man touching himself, stroking the dark denim pulled tight over trim legs, and nearly falls straight off his stool.

Blaine pinches his lips together tight before he can accidentally moan out loud and make a fool out of himself.

N-not that I’m complaining. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. And you definitely got it. I mean, have it. And that voice … are you a singer? I think I would have heard of you if you were a singer. You’d have Broadway wrapped around your finger if you were …

The man bites his bottom lip, holding back a smile, eyes searching the bar, looking for someone. His hand trails up the buttons of his shirt, fidgeting with his open collar, touching his neck lightly with his fingertips.

He must be waiting for someone special. Probably a lover with a reaction like that.

Looks like I don’t stand a chance, huh?

Blaine watches his fingertips move, envisioning opening the man’s shirt, button by button, following with a kiss to every newly revealed patch of skin, ending at his long neck, tracing a path up to his ear with the tip of his tongue. Blaine blinks his eyes, snapping back to reality.

Okay … I don’t know where that came from …

The man looks distracted as he peers off into the crowd and swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bouncing when he does. A waitress comes up to his table with a tray carrying a single drink – a bubbly beverage overflowing with crayon red maraschino cherries. The man’s eyes flick up to the waitress and he smiles, the distracted look dissolving with his enigmatic grin. The waitress sets a napkin down in front of him, and then the drink on top of that. The man nods and watches the waitress walk away before he regards his drink.

Blaine has become positively fascinated with this man, every minute detail of him, even though apart from being inconceivably sexy he has yet to do anything more extraordinary than smile and sip his drink.

But that smile.

It has more character, more personality than the half dozen men he’s tried talking up this week.

The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. He opens it up on the table in front of him and looks at it intently, reaching for his drink again and forgoing the straw this time to take a healthy sip.

That’s an awful lot of cherries for one poor drink, Blaine muses. And here I was, stressing over a daiquiri …

The man looks up from his paper (list? letter? Blaine can’t tell from where he’s sitting …) and chuckles. He pauses for a moment, as if he’s expecting something to happen, gaze shifting left and right, and then returns to the words on the page. The smile on the man’s face drops an inch, than an inch more, until none of it remains.

Sucky news, huh? Blaine commiserates. I understand how that is. I hope that’s not a Dear John letter. Blaine’s mind drifts to thoughts of an envelope resting against his lamp on his bedside table, the letter inside months old but read so many times that creases from the folds in the paper are tearing.

But the edges are still sharp enough to sting.

Someone with gorgeous eyes like yours shouldn’t have to read something like that, he thinks with a sigh.

The man sighs as well, eyes skimming the last few lines. His smile returns. He folds the letter back up and puts it in his pocket.

Guess not, huh? Well, good for you. A man like you deserves love letters … and poetry …

The man shakes his head, but this time he’s staring straight ahead at someone approaching his table. Another unspectacular man from the bar - this one wearing a long, tan coat - walks right up to the only vacant chair at the table and sits down without being invited.

Rude, Blaine thinks. The man he’s been watching for the last half-hour raises both eyebrows and nods his head once, as if he agrees. Blaine watches the second man closely, observing the way he sits, how his eyes bounce from face to face around him, how he keeps his hands folded in his lap, suspiciously close to his hip. The waitress comes up to take his order but the man waves her away, and Blaine gets it.

This second man is a cop.

Suddenly, this show he’s been watching has just become way more interesting. His thin rum and coke forgotten along with all pretense of ever leaving this bar, Blaine focuses on the couple, no longer concerned whether they know he’s watching them or not. He debates finding a chair closer to their table so he can hear what they’re saying, anything to give him a clue as to what his mystery man is up to.

The cop monopolizes most of the conversation from what Blaine can see. He starts talking, low and calm at first, but then more and more animatedly, gesturing with one hand since he keeps the other pinned to his side, probably where his holster is. Blaine prides himself on the fact that he has watched enough episodes of Law and Order that he’s well-versed in many aspects of police behavior by now. In fact, he’s considered becoming a police officer. He thinks he’d be really good at it. He’s athletic and smart (if he does say so himself). And he can be assertive. Only problem is he’s not too keen on guns … or chasing after people … or getting shot at …

In the middle of the officer’s speech, the man with the iridescent blue eyes starts to laugh, apparently at an inappropriate moment because the officer stares at the man with mouth agape and eyes wide, offense written in every line of his strained face. The blue-eyed man peeks up at his companion and waves a dismissive hand. It looks to Blaine like he’s assuring the angered officer that he wasn’t laughing at him or anything he said. He quiets down, gesturing for the officer to continue.

Blaine watches in silence as the two talk back and forth, concentrating on their lips to see if he can catch any snippets of conversation. He narrows his eyes until he gets a migraine, but the only words he thinks he can catch are ‘lost’ and ‘help’, and maybe ‘dead’, though it could have been ‘den’ or ‘desk’. Blaine’s eyes begin to cross, and more and more he’s starting to wish that the police officer guy would just leave so he can go back to unraveling the mystery of this man with the prismatic blue eyes.

The man (Blaine has decided to call him ‘Noel’ since he bears a striking resemblance to a young Noel Coward) closes his eyes and puts his fingers to his temples, pressing and massaging tiny circles into his skin.

Is Captain Overbearing bothering you? Blaine thinks. Is he giving you a headache? I know people like that. They walk into the room and pow! My head throbs. I used to let them walk all over me, mostly because we’d been friends forever. It happens with my brother, too. I could tell them to eff off, but I guess I have a phobia of not having any friends. But now, being a New Yorker for the past decade, I opt for revenge. Not the big kind of revenge. I mean, I don’t think I could hurt anyone, or ruin their lives, or anything. I have been known to slip a few drops of Visine into their soda. Gives them the poops for hours. That’s fairly satisfying …

In the midst of massaging his temples, the man smiles. He opens his eyes, throws his head back and laughs, and again the officer looks entirely put off. The man shakes his head, leaning toward the man across the table, putting a hand up to either amplify his voice or shield his lips from view. Blaine pouts, feeling intentionally left out of the conversation. Even though his lip reading skills have so far gotten him nowhere, now he has no hope of finding out what’s going on between Noel and his police officer friend.

The officer nods, his eyes performing a cursory glance of the bar one last time before he gets up and heads for the exit. The man at the table stands as well, reaching into his back pocket, squeezing his hand into the tight fit and pulling out his wallet. Blaine deflates when he sees the man pull out a bill along with some other thin piece of paper, something that looks suspiciously like a business card, from his wallet. He places the bill beside his half-drunk Shirley Temple on the table, and then turns on his heel. Blaine expects the man to head out the door after the police officer, but instead he looks straight at Blaine.

Blaine pivots his head left and right, then turns his head completely around and glances behind himself to be sure, and yes, he’s the only one in Noel’s sight line at present. He heads right for Blaine, eyes locked unnervingly on Blaine’s face, and for a moment Blaine becomes confused and frightened all at once. The man is striking, but he also has an undeniable air of confidence and power that makes Blaine want to drop to beg for forgiveness and do whatever this man tells him to do. But why does Blaine feel so guilty? He hasn’t said word one to the man! He’ll admit, he has been staring, but that’s all.

Maybe he should have just gone home when he’d planned. Now he’s about to get into a fist fight in a bar.

Not really. Blaine has no intention of throwing a single punch.

The man stops before Blaine, hands resting on his hips, doing nothing but look at him, eyes going over his body from head to toe. A range of emotions pass over his face from amusement to sympathy to curious. He lands back on amusement and stays there. He holds the thin card out to him. When Blaine just stares at him, speechless, he leans forward and slips it neatly into the outer pocket of Blaine’s button-down shirt.

“The name’s Kurt,” the man says, “not Noel, but I appreciate the compliment. Also, I appreciate your concern about the effects of my pants on my health, but I promise you, they’re no tighter than I can handle.”

Blaine leans against the bar, knocked out of his stupor by the man’s opening line.

“Believe it or don’t, I understand what it’s like to feel alone in a city of 8 million people. We have that in common. And by the way,” the man Blaine now knows is Kurt, not Noel, says, “I’m not a big fan of rum and coke, either. So when you take me out on Friday night, just order the damn daiquiri? Life’s too short for shitty friends and crappy drinks.”

Kurt pats Blaine’s pocket where the card is safely tucked and winks, turning and heading toward the entrance where the police officer has ducked back in to wait for his companion to follow.

Blaine still hasn’t said a word, stunned into silence as he watches Kurt leave. Kurt says something to the officer at the door, motioning vaguely in Blaine’s direction. The officer’s eyes find Blaine and the weary man smirks. He holds the door open for Kurt, who turns one last time to see Blaine stuck in the same position that he left him. He raises an arm and waves, blowing Blaine a kiss. He steps out the door with a satisfied grin, and like that, he’s gone.

Blaine waits a moment longer after Kurt has gone, trying to wrap his mind around everything that happened. But try as he might, it’s too surreal for him to comprehend. Noel – not Noel, as it turns out, but Kurt – had called him out on everything he’d thought while watching him. But how? How in the hell is that possible? Well, he works with a police officer. Is there a chance that maybe he … what?

What, Blaine? he asks himself. What on God’s green earth could possibly explain all of that?

Remembering the card waiting for him in his pocket, he pulls it out carefully, not willing to lose it and the opportunity to contact that fascinating man. Blaine reads the words embossed on it, then he reads them again. He reads them over and over, close to a hundred times, and after their meaning sinks in fully, he’s not sure if he should laugh or find the nearest rock and hide under it.

Blaine mentally goes over everything he saw tonight – every inflection Kurt made, every movement, every shift of his inquisitive eyes. Blaine has spent the past ten years of his life being a skeptic, constantly questioning everyone’s intentions and emotions, feeling like no one he’s met has truly understood him, nor has ever really wanted to. But after tonight, none of that matters.

This might be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Kurt E. Hummel

Medium

Psychic Investigator

[lyricalbowties]

A Latte Fun || Klaine

Tagging→  Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel Where→  Latte Fun, coffee house When→ 10/4/19 Warnings→  n/a

Blaine

To Blaine, this meeting of the campus glee club could not end soon enough. And it wasn’t because he didn’t want to be there, or he found it boring. He was just, admittedly, a little excited to get to spend time with Kurt. This was the day he was going to surprise order a drink for Kurt and hopefully, if all went well, Kurt would approve. It seemed stupid to be excited about such a thing, but for some reason Blaine was eager to get out of glee club and go. Kurt was incredibly nice and interesting to talk to and surprisingly easy. Sometimes Blaine had a hard time talking to people especially guys, with girls he didn’t feel the need to put on as much of an act. But with Kurt it was easy. Blaine liked that.

           Once they had finished and said goodbyes to the rest of the club, and Blaine made sure to slip away from Rachel to make sure that there would be no unwanted tagalong, he moved up beside Kurt. “So, ready to go?” Blaine adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder doing his best to keep the majority of his eagerness hidden. “There is this great coffee house not too far from here. It’s called Latte Fun.” He said proud and with a grin, as if he came up with the pun himself. “It’s actually really nice, there are books too and some study areas. It’s very casual compared to Starbucks, less commercial and their coffee is out of this world.”

Kurt

While usually sitting near the front to be as involved as possible, Kurt found himself hanging in the back today with his notepad open in his lap. His mind more focused on getting a sketch done for his fashion design class compared to practicing vocal exercises. There'd be plenty of time to do that in the future, no reason to stress about it. Not now at least.

By the time the club ended, he was a little proud of the finished product and was a little startled by Blaine's sudden appearance at his side as he collected his things and started to head out. Definitely wasn't anything that he was about to complain about, and he recovered with a bright grin. He liked Blaine. He was very helpful, sweet, and had to be one of the better dressed guys that he's seen on campus which he could respect off the bat. It also helped that he wasn't bad on the eyes either, but that was neither here or there. A quick slip of his notebook into his bag, and he's giving the other his full attention.

"I certainly am!" A half-lie as he got too wrapped up in his homework that he forgot for a hot second. "I've been looking forward to this. Somewhere that isn't the common area of my dorms is going to be an upgrade." Clutching at his own book bag strap, Kurt gives a generic nod as he heads away from the music room and out of the building at long last and out into the fresh air. "Latte Fun." He repeats to himself, giving a small laugh. "Is this the coffee shop you find yourself at when you need to study? Or are you one of those people who prefer holing themself up in their apartment or a library?"

 Blaine

Blaine couldn’t help but grin stupidly as Kurt said he was looking forward to getting coffee. He turned his head away from Kurt and stared in front of him in an attempt to hide it. It was almost an involuntary smile and the more Blaine thought about it it made him smile more which was absurd. He cleared his throat softly and made sure to hold the door open for Kurt as they left the building. Blaine gestured in the direction they would be walking, it was just a block away from where they were which was perfect. Although, Blaine found himself thinking that he wouldn’t mind a longer walk with Kurt.

Well. That was enough of those thoughts. He needed to calm down. Blaine managed to get this way with any guy he thought was attractive. He had to take it down a notch and not let his mind wander like that everytime, even if it was a simple innocent thought. Don’t entertain it. Don’t risk it.

“Oh, well.” Blaine began, his cheeks flushed a little before he continued. “No, but not because the atmosphere isn’t great. I started out by studying in the library last year but I prefer to listen to music when I study and, well, I temporarily forgot where I was and might have broken out into the chorus of Mr. Brightside.” Blaine chuckled softly. “Since then, I’ve decided that it’s better for me, and everyone else if I just stick to my apartment. I can’t be trusted with a good song.”

Blaine tilted his head towards Kurt, “But, if you’re a person who can be trusted not to cause a public disturbance, I think Latte Fun would be a good place to go. There are some incredibly comfy chairs too. And,” He added with a bit of urgency, “just like the coffee please feel free to be honest with me if you hate the place. If it’s not your style, that’s okay. I might be talking it up too much.”

 Kurt

Kurt took notice of the way the others cheeks flushed, even ever so slightly. How could he not? He didn't have any kind of reaction like that often. Innocent or not. Really it was a little flattering if he admitted it to himself, silently of course. It was a nice look on Blaine. As he let himself give him a quick once over as he passed through the door, he decided there possibly wasn't a bad look on him that he could think of. No matter what he said about the hair situation. Which he was refusing to bring up. Not now anyway. There'd be time for that topic.

Having Blaine confess that he broke into song out in the open though gets Kurt giving a warm soft laugh, bringing a hand up to his mouth as he does. "Oh. I wouldn't have thought that a public disturbance, though! I am sure everyone was a little blessed in that moment." He gives Blaine a little nudge in the shoulder with his own. "Don't be so hard on yourself. It happens to the best of us. Like Finn came in on me studying in the common area singing to myself to recruit me for Glee Club." If anything he was now making it a silent point of his to get Blaine for a study break in a public space. Probably for selfish reasons. Whether it was because he preferred good company who he didn't feel on edge with, or maybe because he wouldn't mind a private performance in person in the middle of studying and attempting to write an essay.

"Do you actually think I'm not going to like this place? The way you describe it sounds relaxing, cozy, and like the perfect atmosphere. Plus everyone knows, coffee and books combined is the best smell anyone could think of." He tilts his head back towards Blaine mirroring him with a bit of a smirk. "Relax. I'm not as picky as I like to pretend I am." A bit of a light hearted sigh follows and Kurt straightens his posture again as the walk continues, being more mindful to make physical memories so he could find this place on his own if need be.

After a comfortable pause, Kurt presses on. "So, Mr. Brightside, huh?" He asks, glancing towards Blaine again, brow raised. "What other goodies do you have in that repertoire of yours? Do you always listen to rock when studying, or do you have a variety?"

 Blaine

Blaine chuckled softly, grinning ear to ear as Kurt nudged him. “I don’t know if everyone around me, including the librarians would have used that word.” What he didn’t tell Kurt was that it had happened on more than one occasion and he nearly got himself banned from the library. How embarrassing was that, to almost get banned from the campus library for breaking out into a one man flash mob? And when Kurt said to not be too hard on himself he tried not to let the smile waver completely.

“Ah so, you have caused a public disturbance.” He said with a sly smirk directed at Kurt. “Well, I’m glad he heard you. Otherwise we might not be getting coffee right now.” Blaine said, and that was a rather sad thought. He truly hoped Kurt liked Latte Fun, he wanted there to be a place he could randomly run into Kurt. “Oh, no” Blaine began, a little bit of panic in his voice “I didn’t--I don’t think that you’re picky. That’s not what I meant. I just tend to build things up sometimes and I wouldn’t be offended if you honestly didn’t like it. That’s all.”

Way to go Blaine. He chided himself, his eyes directed forward now the coffee house within sight across the street. When Kurt spoke again Blaine drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment. When he exhaled he grinned, “Yeah. You’re going to think I’m a little excessive. I have multiple playlists and it usually depends on what I’m studying and what mood I’m in. Mostly it’s pop, rock, or somewhere in between. There’s some classical, some separated by decade..I have one for showtunes, but I don’t study with that playlist. It’s far too difficult to keep quiet when I’m listening to it.” He paused a moment, “I can share them with you sometime, if you’d like.”

 Kurt

There's a warm laugh at the others words. He had to hand it to him there. Librarians were known to be super strict when it came to how much sound a person was allowed to make within the building. Part of him understood it. The other part wanted to be more defiant as they were people. No one should be made to feel silent, right? He had to shake himself from that though before it spiraled into something else. Not today. Not now. He was in good company. Last thing he needed was to let his mind run away with past thoughts that shouldn't matter anymore. He was safe here. Safe with Blaine.

"I wouldn't call it a disturbance," he's quick to defend himself with a little grin as he glances away, hiding the mixture of amusement and a point to not blush at his own admission, "I was completely alone. If anything, he came in and disturbed me." A little cackle follows. "Although I wasn't about to complain, because I can also get carried away. Can't help it. Broadway musicals, they have a way to sweep you out of the moment and put you on a stage in a heart beat." There's a wistful sigh, lifting his shoulders in an over the top shrug.

It was only Blaine's sudden need to correct himself that has the porcelain boy stopping in the walk, eyebrows lifted in surprise. With an equal need to soothe, he reaches out to gently touch at Blaine's upper arm, hoping to ground him back to Earth by doing so. "Blaine, relax. I was kidding. I definitely don't peg you for someone to stereotype off the bat like that." Tipping his head, he removes his hand and returns it to his bookbag strap, continuing on the path.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to accidentally put words in your mouth like that. Definitely wasn't the intention, I promise."Relief at the topic change nonetheless, he picks right back up in his confident stride, taking in the new information as his coffee buddy offered it to him. All of it sounded like good choices, vague but still enough for him to get a basic idea.

"Oh, no. Definitely not thinking that at all. I have my own lists categorized by different situations, genres, routines—you name it." He holds up a finger. "And it's nothing to be ashamed about. Especially for a music therapist." A gentle poke against Blaine's arm, giving a serious nod. "But I would like that. You sharing your music taste with me. So long as you don't judge me if I start randomly bursting out into song if I favor something in your selection."

Blaine

Blaine arched a brow, smiling a little over to Kurt. There was something endearing about the idea of the other man singing alone with his guard completely down and how genuine it must have been. Blaine was a little jealous of Finn in that moment, wishing he had been the one to stumble upon such a sight. “That’s incredibly beautiful.” He said, when Kurt described musicals. “And I agree with you. It is one reason I don’t listen to Broadway in public, I am far more likely to break out into song. It’s easy to get swept away by them, I think there is some level of romance to it all.” Blaine felt his cheeks start to heat up at that admissions.

And when Kurt touched them the rouge in his cheeks continued. Blaine tensed a little before taking a calming breath and smiled. “You don’t have to apologize.” He sighed. “I’m glad you don’t think that though. It’s just we don’t know each other that well yet, and I didn’t want you to think that I was making that assumption about you.” He was slightly embarrassed for his reaction but at the same time he wanted to make a good impression with Kurt.

He cleared his throat and pressed the button as they stopped at the crosswalk.The coffee house was just across the street and Blaine realized he had no idea what he was going to order for Kurt. There were a few ideas he had but nothing Blaine had settled on. He turned to face Kurt waiting for their time to cross.“I’m glad I am not the only person who puts that much time into their music. I like a variety of music but I am kind of stuck on a few albums right now. Pink’s new album is pretty great but really emotional at the same time so I need a little pick me up after that. That’s where I go to one of my more upbeat positive playlists, usually my 80’s playlist. Because if Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go doesn’t make you smile, I’m not sure what will.”

When the light turned and it was their time to cross, Blaine gesture for Kurt to go first and he caught up quickly to be next to him again. “Kurt, you’re talking to the guy who broke out into song in a library. I wouldn’t judge you for that. I would be the last one to do so.” He said with a wink.

Kurt

Beautiful. That was a word he hadn't thought he'd hear describe anything he did. For all he knew, that was just a word used in books or movies, anywhere fictional really. But real life? It brought color into his pale cheeks, tinting them pink. Flattery was something he was sure he was going to feel a lot around Blaine already. He already got a kick of it from others, but at least now it was getting his face to react positively. Blushing was a positive reaction, right? He unknowingly makes a face to himself for a moment. Contemplating. Analyzing. If only to keep his brain from moving other places, or digging too deep behind the why's behind those kinds of thoughts.

Chewing on his bottom lip as he sets to cross the street, giving a sigh of contentment. "You can never go wrong with Pink." He agrees, giving an enthusiastic nod. "I still have her first album that I find myself rocking out to, like it's nothing." He gives himself an exasperated sigh at himself, though he's still got a grin on his face as he reaches the other side of the crosswalk. "I can't tell you how many times I've been empowered by 'So What'. One of the better post-break up songs to exist." There's a bit of a flash of some unknown emotion across his face, but it was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of thing that is easily replaced with a calming skill he's picked up over the last year.

"Good to know! Because seriously, sounds like you have a top notch list of artists that I'm gonna enjoy snooping through once you let me." Giving Blaine a wink back, he reaches the door first and gives it a pull, gesturing the other inside first.Blaine had been right. This place was amazing. The warm scent of coffee beans was always comforting, washing over him like a blanket. He has to inhale deeply, wanting to fill his lungs with as much of the atmosphere as possible. The cozy chairs, the lines of bookshelves of books just begging to be touched from where they were so neatly lined in their rows. Transporting Kurt into a different era almost, where everything seemed more simple. More romantic. Just better.

When he does find his voice again, he exhales loudly as if he had been holding his breath that entire time. "Wow." Shaking his head, he does a full three-sixty turn to take everything in, all over again. "I now understand what Belle felt when she saw the Beast's library for the first time."

 Blaine

The color rising in Kurt’s own cheeks did not go unnoticed by Blaine. He was glad he was not the only one blushing. He wondered what it was that he had said to make the color appear. Blaine wanted to be able to do it again in the future, it was a good look on Kurt. Blaine watched him a moment and briefly thought he saw Kurt’s face change but maybe Blaine is seeing things. He just smiles at the other man as he walks beside him, listening to him talk about Pink and rocking out to her first album and ‘So What’.

Blaine tilts his head and chuckles at the idea of Kurt rocking out. Not that it seems absurd but because there is a little bit of air that Kurt’s presence naturally gives off that says he only performs music not ‘rocks out’. He gives a nod and is too busy thinking about the image of Kurt really getting into the music to notice the implications behind what he just said. The dots didn’t connect between him being empowered by what he believed to be one of the better post-break up songs. Instead, he replies with “‘Raise Your Glass’ is another great one. I’ve spent a lot of nights feeling empowered by that in my room. My playlists are your playlists any time you want them.”

As they approach the building he tries to go for the door but Kurt has already beat him to it. Blaine believes that the only reason he wasn’t able to get the door first was because of the wink Kurt had given him, causing Blaine to freeze for a moment and not know what to do. Thankfully he recovered well enough to walk in a head of Kurt, turning to see what his reaction would be. The moment Blaine saw Kurt’s face a large smile stretched itself across Blaine’s. He pulled his lips in trying to control his smile but his own excitement was hard to contain.

“I’m going to take that reaction as an, ‘I like it’.” Blaine paused a moment, “Wait. Would that make me the Beast in this scenario?” He joked with a raised brow. Blaine elbowed Kurt lightly in the side. “Come on, I have a perfect spot for us then I’ll go get our coffee.” He guided Kurt toward the back off the coffee house, all the whole Blaine prayed that his table was unoccupied. And by the grace of whatever existed, it was. There was a slight bounce in his step as he showed Kurt a corner with two wingback chairs and a small table between the two.

“This is my favorite place. It’s quiet and away from most of the other tables and chairs. Plus, these are the only two chairs like this in the whole place. Makes it even more special.” Blaine took his bag off from around his shoulders and set it down beside one of the chairs, making sure to grab his money before he stood back up. “Alright, make yourself comfortable I’ll be back shortly with your surprise coffee.”

 Kurt

He doesn't even try to cover his amusement at the idea of Blaine being the beast in any scenario. Sure, he didn't know the guy that long, but with those soft edges and always a positive persona, there was nothing beastly about him. The image was ridiculous and Kurt curls his lips into his mouth with a shake of his head at the question. "While you do hold Disney Prince appearances, I don't think the Beast is your style." He teases back, easily following into step towards the designated area that the other had in mind.

Relieved it was in a more quiet and secluded area, Kurt makes himself at home. Setting his bag on the floor beside one of the chairs, he takes a seat. Making note that he would probably need one of these in his dorm room if he could sneak it past his roommate's ideals of making it a dirty clothes hamper to toss things on. It made his nose wrinkle from that thought.

"Well, I'm very glad to be thought of as deserving of your favorite and special chairs." Even his cheeks flush a little once more as he says the words themselves. It sounded so much better in his head and he has to duck his head to prevent his own embarrassment at his words to heat his entire face up. God. Why was he like this?

Merely giving a double thumbs up at the instruction to make himself comfortable, Kurt settles into the chair more and removes his phone to check for notifications. Only a few things from Twitter and maybe something from his dad on Facebook which got him deciding it was best not to check that while he was with friends. Last time his dad shared something on Facebook, it had been childhood pictures of that awkward phase of being a toddler. Didn't need Blaine seeing those, even on accident.

Blaine

Blaine hesitated a moment, the comment about looking like a Disney Prince had caught him off guard. He blinked and smiled a little at Kurt, he wanted to reply with a ‘you too’ but the words didn’t come out. Blaine watched Kurt’s face for every reaction he could in hopes that this place was to his satisfaction. Without realizing it, Blaine had been holding his breath. When Kurt settled into the chair and seemed comfortable enough Blaine left to order their coffee.

As soon as Blaine turned away and briskly walked back to the front, his entire face heated up. Okay, Anderson just calm down. He told himself drawing in a deep breath. This was most nervous he had been around a single person in a while. The party and the boy with the pastel hair didn’t count. That was a different type of nervous. That was more of an ‘everyone could find out here at this crowded party where people are incredibly trashed’ kind of nervous.

At the front Blaine flashed a smile at the barista behind the counter, her auburn hair pulled up into a messy bun on her head, with two sharpies sticking out of it. He ordered his usual, just a basic medium drip. And he paused,his eyes scanning over the menu. “Uhm.” Blaine glanced back to where he could see Kurt and grinned a moment and turned back to the barista.

He lowered his voice a little. “I’m trying to surprise my friend over there with coffee. Not just any coffee, but like a surprise coffee drink.” Boy, did he sound ridiculous. Blaine sighed and tried again to explain a little more rushed this time. “You see, he’s trusting me with picking something he’d like but I don’t know what he likes and I don’t want to mess this up.”

The barista looked over in Kurt’s direction and back to Blaine with a knowing smirk. “Oh, first date huh?”

“What? No.” The smile from Blaine’s face dropped. “No, he’s just a friend. A new friend. Look, I just need a suggestion. I’m thinking something that has caramel or cinnamon in it. Can you just whip something up for me, please? Oh, and two of those pumpkin shaped cookies.”

Nearly mortified by the interaction, Blaine paid the barista and took their drinks and cookies back to where Kurt was waiting. As he approached their spot, Blaine felt the embarrassment wash away and excitement take its place.

“Alright.” He announced with a broad smile. He set both drinks on the table and sat across from Kurt in the other chair. He set Kurt’s closer to him, a medium caramel macchiato with added cinnamon to give it just a slightly unique taste. “I also got us some cookies because I always think you should have something sweet with your coffee. Okay. I’m not going to tell you what it is, I want you to taste it and tell me what you think.”

 Kurt

Scrolling through his phone despite nothing quite sticking to his concentration as his mind was too busy trying to guess the kind of coffee mixture he was about to consume. He wasn't completely picky when it came to his coffee — if he had been, he wouldn't be sitting here awaiting his doom in a patient silence. He knew he could trust Blaine with this. It was coffee. Wasn't a matter of life or death. Still, the unknowing of how sweet, bitter, or watered down it could be was a prickling sensation he wasn't going to shake until he had the cup in his hands.

None too soon until his coffee buddy was back. As was the smile on Kurt's face. Tucking his phone away without a moment of hesitation, hands moving to his lap with intrigue as he eyed the cup in question. "Oh boy." He muses, wiggling his fingers as he accepts the coffee cup, the warmth tingling his fingertips as he does so. Always a satisfying feeling. "Here it goes."

First, he lifts the cup to his nose for a small whiff. There was a definite sweet smell to it, and he thought he could catch a scent of cinnamon, but being where they were he couldn't tell for sure. It's then he brings it to his lips, letting the hot liquid touch his tongue at long last. At first it just slightly burned, as it coated his mouth entirely so he could swallow and let it sit with him. Cinnamon. Definitely had cinnamon. No doubt there now. Wasn't his imagination. His head tilts, curious as he tries to figure out the other distinguished taste that was familiar. It was pleasant, he knew that much. He could see himself drinking this, whatever this was, again.

A second sip.

A third.

Lips curling into his mouth, he takes pause to sit with the taste. "Caramel? Caramel." He states at last, pinpointing the flavor in his memory, and looking to Blaine for confirmation as he could still be wrong, and jumped to conclusions. Second guessing himself, he takes another taste only to nod. "I can taste the caramel. It's a sticky sweet. Nothing overpowering. I like it." Lifting the cup towards Blaine in a mock-toasting gesture, he settles into his seat, pleased with himself.

"I think you've got good taste in coffee, Blaine Anderson. I say we do this again sometime? If you're okay with that, of course. No pressure."

Blaine

Blaine sat back in his chair and, with eyes still on Kurt, brought his own coffee up to take a slow sip. He hid a smile behind the coffee cup when he watched Kurt go ahead and smell the drink first. It took all it had in him not to chuckle. He needed to be silent as Kurt evaluated Blaine’s drink selection. As he watched Kurt, Blaine started to catch himself picking up tiny nuances about the other man’s face and his expressions. It brought a new smile to Blaine’s face, one he didn’t try and hide. It made Blaine’s chest feel a little tight and his face warm. That had to be the hot coffee he was drinking.

He took another sip almost choking mid-sip when Kurt guessed one of the flavors as caramel. Blaine laughed and nodded, setting his coffee down. And to hear that Kurt liked it made Blaine’s stomach flip and his face became even hotter. Almost instantly Blaine sat up incredibly straight in his chair, almost as if at attention.

“Yeah?” He asked, and for some reason Blaine felt breathless. “Good. I’m really glad you liked it, I was sort of nervous. Not everyone likes cinnamon in their coffee but I’ve always loved it. I put a little bit in with every coffee drink I get.”

He was happy that Kurt was pleased with his selection. It made Blaine feel relieved and it was a rare occasion where his decisions didn’t make him feel like a failure or disappointment. He briefly thought bitterly of his parents but shooed it away, not wanting to let the idea of them ruin this moment. Because something about the way his full name sounded on Kurt’s lips created butterflies in his stomach.

“Uh, yeah!” He said. “That would be..I’d love that!” Blaine sat a moment, frozen. Was that too strong of a word to use here? Did Blaine come off too eager? He cleared his throat and tried again doing his best to keep the amount of excitement he was feeling out of his voice. “No, I think that would be fun. Maybe next time I can trust you with my coffee order.”

[notarelationship]

Klaine Advent 2018 - Day 2

Klaine Advent 2018 Word Count: ~1185 Summary:  One snowy December, Blaine Anderson moves into a new apartment in Brooklyn. 

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Day 2: Cinnamon (and also bury wooo!)

With Kurt’s help they had the car unloaded in under half an hour. Blaine didn’t have to return the rental until the morning, so he said thank you to Kurt and said he was going to try to park the car on the street somewhere.

“Oh.” Kurt grimaced. “That’s not going to be easy with the snow. If you get tired of driving around there’s a parking garage about two blocks up and one block west. They’ll probably have a spot.”

“Thank you,” Blaine said, as they stepped into the hall and Blaine pulled the door behind him, locking the door from the outside with the key. “I really appreciate your help tonight Kurt, it would have taken me a lot longer doing that on my own.”

“It was really no problem, I’m happy to help,” Kurt said, pulling off his gloves and scarf now that he wasn’t going back out into the cold. “Do you have your key to the outside door? The first week we lived here Rachel forgot it like five times. I had to make an extra and tie it into her bag so she’d stop buzzing me to get in at all hours.”

“Rachel?”

“My roommate, we have a two bedroom upstairs.” Kurt waved his gloves toward the stairs then slapped them into the opposite palm.  “Once you get settled we’ll have you up for dinner or something. Rachel loves any excuse to throw a party.” Kurt rolled his eyes, but Blaine thought it was meant to be playful.

“That sounds great.” It did sound great. After this move Blaine could use some new people to hang out with. The fact that now that Kurt had taken off his scarf and they were standing in the light of the hallway, and he could see that Kurt was a very good looking guy had nothing to do with it. Maybe Brooklyn wouldn’t be all bad. Blaine patted his pockets to make sure he had all the right keys, and they said goodnight.

Two hours later Blaine was stomping up the front stoop to his new apartment building, kicking snow off of his boots all the way up so he’d have less to drag into his apartment and drip on the floor. For a brief second he considered taking them off and leaving them in the hall, but his pants were just as wet, and he really didn’t know yet if they’d still be there in the morning if he left them.

Once he was inside he dropped his overcoat and hat and scarf and gloves on the floor, fought with the laces on his boots until he could free his very sore feet, and pulled his jeans off into a puddle. He stood standing in his chilly apartment wearing nothing but a sweatshirt and his underwear.

“This has not been my day,” he mumbled to no one. Picking up his boots he dropped them in the kitchen sink, planning to put them in the tub after he took a very long, hot shower - mostly in the dark - there was only a tiny light above the medicine cabinet that was working at the moment, and he didn’t have the energy to find the light bulbs. It wasn’t very late - barely 9pm, but he was exhausted from moving and cold, and he still had to dig out his inflatable mattress and blow it up if he didn’t want to sleep on the floor. And he definitely did not want to sleep on the floor.

Once he was clean and warm, he found his mattress quickly, so that was one good thing. The landlord had left a light bulb in the kitchen ceiling fixture, so he sat on the kitchen floor  and started in with the electric pump. He could bury himself under the blankets and deal with everything in the morning.

Ten minutes into blowing up the mattress there was a knock on his door. He couldn’t be making too much noise, could he? He didn’t think anyone lived below him to complain. It was one of the reasons he liked this apartment.

He was not expecting what he saw through the peephole, but he gladly opened the door to Kurt and a small brunette.

“You must be Blaine,” she said, much too brightly for Blaine’s mood. “I’m Rachel, Kurt’s roommate.” Blaine glanced at Kurt whose silently mouthed I’m sorry about her, and Blaine had to smile.

“I am Blaine,” he answered, taking Rachel’s offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Kurt mentioned that he had helped you move into the building, and I know that sometimes the first night in a new place can be overwhelming, so we wanted to bring you these -” She elbowed Kurt who handed Blaine a covered plate “- cinnamon cookies. They’re Kurt’s specialty.” Blaine looked at Kurt as Rachel kept talking, and was sure there was a blush rising up his throat.

“Actually, since you’re already here, do either of you know how to turn on the radiator? We had a floorboard unit at my last apartment, and I can’t quite get the heat to come on.”

“Oh yes!  Kurt can definitely help you with that.” Blaine stepped aside and held the door open, and Rachel put a hand on Kurt’s arm and pushed him into the apartment. Rachel followed looking around once she was in. “It’s quite dark in here,” she said.

Blaine sighed. “Yeah. There’s a light in the kitchen and bathroom, I’m just so tired I decided to wait until tomorrow to deal with the details. I have to get my mattress blown up, and then I’m going to sleep immediately.”

“You don’t have a bed?” Kurt asked, his tone concerned. He had his arm behind the radiator on the far wall. “Ooh, I think I got it. You have to turn this knob until it’s all the way open. Hear that?” Blaine could hear a high hissing sound and nodded. “It should start to warm up. Just be careful if it gets too hot, the handle can get hot too.”

“Blaine, I realize that we just met, but we have a perfectly good couch upstairs if you want to just crash with us - wait - you’re not a serial killer are you?” Rachel asked. She only seemed like she was half joking.

“Good grief Rachel, I’m pretty sure you’re the serial killer in this scenario.” Kurt rolled his eyes, and Blaine tried not to laugh. They had an interesting dynamic. “Please enjoy the cookies Blaine, and enjoy your well earned sleep. Let us know if you need anything tomorrow when you get to unpacking.” Kurt hustled Rachel toward the door.

“We’re in apartment 3R,” she said, as Kurt gave him another apologetic look. Then they were gone.

Blaine rubbed his eyes. He was too tired to process what had just happened so he turned the pump back on and lifted the foil on the plate of cookies. They smelled amazing, and they were warm. Blaine ate half the plate before realizing they were the only thing he’d eaten in hours.

[sunshineoptimismandangels]

This Is My Winter Song - A Klaine Ficlet

“He just rescued someone who fell through the ice, and had to take wet clothes off, and is now v[ery] concerned while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.” - @lucy8675309 ’s prompt to this picture, which of course I had to write. 

This Is My Winter Song

Pairing: Klaine  Word Count: 3,436 Status: Complete AO3 | FF.net

Blaine loved the cold. Others may complain about the ice and the snow and the fact that you could hardly walk from a building to your car without feeling like your nose was frozen, but Blaine loved it. He loved the way his breath floated in the air like swirling smoke, he loved the long stiletto icicles that hung from the edges of rooftops, he loved the way a blanket of fresh white snow glistened in the light like it was made of glitter. Blaine just really loved the cold. 

He especially loved how a walk down to the pound near his house in the crisp cold winter air always cleared his head. It was better than a splash of water to the face or a restful nap, it helped him think better, helped him organize his thoughts -- the pine trees around him, the snow crunching under his feet, and the winter breeze wisping through his curly hair.  Sometimes he would bring his skates down to the pond to take a spin around the ice, but not today. Today he just wanted to think. He especially needed the calming effect of the cold as he thought about a certain person in particular. A certain beautiful, blue-eyed, sharp-witted, wonderful person. A person he’d finally gotten up the nerve to ask out that very morning. The one and only Kurt Hummel.  Kurt Hummel was a transfer student from some community college in Ohio. He’d swept into Blaine’s life, and the intermedia performance arts class Blaine was attending, at the beginning of the school year. It was already cold in September and Kurt had been late, banging open the door with his arms full, books, a book bag which he wasn’t using for some reason, a heavy coat and scarf still halfway wrapped around his neck. Flustered and embarrassed he’d apologized, blushed, ducked his head and ran to the back of the class.  Blaine had fallen in love on the spot.  It had taken three months, five parties where he and Kurt went as friends and in a group, sixteen study group meetings (Blaine had made sure he was in Kurt’s), and twenty-four unofficial coffee dates before Blaine had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Kurt out on a real date. It was over coffee that very morning, Kurt was talking about flying back home for Winter Break and Blaine knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He couldn’t let Kurt leave for two weeks without asking.  So he did. He leaned his chin on his hand, smiled through the beard he grew during the winter months, gazed at this beautiful man he was head over heels for, and asked Kurt Hummel on a date.  Kurt had smiled and bit his lip and told Blaine how much he valued their friendship -- then shook his head and said no.  That was that. Blaine was taken back and hurt, he’d been so sure Kurt felt the same way, but he hadn’t pressed or pleaded or complained. Blaine wasn’t the type to try and change someone's mind. If Kurt said no, then that was a no. Blaine respected that, even if it did break his heart. He hoped he’d hid his grief well with a shrug and a smile and an, “It's no big deal.”  Now Blaine just wanted to sit on the little wooden bench in front of his favorite pond while the cold breeze bit at the exposed skin of his face and try to figure out what in the world had gone wrong. How had he so misjudge his friendship with Kurt to think Kurt would return his feelings? And how was he going to move on from this? Because he would continue being Kurt’s friend, of course he would, but it was going to hurt. Blaine broke out of the treeline only to hear playful shouting and laughter echoing off the icy pond. People were already here skating. Blaine pulled his green puffy snow jacket closer and looked out to the ice. Oh no.  Blaine drew in a sharp breath as he recognized Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt skating across the smooth surface of the pond.  When they left the coffee shop that morning Kurt had timidly asked Blaine if he wanted to hang out with him and a couple friends that afternoon. Blaine, still trying to hide the sting of Kurt’s rejection, had turned him down claiming he was busy. Kurt hadn’t mentioned he and his friends were going ice skating. At Blaine’s pond.  Okay, it wasn’t his pond, but it was within walking distance of his home, and he was the one that had introduced them to the pond in the first place. Blaine clenched his jaw in frustration, it wasn’t fair for him to be upset that his friends where here, he just really couldn’t face them right now. He turned to leave, hoping they hadn’t seen him yet --

“Blaine!” Tina’s cheerful voice called out.  Blaine winched and curled his fist up in his gloves before letting out a long breath and turning around with a smile.  “Blaine! You came!” Mercedes called and Tina whooped in excitement.  Kurt stopped mid-twirl to turn and face Blaine. Kurt’s expression was surprised before he broke into a full-face grin that melted Blaine’s heart. Kurt’s cheeks were rosy from the cold, his blue eyes bright and matching the blue of his long winter coat. He was the most beautiful person Blaine had even laid eyes on and it made Blaine’s heart constrict in his chest. “Blaine!” Kurt shouted evidently glad to see him.  “Um, yeah. Actually, I was just taking a short walk, I didn’t know you’d be out here.”  “Are you kidding? There is no such thing as a short walk in this weather,” Mercedes laughed, “Not when it takes a person fifteen minutes just to get bundled up to brace the cold.”  “I don’t mind the cold,” Blaine said with a shrug and a weak smile.  “Come on Blaine,” Kurt waved him towards the ice. “Join us!”  “I didn’t bring my skates,” Blaine’s stomach twisted, he really did want to join them. He’d do anything that kept that boyish smile on Kurt’s lips. He just wasn’t in a good state of mind right now. “Some other time.”  “Boooo!” Tina teasingly called as Blaine turned back the way he came.  “Wait! Blaine,” Kurt’s voice sounded urgent, “Can I talk to you a--”  Kurt didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence, and Blaine didn’t have a chance to decide if he wanted to talk to Kurt right then, as a sharp cracking sound vibrated over the ice making the hairs on Blaine’s neck stand on end. He knew that sound.  He spun around, his eyes wide and his heart in his throat.  “No.” Blaine rasped out as his mind sluggishly took in the horror before him. Tina and Mercedes stood on the ice frozen in shock and staring at a large puncture in the smooth surface -- a gaping hole right where Kurt was standing just a moment ago.  Blaine was running before his mind had even fully computed what was going on, shouting at the girls to stay back, “You’ll fall in too if you get close, get off the ice!” Blaine yelled his voice ripping at his throat.  Both Mercedes and Tina were screaming in fear but backed away from the spot where Kurt had just disappeared.  “Mercedes, go find a large sturdy branch or something!” Blaine cried immediately summing the girls up and deciding Mercedes was the less frantic of the two. “Tina! Get your cell phone, call for help!”  Blaine got to the edge of the pond and immediately fell to his knees, and then laid flat on his stomach. The girls ran past him, thankfully obeying his orders and Blaine carefully scooted forward, spreading his weight out on the ice by staying on his belly.  Growing up with long, cold winters Blaine knew the danger of falling through ice and into freezing waters. He knew people didn’t always survive it. Oh god, not Kurt. Not anyone, but please, not Kurt. All of this took place in a matter of seconds, but it felt like hours before Blaine was at the edge of the hole Kurt had fallen through. Kurt’s hand flashed up out of the water but was pulled back down so quick that Blaine couldn’t catch it. Blaine inched forward and plunged both arms into the water, the cold of it was immediate and painful, but Blaine ignored it reaching his fingers, grasping at nothing, trying to grab onto Kurt, but he didn’t feel him.  Seconds could make the difference between saving Kurt and losing him forever. Blaine couldn’t wait for Mercedes.  He slid forward one more time keeping his hips on the ice but letting the top half of his body dive into the water. It was so bone-achingly cold that Blaine thought he might black out, but he pushed through the sharp pain of it, eyes open and searching, until finally, his hands landed on something solid.  Blaine started to pull, lifting his head out of the water with an inhale of breath that hurt his lungs, but he had horribly miscalculated everything. From this position, he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to lift himself and a waterlogged and unmoving Kurt. Even if he could, the pressure to the ice would probably break it and he would slip through and how could he help Kurt then?  He started trying to scoot backward but it wasn’t working, and his fingers were losing all feeling, he was terrified of losing his grip. He was not going to let go, even if the pond took him down too, there was no way he was letting go of Kurt.  “I’ve got you!” A voice behind Blaine called out and Blaine felt a pair of strong hands grip his calves and start to pull. He wasn’t aware enough of anything to understand what was going on. He couldn’t see Mercedes on her belly behind him pulling him back, and Tina lying on the ice behind her hanging on to Mercedes for dear life. A chain of people working together to save their friend. Slowly and surely they started lifting Kurt out of the freezing water. They slid across the pond like a frosty caterpillar until Blaine felt he was close enough to the edge and on thick enough ice to change positions. He got to his knees and then turned Kurt so he was lying on his back. Kurt coughed up a little water, but it was so frigid his lungs mercifully hadn’t let much in. Blaine swallowed a helpless whimper at Kurt’s ash-white face and blue tinted lips. It was the cold that was the threat now. He grabbed Kurt under the arms until he could heave him up, soon Blaine had Kurt in his arms carrying him to the safety of the solid, snow-covered ground.  He knelt with Kurt half in his lap feeling desperate and powerless trying to get Kurt’s heavy coat off before it froze to him. “Help me!” Blaine shouted, his fingers too numb to work properly. The girls helped peel Kurt’s coat and gloves and hat off, then his shirt, skates, and pants.  Yes, it was cold outside, but Kurt would freeze if he stayed in those wet clothes. Tina slipped off her full-length heavy peacoat and wrapped Kurt in it, she’d somehow transferred him from Blaine’s lap to her own and cradled him like a baby desperately trying to get him warm.  Blaine’s mind was fuzzy and slow, he realized Mercedes was talking, but couldn't understand her words. He woke up from his daze when Mercedes snapped her fingers right in front of his face, “Blaine!”  He looked up to see her cell phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder, good, that was good, she had called for help. They needed an ambulance now.  “Boy, take your damn coat off!”  “What?”  “You’re soaked through!” Mercedes chided as she kept giving directions to where they were to the person on the phone and started undressing Blaine.  “You are shaking like a leaf.” Mercedes said as she made Blaine lift his arms so she could pull his shirt up over his head.  “I- I am?” Blaine asked even has his jaw shuddered.  “Here sweetie put this on.” Mercedes shrugged off her big, warm, faux-fur coat and wrapped Blaine in it. Blaine didn’t even realize how tense his body had been until all his muscles relaxed to the warmth of Mercedes coat.  “We need to g-get K-kurt up to the road to me- meet the ambulance,” Blaine said looking at Kurt, unmoving and pale in Tina’s arms. He felt sick with worry, Kurt didn’t even look like himself so pale and still. Blaine shook his head and forced himself to stand on shaky legs and then helped lift Kurt. Between himself and Tina he was able to get Kurt in his arms. Blaine held Kurt close, the most important person in his world and he would make sure he was safe. Kurt moaned and snuggled his face to Blaine's chest. Blaine wanted to weep with relief at just that small sign of life.  With Mercedes and Tina’s help, he was able to get through the thick trees and up to the road. His legs all but gave way and he slumped to the ground as the girls took Kurt from him. He could hear Kurt’s teeth chattering together and soft groans from his lips, they were the best sounds he had ever heard, they meant Kurt was alive and at least somewhat conscious.  Blaine stood to stretch his legs and look for the ambulance, he leaned against the side of a nearby abandoned storehouse to gazed worriedly down the road praying for help to arrive. Kurt needed medical attention, he was still in danger even if he was out of the pond.  Blaine closed his eyes and breathed in relief when he heard sirens. He stayed where he was until he saw the ambulance and then waved them down before rushing back to Kurt, he was jittery not being near him. Soon the ambulance was pulling up to where their little band was huddled near the street.  The paramedics checked Kurt for injury, wrapped him in a foil blanket, and lifted him to the gurney. Kurt’s eyes opened and he looked around in confusion, “Wh-at hap-happened?” He shuddered, but Blaine wasn’t sure he was listening when Mercedes tearfully tried to explain.  The paramedics were lifting him up into the ambulance when Kurt jerked his head to the side and locked eyes with Blaine, “Come… wit-with me,” Kurt lips were still blue and trembling and Blaine was instantly by his side. He would follow Kurt anywhere.  Blaine looked back at the girls.  “Go, we’ll meet you there,” Tina urged.  Blaine lumbered into the back of the ambulance next to Kurt and grabbed his hand, his fingers were like ice and Blaine held on all the way to the hospital. 

Blaine had lost all track of time. He was by Kurt’s side when they arrived at the hospital but soon was told he’d have to wait while they wheeled Kurt behind a pair of closed doors. At some point, someone had brought Blaine a styrofoam cup of coffee, and half of it was gone now, though Blaine didn’t remember drinking it. Mercedes and Tina arrived in a flurry of concern and activity, Tina asking if Blaine should be checked out and Mercedes saying she would call Kurt’s father. Blaine insisted he was fine even though he wasn’t sure. He would be fine if Kurt was. The three of them waited together until finally a kind young woman in scrubs came to tell him he could go see his friend now. “There isn’t room for all of you though.”  “Blaine will go.” Mercedes decided for all of them and Blaine hugged them both before being led through the double doors.  Kurt’s bed was in a large room with other patients but was sectioned off, like many others, by a drab blue curtain. He was reclined halfway to sitting, an IV bag attached through a needle in the back of a hand. There was a bandage on his free hand and his skin was still too pale, but he looked worlds better than he had before. Blaine shivered thinking of Kurt’s blue lips and blanched complexion. He wouldn’t think about that, about how close they’d come to losing Kurt to that icy water.  A smile spread across Kurt’s beautiful face when he saw Blaine, “You’re still here.”  “Of course I am.” Blaine said, beyond grateful to her Kurt’s voice, as he moved a plastic chair so he could sit right next to Kurt’s bed, “Where else would I be?”  Kurt shook his head without an answer but moved his bandaged hand to Blaine’s and Blaine gently held it. “I don’t want to hurt you.”  “It’s a little frostbite, but they say it will be fine.” Kurt glanced from their hands to Blaine and his sweet smile morphed into confusion. “Blaine. What in the world are you wearing?”  Blaine glanced down to find he was, of course, still shirtless and wearing Mercedes oversized coat.  “Oh… this is Mercedes’” Blaine said and laughter bubbled up in his chest, Kurt Hummel had almost frozen to death this afternoon and his first question was about Blaine’s clothing. God, he loved this boy.  “I can see that. Why are you wearing it? And why is your chest... so… right there?”  Blaine laughed again and pulled the coat closer to himself, “My shirt and coat are probably ice by now. I got wet… reaching for you. I must look ridiculous.”  “You look rugged. Of course, you can pull off that jacket, why am I surprised?” Kurt said with a grin and Blaine couldn't help but feel pleased.  Blaine reached out and smoothed his knuckles softly down Kurt’s cheek, “You’re looking much better. You really scared us.”  Kurt leaned into Blaine's touch before Blaine self-consciously pulled his hand back. "You saved my life, didn’t you?” Kurt asked with wide eyes, “You pulled me out of the pond?”  “With Tina and Mercedes, I couldn’t have done it on my own.”  “I remember you carrying me,” Kurt said furrowing his brow, his blue eyes serious, “I… I remembering being warm next to you.”  Blaine cleared his throat and looked down not able to meet Kurt’s eyes. “The girls helped with that too, they were brave and resourceful.”  “I have the best friends,” Kurt said proudly and Blaine looked up again with a chuckle. Kurt’s voice softened, “I’m so glad you are one of them.”  Blaine’s heart skipped a beat. “Me too.”  “I wanted to talk to you about that. Um… about what I said this morning about us being friends. After you asked… and I said… what I said. You were upset weren’t you?”  “We don’t have to talk about that,” Blaine hurried to assure him.  Kurt nodded with a deep yawn, “I’m so tired.”  “Just rest.”  “Mmmm,” Kurt leaned his head back, but his gaze was still on Blaine. “I was scared.”  “Of course you were. When I realized you’d fallen through the ice my heart all but stopped beating.”

Kurt smiled and his pale cheeks flushed with a little color, “No, I barely even remember falling through the ice. I mean, I was scared when you asked me out.”  Blaine really had no idea what to say to that. That morning felt like a lifetime ago. Yes, he still had strong feelings for Kurt, but none of that mattered now, all that mattered was that Kurt was going to be okay.  “I was scared because…” Kurt continued, “Because I care about you so much, Blaine. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”  “That couldn't happen,” Blaine promised him, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Kurt's wrist just below his bandage. “I’ll always be your friend.”  “And what if I wanted us to be more than just friends?” Kurt asked, his head leaning against his pillow as if it was too heavy to hold up.  Blaine’s brows knitted together, “Kurt?”  “What if I immediately regretted saying no to you? What if… what if I confessed that I’ve had a crush on you for months?”  “Kurt,” Blaine breathed not able to saying anything else.  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about when you showed up at the pond,” Kurt said with another yawn. “I wanted to tell you I had made a horrible mistake and to please, please ask me out again.”  Blaine let out a quiet laugh that sounded a little teary to his ears, “Do you mean that?”  “Mmmhmm, I think when I’m feeling better I’m going to make it up to you by asking you out.” Kurt’s voice was soft and sleepy as he closed his eyes.  Blaine’s heart was about to leap out of his chest. He wanted to stand up and cheer! Kurt Hummel wanted him after all!  Instead, he leaned forward and whispered, “Kurt?”  Kurt opened his eyes a little, ‘“Hmm?”  “Just know, when you ask, my answer is yes.”  Kurt smiled at him, as bright as the sun, before his eyes slipped closed again and he was asleep. Blaine moved forward and placed a tender kiss to Kurt’s forehead. “Sleep well.”  Blaine loved the cold, but right then he couldn’t think of anything better than the warm feeling in his chest and the weight of Kurt’s hand resting in his own.   

[bearorbushrps]

🍽 - for my muse to cook yours a Valentine’s dinner -- klaine

Valentine’s Day was weird... well, it was weird if your name was Blaine Anderson and you were utterly in love with your best friend, who happened to be a Hybrid, who also happened to be your room mate.He and Kurt had been making some pretty good ground, as far as Blaine was concerned. There were times. So many times when Blaine thought that they would kiss, and just like that it would be gone. They held hands a few times, and Blaine used any excuse to be close to the hybrid, but it’d never gone further than that. He’d dropped hints. He’d all but thrown himself at Kurt, but he never really knew what the other felt. Kurt played nice, sure, but Blaine had to wonder was it only because they were friends that he simply just brushed Blaine’s utterly blatant flirting, or was it because he secretly liked him as well.Maybe if Blaine actually grew a pair he could go and find out! The day had started off like any other. He’d woken up, joined Kurt for breakfast, then headed to college. College had been the same as any other Tuesday, and nothing overly exciting stood out. Granted, there was more balloons, flowers, teddy bears, and just an array of red’s and pinks everywhere, but otherwise, nothing. On his way home on the subway, a woman walked past him, holding a small basket, with some roses that she was trying to sell to passengers. Just from the overall look of the situation Blaine assumed these were flowers from her own garden that she was trying to sell. It was a good idea though, if he was being completely honest. He watched as some passengers ignored her, but others, would look as though a light bulb went off in their mind and instantly called out to her, buying a few roses before hopping off at their stop which was generally shortly after.As she approached, Blaine made eye contact, which was clearly the universal sign of “I want to talk to you” as she approached.“Hi there, would you like to buy any roses? I also have...” she reached into a bag that was slung across her shoulder, pushing a few items aside “two bears, and this weird.... “ She instantly pulled out, what Blaine could only describe as a knock off of one of the characters from Gremlins, looking at it, giving a small shrug before looking at Blaine as so to say So?.Blaine glanced in her basket, looking down at what was available. They really were stunning flowers, the type that could cost you $90 just for 2 of them, and here she was selling them for a few dollars.  Thankfully someone had walked over to her to buy a few more of her flowers before she turned her attention back to Blaine “It’s Valentine’s day. I’m sure a good looking guy like yourself as someone waiting at home” 

Maybe it was the way she worded it, or maybe it was just because the thought hadn’t crossed his mind until then, but Blaine found himself stiffening for a split second before he swallowed, glancing up as she was shuffling the flowers around. Something caught Blaine’s attention as he looked down and saw one of the roses was different. “What’s that one?” Blaine asked, pointing down at her basket.

The woman seemed confused at first, as she glanced down, before giving a small laugh “Oh, that one” she chuckled, holding up the rose that was half red, half lavender rose “I don’t know what happened to it. I have a lot of roses, I guess this one wanted to be both. I didn’t really notice until I was already out, but it doesn’t matter. Anyway...”“Do you know what they mean? The colors? People always tell me roses have meanings per their colour, but I never really remembered”The woman smiled at Blaine “Well, Red roses mean love. You know that passion that comes with love, that’s the red. That’s why it’s generally always associated with Valentine’s day, you know, the grand gestures and all. As for Lavender, well that is, hmmm, that is love at first sight. That is Enchantment”“I’ll take it.”-x-As Blaine opened the door to his apartment, he was instantly hit with an overwhelming sweet smell that literally made his mount water. He wasn’t able to narrow it down, to instantly say what was being cooked, or had been cooked, other than cinnamon, literally the one smell that could make Blaine salivate from another room, but otherwise the smell did instantly make him hungry.

“Oh my god what is that smell!?” Blaine called out from the doorway, taking off his jacket and throwing it on the rack, kicking off his shoes before walking his way into the kitchen, pulling at his bowtie while at the same time trying to juggle his flowers. He’d ended up picking 2 other red roses as well as his slightly mutated one. In the kitchen, was Kurt, a spoon in his mouth, his sleeves rolled up, an apron, and a look on his face as though he’d just been caught doing something he shouldn’t have done. His ears were pointing up, Blaine usually knew that meant he was paying attention, but also, that he was surprised.

“You’re early!” Kurt called out, a look on his face that made Blaine feel like he was about to be hit, playfully so, but still, hit, as Kurt stormed over, ready to push Blaine before he stopped, his face dropping into a frown “What’s that?”“What’s what?” Blaine asked confused as he glanced around before following Kurt’s eyes to the flowers “Oh, these” Blaine smiled before he pushed them forward “They’re for you. Happy Valentine’s day” Blaine laughed it off, before he smiled at Kurt “Now what’s that smell?”Kurt took the flowers, however he simply looked down at them, his eyebrows pulled together tightly. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Blaine asked, concerned as he looked from Kurt to the flowers “This woman was selling them, I thought... I thought you'd like them. She was telling me the meanings and... ”

Kurt finally lifted his face, locking eyes with Blaine “You bought me flowers?”

Blaine, more confused than ever raised his eyebrow “Yeah... why? Was... Is that bad?”

Kurt looked down at them, almost as though he didn’t believe what was in his hands before looking back at Blaine “No... It’s... No one has ever given me flowers before. No one has ever given me anything on Valentine’s day”

Blaine smiled, as he leaned forward, pressing a small kiss to Kurt’s cheek “Well, there’s that too. Now please, what are you cooking!”

Kurt, blinked slowly a few times before he started to giggle. That alone made Blaine raise his eyebrow at the hybrid. Kurt’s laughter became a little more than a giggle, then a lot, then practical hysterics. Blaine found himself laughing, and he didn’t even know what they were laughing at!

“Why are we laughing?!” Blaine chuckled, as he looked at Kurt who was practically wiping tears away from his eyes as he continued to laugh.

“I... I made you dinner because it’s Valentine’s day, and I’ve been freaking out all day that you are going to be weirded out by it, or by me, and then... you bring me flowers!”

Blaine, still laughing, with no real reason to be, shook his head as Kurt continued “You bought me roses. You bought me roses, on valentine’s day, and I made you dinner. I made you your favorites, as well as plain cinnamon rolls because I know they are your favorite, and pasta, from scratch, I’ve been making them all day, the ones with the spinach and ricotta that you like from that restaurant”

“That’s what I could smell” Blaine clicked his fingers at the mention of cinnamon rolls, before he watched Kurt, who had thankfully started to stop laughing “But why are you laughing?”“Because I was stupid” Kurt said, making a small ahhh noise as he stopped laughing.“Stupid, why?” Blaine asked.

“I thought you would have forgotten. I thought that you would come home and just think that I was making dinner because, that’s what I do. That you wouldn’t realize it wasn’t just any normal dinner.  I make you dinner, and you never complain, you always say thank you, even though you didn’t ask, so why would you think this was any different? And then I thought I would go to bed again, without even letting you know that I...That I... That... ” Kurt’s face went red a little, as Blaine watched his adam’s apple bob.Blaine swallowed as he looked at Kurt, shaking his head “I like you too” he said softly before quickly leaning forward to press his lips against Kurt’s, his lips lingering for a few seconds before he pulled back, his eyes which had fluttered shut opened as he glanced over at Kurt “Should I let you get back to cooking?” Blaine asked, a little breathless.

Kurt’s reaction was to charge forward, nearly making Blaine fall backwards as he threw his arms around Blaine’s shoulders, their bodies colliding, smashing his lips against Blaine’s, who happily, giving a small, but happy noise as he kissed Kurt back. 

Caught up in their kiss, Blaine’s hands had come around Kurt’s back, holding onto the Hybrid, however, as he inhaled through his nose, he felt his noise crinkle a little, pulling his mouth back, just a tiny bit, their lips still technically touching “Kurt... is something Burning?”“No-mmphhh shhh-mmmppphhh kissing now” Kurt mumbled against Blaine’s lips, Blaine relaxing back into their kiss, before Kurt instantly jumped back “Oh shoot!” he rushed over the oven, quickly pulling a tray out and throwing it onto the top of the stove “Ok, you need to get out of here until I’m ready.Come back in an hour”

Blaine smirked, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s waist from behind, pressing soft kisses to the side of Kurt’s cheek and neck as he looked over his shoulder “Can’t. Want to keep kissing you” Blaine chuckled, spinning Kurt around a bit, getting hit with his tail twice in the process. Kurt leaned in to the kiss, however pulled away at the last second, his usual innocent face turning wicked “If you go away I promise that I’ll make an extra dessert”

Blaine’s eyebrow rose as he looked at Kurt “Really? Extra dessert?”

Kurt moved his hand a little, his arm reaching back, Blaine being too focused by the cheeky look on his hybrids face to really pay attention to what the other was doing, before Kurt lifted his finger, smearing a tiny bit of frosting against his lips. Blaine instantly moved in to lick and kiss it off of Kurt, making a soft moaning noise.

“Point taken” Blaine grinned as he let go of Kurt, walking out of the kitchen into the living room, not before making a point to swing his hips as he walked, not over the top to make it seem as though he was doing it on purpose, but enough that his already fitted jeans would work in his favor “Happy Valentine’s day” Blaine called out, loudly from the living room once he had thrown himself on the sofa. 

[spaceorphan18]

Finding Kurt Hummel: The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester

Masterpost

6x10: The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester

And here we are at the infamous Sue episode panned by fans everywhere.  Is it really that bad?  Well I did have it as my least favorite episode of the series, (though after careful inspection, that title truly goes to the hot mess that is I Kissed a Girl).  However, believe it or not, I don’t think this is the /worst/ Glee ever put out. I do, though, think the context is what makes it so frustrating.  

Child Star and Other Missed Opportunities

Here’s the thing - when you write out season 6 on paper, I think the structure of what the writers were going for makes a lot more sense.  The main story that they were telling was getting the Glee club back in order, to be, in a way, an echo of what season 1 was.  And for the most part, I do think that structure works.  You have Rachel in the ‘Will’ spot as teacher, trying to get her life together while trying to inspire these young kids to be awesome, and like the end of the Front 13 - the ending there is Sectionals.  

All the other plot lines are secondary, including Rachel’s triumphant return to New York, which is the b-story of the entire season.  Kurt (and Blaine)’s reunion arc might be, eh, a distant 3rd? Maybe 4th after Will’s.  But that’s what makes these final three episodes (before the final two that make up, essentially, the series finale) so jarring.   We’ve been used to strong focus on Kurt and Blaine as secondary characters, and the kids have been the main focus since season 3.  Shifting everything back so that Will and Sue are the main characters, with Rachel as a secondary lead feels... off.  

The thing is -- I see what they were trying to do here.  After wrapping up the Klaine (and Brittana) arc - the last arcs that the ‘kid’ characters get (besides Rachel) we essentially have three extra episodes left.  One will be the competition episode.  One was the episode about the New Newbies which I don’t think was a bad thing - even if I think introducing a new character five episodes before the end was a dumb move.  But like the original kids, I think these new kids rightfully deserved an episode of their own.  And thus leaves one episode where they needed to do, well, something.  

And hence - we get Sue.  

Yeah - It would have been nice if they had spent an episode exploring Kurt and Blaine’s now married life, or what the hell are Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Brittany, Santana, Mike, etc, etc, etc, etc, doing with their lives.  But - in the minds of the glee writers... they already did that in various capacities over the previous episodes.  

But even more than that - for reasons I’ll never fully understand, unless it’s about how much they love Jane Lynch, they decided to focus an episode on Sue.  And while the episode isn’t the utter worst thing Glee ever did (honestly, go back and watch IKAG again...), trying to make emotional sense of a character you’ve reduced to a cartoon character, who breaks the fourth wall just... doesn’t work.  And on top of that, they don’t resolve anything, nor is it that interesting to watch.  Sue remains, well, Sue and nothing remotely happens.  

So yeah, this ‘filler’ episode was a way to stall time before the obligatory ending Sectionals episode - and they filled it up with a lot of what no one wanted, especially the precious few who were still watching.  And thus, we have the most frustrating and least satisfying episode of the entire series.  Thankfully, Kurt is barely in it. 

Burn the House Down

So, we open with the New New New Directions in typical Glee fashion, doing the hot single of the moment - idk even know the name of the song, though - Rather Be? Idk.  Anyway, Kurt and Blaine come sombering in, cause, plot dictates they be there for exposition. 

And we find out that Dalton has burned to the ground.  

So.  

Here’s the thing - there could have been an interesting story here for Blaine -- matching Rachel’s story about having to grow up and move on.  I mean, it’s kind of subtly and subtextually there. It is (another) reason Blaine is forced to move on and grow up.  

But.  Do you know why they burned Dalton to the ground (other than doing it probably out of spite)? Not for some kind of deeper level of symbolism.  Nope.  They did it so New Directions can meet their quota of having 12 members.  That stupid, fucking rule.  I realize that it’s now become a joke (as mentioned earlier in the Hurt Locker episodes).  But c’mon Glee.  It’s like you’re not even trying now.  

But also, like after most big Klaine events - do Kurt and Blaine get a moment to reflect on their newly marriage life? Nope.  Other than talking about a piano exploding in the next episode, Kurt and Blaine won’t share dialogue again until the series finale.  On top of that -- instead of getting to be happy newlyweds, they have Blaine upset because his surrogate home has burned down.  Thanks writers.  Thanks. 

However - there are two things I do like about this little moment.  A) the fact that Kurt is being a very comforting husband.  B) the fact that they are wearing their proposal colors.  Nice touch costume dept.  You get the gold star.  

In the next scene - we get the indoctrination of the Warblers into the New Directions.  And Kurt just nods his head along in all the appropriate places.  Not a whole lot to talk about -- other than now that we’ve got Will back in charge, Rachel and Kurt have faded into the background.  Is Kurt even teaching anything any more? No, not really - despite all the ‘conversations’ Kurt, Rachel, Will, and Blaine have off screen.  

Anyway - you know another reason Dalton was burned to ground? To service the Sue plot.  Yup.  God.  Luckily, though, I don’t really have to go into it. 

The Way Too Long Geraldo Segment

So, long story short, Sue’s hurt locker was found out and then she’s exposed on Geraldo, which does go on way, way to long.  Look, there are some funny moments and callbacks, like the finding of Sue’s Penthouse magazine and the quick return of Joe.  But it just becomes stale as it continues after the commercial break.  Also, though, Sue’s not going to actually face ramifications. I mean, she should really be in jail just on the hurt locker alone.  But this is Glee, where Will, Sue, and Rachel never have to really deal with the actions they make.  

So - Kurt’s bit is about the elevator.  Which is... fine.  It kind of feels hollow since they’re going to thank her in the finale, and she just sent them on a week long honeymoon.  But yeah - don’t kidnap people, guys.  Bad.  The best part of this is the look on Blaine’s face.  

  Unity

This scene was almost impossible to get a good still.  Oh well.  Anyway, a good twenty minutes of the episode later...

So, I should mention in the previous scene, the gang is all trying to help Rachel through her issues and trying to get her back to New York (or whatever).   It’s a little weird that Kurt is not here since he’s spent so much of his screen time playing emotional prop to Rachel Berry. but I guess I’m not complaining even if I think it’s weird? But we do get Sam calling NYADA a scam school, and info that Blaine was kicked out by Carmen herself - to which I say, why does anyone care about this school??  Whatever.  It is a funny little scene though. 

Anyway, back to this scene -- where the Warblers and the New Directions are arguing over costumes.  And the only real thing I get out of it (Kurt-wise) is that Kurt really hated wearing that uniform when he went there, lol.  (He did, though, it’s in season 2.)  

And I know there was some grumbling of this scene - why is Kurt taking New Directions’s side? Why is he not supporting Blaine and the Warblers - to which I say... the writers didn’t give a shit about that.  Seriously.  This scene is a) about comedy and b) presenting this argument that will be compromised in about ten minutes anyway.  It’s not at all any kind of reflection on Kurt or Blaine or their relationship.  And actually, I’m of half mind that the writers completely forgot that Kurt even went to Dalton himself.  

In the large scheme of Kurt related things - this scene barely registers, tbh.  **shrugs**

Hey, but costumes wins again - Kurt and Blaine are wearing each other’s colors!

Final Countdown

So, Sue and Will duke it out through music - like it’s always done, and we get confirmation -- all those fantasy performances? Were just that -- fantasies.  I kinda do like when the kids come in and are like - wtf??!?  Kurt tells Rachel that he hopes that the’ll never become that.  Oh y’all won’t, promise ;) Anyway - I love that the show comments that Will and Sue have lost it - like we haven’t known that since the end of season 1.  

So, uh, the next day? Will apologizes for being an idiot.  Okay, fine.  And then Rachel says that now -- if the glee club doesn’t win, all fine arts will be cut.  Because that makes a load of sense, c’mon writers, c’mon....  

Anyway - the one redeeming thing for this otherwise ridiculous little scene, is that Kurt’s a ball of optimism -- he inwardly reflects on all the crap that’s happened in his life and he turns it around saying that they’ll never give up on anything (to which Blaine looks at him adoringly).  And, I mean, it’s a subtle thing -- but I kinda love this.  Because here’s a kid who has been through hell and back and a lot of shitty things (even recently) and you know what? He’s fine.  He’s in a good place, he’s happy, he’s loved, he’s got a great support system, and a good attitude about life.  And, he’s got a great motto to go along with it -- It’s Got Bette Midler.  (lol)  

But I mean, let’s take a second and think about the fact that Kurt started his journey being that kid who gets thrown in dumpsters for being weird and gay and now, you know what? He’s fine.  He’s really, really, really fine.  :) 

Rise

So - here at the end, we see Blaine solving the absolute crisis of the episode and somehow he’s managed to make, like, twenty unity blazers overnight, combining the Dalton tradition with the McKinley colors.  And did it without Kurt knowing what he was up to because Kurt was totally surprised.  But it’s in a good way, Kurt’s incredibly proud that Blaine managed to solve this epic dilemma.  (I joke, but really, it’s sweet that Kurt’s, again, proud of his new husband).  

Meanwhile, we get the song Rise, written by Darren Criss -- and I’m kind of impressed with this song -- it manages to reference birds, Dalton burning down, the kids rising to the top, and the fall of Sue Sylvester all in one go.  Color me impressed, too.   (Btw, this is such a Darren-esque song, I can hear this in his voice even if I’ve never heard him actually sing it.) 

I’ll leave you with the some lyrics, which I’m sure you can work out their meaning on your own ;) 

Have you ever felt like you woke up (On the wrong side of your heart) Has it ever felt like it's broken (Like the world tore it apart) Have you felt so weak, You could hardly stand Like if you ever fell You could never tell If you'd ever get back up again I know it's hard to do, But I think you can make it, Cause I know we can take it Baby we will... Rise We are young we are the dreamers we will fly When the world will not believe us, We will rise above the ashes Before this whole life passes us by You and I, we will rise

[spaceorphan18]

Finding Kurt Hummel: Puppet Master

Masterpost

5x07: Puppet Master

Just when you thought season 5 couldn’t get any weirder - they decided to throw in drug-related hallucinations and puppets.  Because why not.  I actually love this episode, but, I mean, can you imagine the writers room discussion about early season 5? They just lost a castmate and friend - so they decide to go take the show in kind of a crazy direction (which also, let’s be honest, feels a little like vamping until they get to their 100th episode).  

Anyway - there’s a ton of Blaine meta here - which I’ll mostly be ignoring! It’s just interesting to me that I always think the Kurt story line in this episode is a lot bigger than it actually is.  And yeah, I’ll say this early on - Kurt is a puppet master just as much as Blaine is (they both have issues with control) - they just took Kurt’s story in a different direction.  Actually, I think it would have been interesting to see fallout of Kurt not having things work out for him, but Glee seems to have forgotten how to do its infamous parallels at this point. 

A Puppet Master

Kurt bounces into the episode on a high - he just booked Pamela Lansbury’s first gig -- at a Broadway hangout.  (Which also happens to be the place where his fiance sang a broken down version of their love song - so I don’t know, I’m torn between Kurt having sentimentality towards Callbacks and never wanting to set foot back in there again.  The show, meanwhile, didn’t seem like they wanted to create somewhere new, so Callbacks it is.)  

Rachel’s on board, but Elliott, Dani and Santana are not.  And in a scene much like the previous Blaine with the choir room scene, they proceed to tell Kurt that Callbacks isn’t such a great idea.  I tend to agree, for marketing purposes, probably best to find some place that’ll get you the right audience, but this is Glee, land of magic where the plot needs it.  (I say in loving jest) 

Kurt’s astounded they’re not on board with this (he looks to Rachel, who looks sad for him - it’s an interesting little moment of subtly in an otherwise kind of over the top scene).  And he insists that Callbacks is a funky place (why does the writing for Kurt sound like a 50yo trying to reclaim his youth? Was Ryan Murphy 50 at this point?).  And that they should trust his instinct and go with him on it.  

I love the little moment where Dani says she doesn’t think anyone else will come and Kurt says he disagrees (Dan-ni!).  Demi Lovato’s reaction is priceless.  She was so under used in this show.  

Anyway, Kurt has a vision of his band playing Madonna songs.  When has Kurt ever had rock star ambitions? Well, now apparently.  (Though - I will say, while not pronounced, Kurt does love and appreciate the attention from performing nearly as much as Rachel and Blaine.)  

So -- we get Madonna’s Into the Groove.  Hm.  

On the con side: I wish they had gone full on 80s.  I mean the clothes are there, but the hairstyles are not.  The juxtaposition feels a little weird to me.  I also wish it wasn’t so autotuned.  It’s nice that Kurt gets a fun, upbeat number, but it’s almost entirely electronic sounding.  I realize that’s supposed to match an 80s synth sound, but I guess it doesn’t work for me.  Also I don’t have a lot of meta for it.  It’s a fun dance number.  I suppose - for all of you complaining that Kurt doesn’t have enough lack of meaning songs - well here you go. 

On the pro side: Kurt’s having so much fun - he’s taking the lead on this one (I can barely hear anyone else on it), and his dancing is adorable and flirty.  It’s great that they let him relax in his own fantasy.  You work that crowd (and those hips)!!  

The intensity at the end cracks me up.  Even in Kurt’s fantasy - Rachel is way super intense.  

Does this sequence remind anyone else of Saved By the Bell’s Rocumentary episode where they sing Friends Forever? Just me? Okay moving on.... 

Oh - Kurt’s getting a call from his fiance - talk among yourselves.  

On close inspection, this scene is hilariously ridiculous.  I mean, I love that the show remembered the two of them were in a committed relationship.  I love that they’re making an effort to show them talking with each other on a pretty regular basis.  (And interestingly, the Klaine stuff has been consistent on the NYC side, though more so absent on the Lima said.  Weird? I know but true.)  

Let’s recap the episode so far: 

Blaine: I have awesome ideas for the direction of our musical group.  Everyone else: Yeah, we think your ideas are dumb  Kurt: I have an awesome idea for the direction of our musical group. Everyone else: Yeah we think it’s a dumb idea.  

Then this scene: 

Blaine: People think my ideas are dumb.  Kurt: Instead of letting you know I understand exactly what you’re talking about, I’m going to remind you that people don’t like it when you try to tell them to do things they don’t want to do - even though I’m going through the same thing at the moment.  

Okay Kurt - a) why the revisionist history considering the glee club.  no one ever had an equal vote on anything and b) hello pot, meet kettle.  Show, I mean what even?!? 

Okay, you know what though, I think this scene is hilarious though.  As it continues - Kurt’s all excited about his news and asks Blaine to come see him.  Blaine is like, yeah whatever.  Kurt’s thrilled about Blaine coming to see him again but Blaine is like KURT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS PUPPET MASTER THING!!  

No, they aren’t really listening to each other in this scene.  I don’t really care.  It’s comedically satisfying.  

Oh - and can we take a moment to see that Blaine’s inbetween classes at the moment.  I wonder how many times Blaine texts or calls Kurt during his school day.  Idk - that cracked me up too for some reason. 

Kurt Puppet.  Okay, I’m not talking about Blaine’s stuff really - but can I just say I think the Kurt puppet is adorable, even if oh Blaine - you’ve got some issues.  However, I just need to throw out there that Sue doesn’t want to catch Blaine with his hand up the anything that isn’t human.  Uh...Sue? Does that mean you’re open to...oh never mind.  Oh - and I do kind of love that the Kurt Puppet comes alive after Sue confiscates it.  

Crushing Disappointment

Okay - so twenty minutes and a bunch of hallucinations later - Kurt’s chilling waiting for Blaine in the back room of Callbacks.  Kurt’s not gonna like the news.  Dude - you really need to stop inviting Blaine to Callbacks - it’s never gonna end well.  

Anyway - Blaine’s been putting this off (oh Blaine) but he tells Kurt he’s not there.  And Kurt’s first reaction - concern! It’s not until puppet Kurt appears that the anger is apparent.  

And so we get the shift from real Kurt to puppet Kurt.  How much of this conversation is real? How much a fantasy? (caught in a land slide - no escape from reality...)  

I’ve seen this scene be debated quite a bit - and to be honest, I can go either way on whether it’s real or not - so I like to take the happy medium approach.  I do think Kurt was frustrated (as evident as he throws his phone down after the conversation) -  that Blaine not only couldn’t make it, but that Blaine avoided talking to him about it until the last moment, too.  It is interesting, too, to note that Blaine being there for Kurt is really important to him.  

Meanwhile, I think a lot of the anger going on in the scene is Blaine’s own internalization of the situation - and the disappointment he keeps finding in himself.  Puppet Kurt’s reaction is a reflection of how he’s feeling with himself at the moment, and not necessarily a true representation of Kurt’s feelings on what’s going on.  

Still - I wish there had been a clearer resolution to the Klaine conflict (?) than how the episode ends.  (I hesitate to even call it a real conflict, tbh - more so a frustration on Kurt’s end and Blaine issues on the other.) Idk - I still think it feels a little unresolved.  

Meanwhile, Kurt’s got other problems as there’s only one person waiting to see Pamela Lansbury perform - and it’s not even a real fan.  (Dude - are there no other people in that bar?  Seriously on a Thursday in NYC?)  

What does a fox say?

It really is tragic that I can’t get a full shot of this outfit.  What even are those pants Kurt?  

Okay, so let’s recap the second half of the episode: 

Blaine: **has extensional crisis about being called a puppet master, has extensive hallucinations, plays with puppets, but at least gets some character development** Everyone else: Hey Blaine, we talked it over - and your ideas aren’t so bad.  Bonus - you get to be the star!  Kurt: **gets absolutely no development** Everyone else: Hey Kurt, we talked it over - and your idea wasn’t that bad.  Bonus - You get a second gig due to a ridiculously contrived plot point (that will be used again in a few episodes with Mercedes).  

Idk - I love this episode, but I could have done without the the Sue plot in favor of letting Kurt’s band be more than showcasing Adam Lambert and Demi Lovato.  

Meanwhile, the semi-ish conclusion to the Klaine stuff??  Blaine sends an “I’m sorry” box.  (How often does that happen?)  Kurt looks pretty pleased...until he opens it and seems really confused.  Kurt - I really think you may want to call Blaine and see if he’s okay.... 

Oh What Does the Fox Say.  Some people hate it (Lea Michele - it’s her least favorite Glee song apparently), some people love it (My 5yo niece thinks it’s the greatest thing ever), I’m cool with it.  It is super weird - but so is the rest of the episode.  

I’ve seen some interesting meta floating around about how Kurt is the fox because he does not sing in the song (he doesn’t even lip sync the back up vocals - he’s pretty silent).  I wish I remembered what people had said about that.  It was kind of interesting, even if I think this episode is purely a ‘for fun’ number.  

Fun fact: Originally Miley Cyrus’s We Can’t Stop was supposed to be the ending number.  No idea why it changed - but that would have been interesting to see, actually.  Probably makes more sense with the episode than The Fox, lol.  

[spaceorphan18]

TDB Rewatch: Special Education

This episode IS. SO. DRAMATIC.  I suppose it is a competition episode - so that makes sense.  Also makes sense that about fifteen plot lines are jammed into the competition episode.  I’ll give this one credit for not feeling that overstuffed, even if some of the subplots feel a little rushed, but it’s weird that they keep trying to do that with the competition episodes from here on out.  

For an episode that has so much going on in it - it feels, idk, a little average.  There’s nothing bad in it, nothing that I feel like complaining about.  But I’m not sitting here thinking this is my favorite of episodes either.  I feel like if there was a definition for average Glee episode - this is it. 

Thoughts: 

Sue is not in this episode.  Maybe that’s why this episode works for me. Huh. 

You know, I didn’t mind the Will/Emma drama in this episode.  Maybe because there was so little of it?  And Will didn’t do anything dastardly.  

I also love that Emma calls him out on relying on the same tired formula.  Sometimes the writers listen to the critics, too.  

Emma getting married to Carl - what is it with this show and its rush to marriage.  Also, sectionals last year she was close to getting married to Ken.  Emma, you have a cycle. 

I’m glad that Will finally gets pissed off at the kids for the “me, me, me” attitudes.  At the same time, he helped create this environment, so he shouldn’t be that surprised by it. 

Oh Rachel :/  I feel like the show always pushes her narcissism and egotism whenever they’re about to create Finchel drama.  It seems like they always end up making Rachel the bad guy in the relationship.  

I feel like the obsession Rachel has about it being Santana who slept with Finn isn’t fleshed out enough? I mean, I get it on a generic level, but I think even adding that Santana is getting a solo and Rachel isn’t would make a little more sense.  

That said - Finchel getting drama seems a little out of nowhere.  I mean, they slightly set it up in the previous episode, but it feels more like they wanted to get Finchel to break up quickly so they can proceed with the second half of the season story lines.  Plus - the show seems to do better when the couples are pining for each other rather than when they’re actually together. 

(SO - when did you care about Finchel? I don’t, but it’s interesting to look at these story lines in comparison to Klaine’s.  I think the random things Klaine get sometimes isn’t so random when looked at in a bigger context.) 

I feel like I want to say something about Rachel cheating and Blaine but I’m too tired to do Finchel meta in relation to Klaine. 

I also feel like I should say something about Santana - but she was almost a non entity in this episode.  Finchel’s issues weren’t really about her, they were about Rachel’s insecurities.  

Meanwhile -- Puck was a pretty decent guy in this episode, and no one really noticed. 

I’m torn on Lauren.  On the one hand, I do enjoy her confidence while being a heavy set person, and the fact that she doesn’t take crap from everyone, on the other, I get tired of her bad attitude and the fact that there are still too many food jokes relating to overweight people. 

Artie, Brittany, and the magic comb.  This plot line was kinda dumb.  Even for a Brittany plot line.  

Tina’s got a lot of insecurity issues, too.  Sorry Tina, we don’t have the screen time to address them. 

I feel like Sam and Quinn have received next to zero development since the beginning of the season.  It’s almost like the show’s waiting around to break them up.  

Poor Mercedes - you literally have nothing to do but give a few one-liners and sing at the end.  Ah well. 

All of that said, the green room scene is pretty funny

Hmm, music.  Time of My Life - it’s fine, I don’t really care about the song, so doesn’t matter who’s singing it.  Valerie - This is fantastic, and it’s nice to that they showcase Brittany and Mike’s dancing to get something going on stage, Dog Days Are Over - Love this one!  

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina - Still feels like a Rachel song.  Wish Kurt had sung My Heart Will Go On - which would have been much more personal to him and his situation. 

Hey Soul Sister - I forgot how energetic Warbler songs are.  This is so much fun, and Darren Blaine is a dream.  

I’m glad they didn’t waste time with a judges panel.  Also, I still wonder if The Warblers were originally going to lose, but their popularity kept Kurt at Dalton longer.  

All the Warbler stuff in general feels like another show entirely.  And a much better written one. 

Will I get flack for saying this? ...  I think Kurt’s arc in this season (so far within context) is handled with a lot of care, while the rest of it seems like a choppy mess.  

Does anyone know why this episode is called Special Education?