#Lima Ohio Siding Company

[thrushandson]

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Revitalize your home with #VinylSiding! Boost aesthetic appeal, #energy efficiency & #save costs in the long run. Say #goodbye to traditional paint & hello to smart, sustainable living. #HomeImprovement #Sustainability #EnergyEfficient

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#Corey A. Thrush #Dayton Ohio Siding Company #Home Improvement Blog #Home Improvement Blogs #Home Improvement Ideas #Home Improvement Tips #Home Improvements in Dayton #Lima Ohio Siding Company #Lima Ohio Siding Contractor #Michelle L. Thrush #Siding #Siding Company Urbana #Siding Contractor Urbana Ohio #Siding in Columbus Ohio #Siding In Dayton Ohio #Siding Troy Ohio #Thrush & Son #Thrush & Son of Lebanon #Thrush & Son of Lima #Thrush & Son of Troy #Thrush & Son of Urbana #W. Allen Thrush

[strideofpride]

The point about teen dramas and the problem with reality ensuing past high school got me thinking… In the context of Gossip Girl, what do you think would have been more plausible/realistic post-high school storylines for the characters? Because obviously in the OG show things got fucking WILD lmao. I do wonder if without the writers strike/the shift towards Chuck/Chair it might have been possible to keep things at least tonally consistent with season one post-high school, or if it’s something they would have struggled with anyway. I do feel like it’s less implausible for the characters to have more of their dreams fulfilled/better life outcomes on a show like Gossip Girl if only because of the extreme wealth inherent to the premise, but they definitely stretched the pretty generous suspension of disbelief I was already giving them lol

Oh this is a great ask!

First of all, yes I agree, the elite kids of the Upper East Side are going to have a better chance at their dreams then the lower/middle class kids of Lima, Ohio. (That being said, you're right, GG still pushed it far beyond any rational suspension of disbelief)

-Okay, let's say Bart still dies. Chuck inheriting his shares - sure, totally plausible. Chuck getting to run the company at 18? Fuck no! Chuck would have to go to undergrad and probably have to get a MBA as well, and then work his way up the C-suite a la Kendall Roy before finally getting the keys to the castle in his 30s or so.

-Blair also would have to complete college (and she is so the type to go to grad school too let's be real) before landing any sort of dream job she would want. I can definitely see her working her way up the ladder at Vogue and taking over for Anna Wintour one day, but that would take years, if not decades of work.

-As followers of the blog know, Spectator!Nate is not my Nate! It's not even just about him getting handed a newspaper at 20, the Nate of s1-4 had no interest in journalism whatsoever or wearing a suit every day of his life. Anyway, I could see a world where Nate just kinda coasts through college, and then lives off his trust fund or something while he figures out what he actually wants to do. (I am partial to social worker!Nate but I do think it would take him a lot of character development that the show would be uninterested in doing to get him to that point).

-I mean this is in s1, but Dan getting published in the New Yorker at 16? Come on now. Dan getting a book published at 20 somehow without his consent? Also, come on now. I can see Dan completing undergrad then getting his MFA, and then getting a literary agent in his mid-20s or so, through Lily connections or professor connections or something.

-While Serena actually somehow has the most realistic path of all of them (production assisting /publicity don't require college degrees, plus Serena already had connections and the It Girl status), I still think she is someone who four years of college would do a lot of good. So I would have her graduate college first, before then moving out to LA and getting that PA job, and working her way up the ladder to producer or something that way.

Basically, I think they should've stuck with the college storylines! And, yeah, I think a big reason of why they didn't is because of Chuck and his mainpain and his whole "I'm gonna be a businessman at 18" nonsense.

#gossip girl #blair waldorf #nate archibald #dan humphrey #serena van der woodsen #gg headcanons #anonymous #strideofprideanswers #anti chuck bass #kinda idk

[thistleandthorn-rpg]

Congrats Mary on your next character Darius Blossom. Please send us his blog within 48 hours.

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias: Mary Preferred pronoun: She, her, hers Age: 40 Time zone/Country: ET, Venezuela RP Experience: 13 years Activity Level: 7/10

IC INFORMATION:

Name: Darius James Blossom Designation: Dom Age: 36 Birthdate: October 1, 1987 Claim: One claim, Sylvia Blossom, and one slave. (Both NPC) Faceclaim: Matthew Daddario Orientation: Bisexual Occupation: Sex Club’s New Owner. Kinks:Rough sex, bondage, daddy kink, hot wax, voyeurism, sex in public, choking., orgasm denial. Mostly anything except anti-kinks Anti-Kinks: Golden showers, scat, pseudo rape, child play, pet play, foot and armpit play.

Key Points: 

The one Blossom not born with a red hair, which makes him the black sheep of the strict family.

Born and raised in New York, he lived there all his life, and now that he has made some money of his own, and with a claim and a slave with him, he came to town to invest on the local sex club.

His claim is not a romantic one, but he makes sure Sylvia has everything she needs to have a good life. His slave is used for both domestic and sexual purposes.

Ever a practical and a cynical one, he would tell you he is far too busy with his daily life to worry about relationships; but in many ways, with this new drastic shift in his life he is hoping that maybe that will change. If anything, it also gives him the hope of making new, and interesting friends, although the inner need he has always had about reconnecting to his long-lost family, is also the main goal of it all.

BIO:

Darius was born in New York, after his mom, Madeleine was cast out by her family for getting pregnant of a man they did not seem worthy of the Blossom family, not only because of his “low social class”, in their eyes at least, but also for not being a red-haired person, which they thought would be a taint in the family. His mom, not willing to give up the man she loved, went away with her man and they moved to New York City, where they settled down and made a life on their own. An only son, Darius’ childhood and teenage years weren’t in any way peculiar, more like pretty normal, if you didn’t count the usual physical battles he got into school, especially high school, where he often fought off the bullies who would mess with his friends. His caring nature was always prominent in him, and the need to make sure they were alright.

Once he got his degree on Business Management, the search for work landed him in a club, where, because he was already a very tall, strong man, where he work for almost a year as member of the security there, starting at the door, and then moving to provide security inside, to the people who worked there, one of them being Sylvia Bennet, with who he felt a special connection, not only sexual, but also the one you one you feel when you think you have found that one person. Having been marked a Dominant years ago, they soon went into a trial claim, and she became his submissive, and they have been together since. His time working there got him plenty of connections, people who would later help and guide him into much more productive things. Eventually, he formed his own private security company, Fleur de Lis, which would take care of providing security teams all over the Upper East side of Manhattan. Fancy parties and clubs were his main clients, and he soon made a name for himself, and also a good life for him and Sylvia, and the slave he bought some years ago.

But being called by his family name never failed to remind him of the family he knew he had somewhere, the family he never got to meet because his parents had drilled in his brain the idea that he would not be wanted anywhere near them. But being old enough to make his own decisions, and with the necessary means to do it, when word came to him that the management of the sex club in Lima Ohio was looking for an investor, he thought that would be the perfect opportunity, not only business wise, but most importantly to try and reconnect with the family he never got to meet. And with any luck, this new and drastic turn in his life, would not come without any surprises.

  BIO QUESTIONS 

Describe your occupational journey and how you got to where you are.  

I have a degree in Business Management from NYU, and I have been involved in the matter practically since graduating. I started as member of a Security team at a night club, then some years later I was able to have a private security company of my own. Being in constant contact with anything with clubs, when I heard the local sex club was looking for a new investor, I thought it would be a golden opportunity to make good business here.

How would you describe yourself as a Dominant?

I describe myself as stern but fair. My submissive, Sylvia, has been with me for- wow, over 10 years now, and we have a relationship built on mutual respect, care and communication, out of many other things of course. I also own a slave, who is used for domestic and also sexual service.

How do you feel about authority?

Authority is needed so that we don’t fall into chaos, I think. But authority needs to fair and equal, and not partial to anyone. Authority in its perfect form comes from built respect, and that is something not always easily earned by some people. But it’s always good to know that some of them actually do deserve respect.

#accepted #mary

[commercialwindowshieldo]

CUNY RETAINS CWS FOR NYC SECURITY WINDOW FILM INSTALLATION PROJECT

NEW YORK – Commercial Window Shield has been retained by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York [CUNY] for a security window film installation project.

  The project involves the installation of 15-mil security film with a four-sided wet glaze attachment system on 175 windows and doors in space leased by CUNY at W. 40th St. The security window film installation will be on all vulnerable windows and doors where CUNY has offices, classrooms and other space in the 20-story building.  

  Commercial Window Shield installer will begin their work at CUNY during the school’s spring break.

  The project comes at a time when violent attacks are on the uptick in the U.S., with schools being particularly vulnerable. On Feb. 13 three students were killed and five others were wounded in shootings at two buildings at Michigan state University.

  As a result, schools districts and colleges are acting to protect their buildings from potential violent intruders with the installation of safety and security window film. Including this project, Commercial Window Shield has protected the glass in more than 335 school buildings in 11 states.

  Elsewhere, the company has completed safety and security film projects at Geneva, Minooka and Lake Zurich school districts in suburban Chicago; Calvert and Carroll County [Md.] Public Schools; Mechanicsburg and Bath Local Schools, near Lima, Ohio; Bellmore and Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools, N.Y.; Hartford, Glastonbury and Simsbury school districts in Connecticut; Norfolk and Henry County in Virginia; Beaverton, Ore.; Lansdale, Pa., Katy and Rockwell schools districts in Texas and Comanche [Okla.] Public Schools.

  With more than 35 years of experience, Commercial Window Shield is one of the nation’s leading security and solar control window film installers, as well as privacy/decorative, switchable smart film, radio frequency [RF] and anti-bird strike window films. Among its many projects, the company has protected windows at the U.S. Capitol, FBI headquarters, Pentagon, all House of Representative buildings, O’Hare International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Willis Tower [former Sears Tower], Denver Mint, Grand Central Terminal and the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Source URL :-  https://emptyengine.com/cuny-retains-cws-for-nyc-security-window-film-installation-project/  

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company

436-438 S. Main St.

Lima, OH

The Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building is a historic structure located along South Main Street in Lima, Ohio, United States. After the discovery of petroleum in the vicinity of Lima in 1885, the city's population grew greatly, and the construction of commercial buildings along South Main Street proceeded at a rapid pace. Accompanying these new buildings in the southern Kibby Corners neighborhood were large numbers of frame houses erected as homes for the workers in the city's burgeoning industrial enterprises. A former laundry building built in 1890, it is an example of an early style of commercial architecture and is one of the few historic properties in a decaying neighborhood. For many years, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building served as offices for dry cleaners and for plumbers.

A small two-story brick building, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building has a facade three bays wide; possible storefronts, changed little from the original construction, are included on each side. Between the entrances to the two portions of the building is an entrance to stairs to the upper floor, and stairs to the basement level can be found on each side; all of these stairways are accompanied by iron railings. A unique wrought iron railing lines the edge of a second-story balcony, which can be accessed from the second floor by an elaborate double door. Each of these aspects of the building, as well as details such as transoms and a heavily detailed cornice, distinguishes it from all other buildings in the city — no other Lima building features such cunningly made ironwork.

Today, much of South Main Street and Kibby Corners languish in a state of decay. Many abandoned buildings have been demolished by the city government,  and community areas such as parks and streetsides are becoming less attractive as a result of a lack of proper maintenance. Two exceptions to this process of decay are the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building and the adjacent Armory-Latisona Building; these two historic buildings have been identified as key to the area's historic nature. On October 7, 1982, the Armory-Latisona Building and the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building were two of seventeen buildings in Lima that were added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Key to its inclusion in this group of properties was the integrity of the building's unique architecture.

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

Klaine Advent 2021

Day 18: Mine

Notes: idk sfw smut? 

Ao3

It was never really “falling into bed” when it came to Blaine. Every time they had sex, even when they weren’t technically dating, it was never just sex for them. They couldn’t forget those old feelings, probably because neither of them had gotten over the other.

Kurt had boyfriends in New York but he constantly compared them to Blaine. He thought he was just on the rebound and eventually he’d find someone and not think of his high school boyfriend again. Except, when he came back to Ohio for the holidays, of course, it was difficult not to think of high school when McKinley was just down the street. He never got a boyfriend like that though. Kurt was sure he never would. There just wasn't anyone out there like Blaine.

When Blaine showed up on Kurt’s doorstep just four days before Christmas, covered in a light dusting of snow, redden cheeks, and a shy smile it was only a matter of time before they were here, in a newly rented, one-bedroom apartment in New York.

They had gone on dates again while they were both in Ohio for the holidays. Talking about the dread of seeing extended relatives who were only going to ask why they were still single. That’s how Kurt found out, Blaine hadn’t come back with a boyfriend.

In high school, Blaine may have easily agreed to spend his college years in New York with Kurt and Rachel that isn’t how things turned out. He had gotten into a great school on the other side of the country instead. Back then, Kurt and Blaine swore they could beat the odds of long-distance. They hadn’t made it past a year.

Now they were out of college. Kurt was working full-time at Vogue, Blaine had just finished an internship at a film production company. They were both in Lima again instead of worlds apart.

It had been a Monday afternoon when Kurt opened the door to find a nearly frozen Blaine outside. Bundled up for the below 20 weather and shivering on the Hummels’ doorstep. They hadn’t seen each other face to face in over two years. Only the occasional phone call. Kurt knew more about Blaine’s life through social media and the New Directions than from Blaine himself.

They didn’t have plans to see each other or anything, Kurt didn’t even know Blaine was on the East Coast let alone in Lima. At the time, he thought he’d regret it but Kurt couldn’t help himself. He pulled Blaine right into the living room, removed his gloves, hat, and scarf, then took one big breath in, and kissed him. Blaine stumbled backward, clicking the front door into place as he did so, and allowed himself to be pressed into the door.

By this point, they had gone out for coffee several times. Kurt had wished they just get on with it. They were both single, both here, and clearly, there was still a mountain of tension between them.

Kurt had pulled away to say, “house is empty.”

Blaine had stripped off his puffy winter coat, kicked off his snow boots, and started unbuttoning Kurt’s shirt. They were still kissing as they moved towards Kurt’s bedroom, stumbling about as they did so.

They were almost as frantic as they were that day tonight. It wasn’t snowing, it was early June and warm. There were no parents coming back from work to catch them in the act, they owned this apartment. The awkward tension of “does he still have feelings for me” was completely gone.

This time Kurt was the one being pressed against surfaces, namely the kitchen counter and refrigerator. Blaine made quick work of his pants, not bothering to remove them fully. He yanked up Kurt’s shirt and began kissing his stomach muscles until he reached what he really wanted.

It wasn’t the chill of the refrigerator against his naked back or the thrill of Blaine’s tongue (though that was certainly part of it) that make Kurt’s spine tingle—it was the single word Blaine had been repeating all night.

“Mine.”

Said between forkfuls of cheesecake at dinner. Their favorite restaurant for date night.

“Mine.”

Murmured on the subway ride home.

“Mine.”

Licked into the skin of Kurt’s hip before the best blowjob of his life.

When the couple found their way to the bedroom, nearly an hour later, Kurt took over.

“Mine.”

Said as he gripped Blaine’s wrists above his head.

“Mine.”

Murmured into his neck as Kurt sucked a hickey at the base of it. 

“Mine.”

Panted out as they reached their climaxes.

“I love you,” said together with a kiss.

Blaine cupped his face. The ring was cool against Kurt’s cheek but he didn’t mind because it meant Blaine was his…forever.

#klaine advent 2021 #klaine advent: mine #klaine fanfic #my fics

[heartsmadeofbooks]

[Preview] New fic: Sing to me Instead.

Hello everyone!

I'm happy to share with you a few more details about my new fic, which is titled Sing to me Instead, after Ben Platt's amazing AMAZING album. I listened to it non-stop while I was writing Flowers in the Window and I found myself wanting to write a story based on that album as much as possible. So every chapter is influenced by lyrics from those songs.

It's a fully written roommates!AU (something I've never done before and was really looking forward to! I think I might just write my way through all the popular tropes I haven't yet written). The first chapter will be up on Wednesday, December 2nd, and it will update twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Without further ado, here's a little sneak peek. I hope you will like it :)

His first home had been in Lima, Ohio.

In a way, Kurt Hummel guessed it would always be his home, at least for as long as his father lived there. It was weird, to still think of Lima as home, considering how hard he had worked to get the hell away from there, away from homophobic douchbags, from close-minded neighbors, from a life that had always felt half-lived. Kurt had spent most of his teenage years dreaming of a city made of buildings tall enough to shield him, but large enough to finally, finally be free.

If it weren't for his dad, he wasn't sure he would ever go back. But Kurt still went home – home, when will it stop being home? – regularly, for Christmas and birthdays and every holiday he could. For someone who had been desperate enough to never step on Ohio soil again, he sure made it a priority to return as often as he could. But for his father, Kurt was willing to go to the end of the earth, and he was there, always waiting with his arms open for Kurt to come back, along with his step-mother. Family was important, and a piece of his heart always stayed with them when he had to leave them, so he guessed that Ohio would have a piece of Kurt Hummel hopefully for many, many more years.

His second home had been in Bushwick, New York.

It had been such a contrast to the small town life he had been used to, where life seemed to stop after eight in the evening. In Bushwick, Kurt could hear traffic, police car sirens and music even at three in the morning, or he could walk down the block to get ice cream at the store in the middle of the night – something that wasn't exactly wise, considering it wasn't the safest neighborhood, but the large, albeit quite run down loft, had been all eighteen-year-old Kurt and his best friend Rachel Berry had been able to afford when they first got to the city. And it had been enough, and it had been home, because it was where their dreams finally stretched their wings and attempted to fly.

They had arrived in New York with dreams of stardom. Rachel had been accepted into NYADA and Kurt had followed her despite having received a rejection letter to the same school. But he had been determined to make something of himself, to reach his goals even if the doors kept shutting in his face over and over again. He had gotten an internship – at Vogue, no less – and then reapplied to NYADA for the next term. This time, he had got in. And he never looked back.

At some point while the two of them were busy with school and work and this new life that they couldn't believe was theirs, Santana Lopez had invited herself to move in with them. She had gone to high school with them and one day simply showed up on their doorstep and announced she was staying with them, indeterminately. Kurt and Rachel had simply stared at each other, knowing there was no way to talk her out of it.

Rachel and Santana didn't always get along, which meant Kurt got caught up in their fights more often than not. Around that time, Kurt had also started working at a restaurant as a waiter, and the commute back to Bushwick so late at night became the thing he hated the most about New York.

That's when Mercedes Jones came to the rescue.

Another friend from high school – and it sometimes seemed like most of Kurt's class at McKinley High School was suddenly moving to New York – Mercedes had arrived in Manhattan after getting signed in a recording company. This wasn't only amazing because Mercedes was one of the most talented people Kurt had ever met, which was saying a lot, but also because it came with all kinds of perks, like a small but gorgeous town house in the Upper East Side, a neighborhood Kurt hadn't dreamed of living in until he was at least thirty and considerably more successful.

“Kurt, I've got a spare room,” she had said to him, when they got together for coffee one afternoon and Kurt kept going on and on about how much he hated the late commute, and how exhausting it was to get home late at night only to find Rachel and Santana having screaming matches over whatever they had disagreed on that day. “Why don't you move in with me?”

Kurt hadn't even needed to think about it. He was standing up and going around the table to hug her, saying yes over and over again.

So Kurt's third home was in the Upper East Side.

This was probably the only part of his life he truly loved at the moment. Getting to come home to this beautiful town house feels like a gift – especially since he's pretty disappointed in most of the other areas of his life. He still worked at the restaurant, and two years after graduating NYADA, he thought he would be somewhere else. He thought he would have gotten a steady job performing by now. It was frustrating how people in this town – just like in his hometown – still refused to recognize and appreciate his talent.

But Kurt had never been one for giving up.

#Fic: Sing to me instead #Klaine #Klaine fic #Klaine fanfic #Klaine fanfiction #HERE WE GO AGAIN #Roommates!Klaine

[drnikolatesla]

In 1926, Nikola Tesla was asked to share his views on a debate which happened between Luther Burbank, an American botanist and horticulturist, and Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, who both shared their beliefs on life after death. Burbank refused to accept the notion that human life continues after death, while Ford firmly believed in reincarnation. Tesla was born into a very religious family, and it was intended that he follow his father in theology and become a priest. It wasn't until he survived cholera that his father allowed him to study science. Tesla maintained his belief in certain principals contained in the Bible, but on the theological side, and to the concept of immortality, he developed his own beliefs. Tesla gave a brief summary about these beliefs on the subject, and seemed to lean more towards Burbank’s stance. Tesla's logic was the reasoning of a practical man of science who has not only given numerous laboratory experiments, but has said to have spent a lifetime of deep mental reflection on the question of life after death. 

“Since time immemorial the most profound thinkers have tried to lift the veil that hides the beyond. I have read thousands of volumes of literature and thought for years in the hope that I might get some kind of evidence to show that death is not the end. But all in vain. To me the universe is simply a marvelous mechanism, and the most complex forms of human life, as human beings, are nothing else but automatic engines, controlled by external influence. Through incessant observation I have so convinced myself of the truth of this that I cannot perform any act or even conceive a thought without locating at once the external stimulus that prompted it.

“A forceful argument in support of the existence of a creative agent is made of the law, order and harmony perceptible everywhere. But it must not be forgotten that Kant’s reasoning and conclusion in this respect are irrefutable. According to this philosopher, the conception of fitness has been created in the speculative mind of men, which thus admires a miracle wrought by itself.

“Granted a planetary system, it is absolutely inevitable that in the course of eons such organized beings as we are will evolve. The cooling of the hot masses results in a precipitation of water, and under the influence of the sun’s rays heliotropic action takes place and life is started. Through chemical and other agents and continuous adjustment complex mechanisms come into being, and these ultimately develop into structures of marvelous complexity with capacities of response to the faintest stimulae from the environment.

“When we realize this as a fact we begin to grasp the great idea of Buddha–that self is an illusion. Indeed, we are nothing but waves in space and time which when dissolved exist no more.

“There is this to be said, however, that science without hope is not satisfactory, and unless one has some ideals he cannot achieve happiness. The religious is the most lofty ideal, and it seems that the great reformers who, ages ago, laid down rules of conduct were right in their conclusions that a peaceful existence and a continued onward march of man on this globe is essentially dependent on the conception of a God.

“I have read Mr. Burbank’s statement in which he expresses an opinion shared by most natural philosophers, but one must not be too rash in contradicting the conclusions reached by countless men of genius who spent their lives in endeavors to ascertain the destiny of the human race. A single individual, however well informed and capable, may be partially unaware of if not utterly blind to evidences of a certain kind, which might be quite sufficient for others. This is the reason why I am distrustful of my own findings. Possibly Mr. Ford, who I understand is accepting old traditions, may be closer to the truth than such men as Burbank and myself.

“I have searched during many years for some process or means to test the possibility of future existence by scientific experiment, and I have devised one, which, to my great disappointment, has failed. But perhaps some more skillful experimenter might succeed if I suggest to him the course. To put it briefly, it is this:

“Our bodies are composed of molecules of various elements, harmoniously united. Do these molecules retain any after-effect when the body is dissolved? To ascertain this take, say, two molecules of hydrogen from the body of an individual and also one molecule of oxygen. Furthermore, provide another molecule of oxygen taken from some other body. Now place the two molecules of hydrogen so they can combine with the oxygen, and if they prefer that molecule of oxygen with which they were previously united, then reincarnation is proved. For, though it may take ages and ages, ultimately the molecules which constituted that body will get together again, just as in a vast city individuals from a distant land finally meet and establish close contact.”

–Nikola Tesla

“After Death — WHAT?” By Ross Duff Whytock. Lima News, Lima, Ohio, March 14, 1926.

#nikola tesla #science #history #religion #life and death #philosophy #life after death #reincarnation #quotes #ahead of his time #ahead of our time

[sxfetrxvels]

FRANNIE FABRAY INTRO

Gender/Pronouns: CIS Female & she/her

How long have they been in Sydney?: Memories: 2 years; Reality: 9 months

Job: Veterinarian

Which suburb do they live in?: Newtown

Memories of their real life: tw: cheating, domestic violence

Frannie was born March 12 in Lima, Ohio to Judy and Russell Fabray. As the eldest Fabray child, Frannie was always placed upon a pedestal by her parents. Seen as the ‘Golden Child’, Frannie lived up to every expectation set for her easily. Excelling in Academics, participating in numerous clubs and activities, and remaining active in her church were always important activities which Frannie maintained. Despite her appearance and the assumptions people make, Frannie was always a ‘tomboy’ at heart, having a love for playing in the dirt and investigating animals and environments of all kinds (much to her mother’s chagrin). Since childhood, Frannie has had a passion for animals and all aspects of their care, especially the medical side of things. When Frannie was 4, her parents brought her younger sister Quinn into the world, and she could not have been more excited. Despite Frannie’s wishes for a wonderful relationship with her sister, their parents’ feelings towards Frannie created tension within the relationship. Judy and Russell, whether intentionally or not, created a rift between Quinn and Frannie which Frannie has longed to bridge. Despite their perfect appearances and exteriors, things within the Fabray family were always a little less than fine. The environment was competitive, and came with high expectations and almost unmeetable standards. As if that wasn’t enough, Judy and Russell consistently made the Fabray home environment even more stressful, their relationship turmoils and tensions obviously seeping into the home. After graduating high school as the salutatorian, Frannie enrolled in Clemson University in South Carolina, majoring in pre-veterinary studies. Frannie chose to attend a school so far outside of Ohio in order to get away from the Fabray family struggles and tensions, as well as to begin exploring herself and her own life. Only a couple of short years after leaving for college, Frannie found out that her father had been cheating on her mother for quite sometime, with a much younger woman. The two had decided to get a divorce. The changes within her parents’ relationship threw Frannie for a loop, and dealing with her grief and anger towards her father presented a tough problem. Throughout her life, Frannie had never focused much on her relationships romantically, preferring to put her energies towards her studies. However, during her second year of college, Frannie met a man named James, and the two quickly fell for each other. Things within the relationship became very intense, and after only 8 months of dating the two were married. Frannie was 20. Things were good for a while- her husband graduated one year before her with a degree in Business Administration, and began working as a Director for his father’s marketing company. However, as Frannie approached her own graduation and transition to a Veterinary program, things within their relationship began to change. James turned hateful, and began cheating on Frannie consistently. After a couple of years of this (following Frannie’s graduation and entry into a Veterinary program), things turned physical. Frannie endured for several more years before fleeing the relationship (just after her graduation from Veterinary School). Returning to Ohio, Frannie found herself a small apartment near her mother, and began attempting to pick up the pieces of her life as she filed for divorce. She took a job at an Emergency Vet near their home, and began working through everything that had happened. Frannie believes she ended up in Sydney after her ex-husband found her in Ohio.

What was their fake life like?: Frannie lives in an apartment in Newtown and works at a Veterinary Clinic in Bondi. She lives a quiet life and keeps to herself. She believes it has been 2 years since she moved to Sydney. She lives alone with her bulldog Persephone. 

#thebridge: intro #𓃠𓃠frannie fabray- about𓃠𓃠 #cheating tw #abuse tw #domestic violence tw

[lawofsmythe]

Headcanons for Stéphane Smythe (10 years later):

Stéphane was ever the planner, and ever the optimist.  He had great plans for his thirties.  But in the days leading up to his thirtieth birthday, his life took a different tilt.  As they say, things happen for a reason...a door closes and a window opens...etc.

 Professionally- Thirty might have been a time when Stéphane thought he’d take it easy a bit, and focus on other commitments, but as it turns out, that was not to be the case, at least, not in his early thirties.  He took a sabatical from working for the Mayor and city of Lima to take a case involving wrongful termination.  His client was Evie Lopez, who was fired from her teaching job, following the release of her ‘other’ source of income.  It ended up being a long case, with a lot of continuances asked from both sides at different points, until eventually a judgement was handed down in Evie (and Stéphane’s favor).  

He returned to work for the city but the plight of teachers- the years of school, the abysmal pay, and increasing commitments to extra curriculars- had become one that Stéphane found himself thinking of even after the case.  After consulting with some colleagues, and some politicians, he began lobbying the Ohio State government to see an increase in teachers wages.  This went on for several years, until a small salary increased was actually awarded to teachers.  It wasn’t much, but it was a start.  

Sté stopped working for the city and opened his own small, tiny, firm right around the time when Sebastian took the Ohio Bar exam.  Working out of his house, he built up a clientele and eventually moved into a small office space in downtown Lima.  Stéphane has just announced he’s running for mayor in the next municipal election.

Family- Sté still works really hard to keep in contact with all of his family because it’s always been important of him.  Since secrets were revealed he works even harder, pushes, sometimes too much, to be close.  It’s easier when they’re all together, and don’t have to deal with timezones but he never hesitates to answer a call from his siblings, no matter the time.   He keeps the line of communication open with his father, and remains super close to his mother, still visiting France a couple of times a year.  

His family as grown over the years as well, with the addition of significant others, and children.  Including his own relationship with Keira, becoming a step-dad to Emily, and being connected to Stevie, Aaron, Elizabeth, and Robert through them.  And now his and Keira’s baby on the way.

Relationships- Once his relationship with Marley ended, Sté withdrew a bit.  After tending to his bruided pride a bit, when it became clear they were never going to be anything else but friends, Sté and Marley did settle back into being friends.  It helped with the gap that was left. 

Sté also focused on making more friends and building relationships with his siblings and the important people in their lives.  

It might have been easier to toss himself at anyone and everyone, but that was never his style, much to his twin’s chagrin. Sté dated a little, casually, but was more guarded than he had been in the past.  That being said however, in that time, he developed a friends with benefits situation with a close friend.  His work with Evie on her case, lead to the two of them becoming closer as well, and she offered to be his wingman of sorts again, setting him up on a blind date with Keira Cohen.  They were both guarded, especially in the beginning, but the company was easy, especially since an interest in art was a simple point of connection with Sté.  

A date turned into dates, more frequently, and a honest revelation about some of the past they were carting with them.  Working through those things separately and also together, brought them closer and closer with time.  They also travelled a fair bit.  He took her to Paris, and the south of France, especially when he learned she had always wanted to go.  He is teaching Keira French, so she can be more independent when they visit. Sté knew from the beginning of course that Keira had a daughter, but he respected her wishes to protect the girl and not get her involved in whatever might be happening between them.  However, when she was ready to introduce him to Emily, Sté was right there and couldn’t be happier.  He might have known in that moment that marrying Keira could be a real possibility.   Being introduced to Emily probably also meant some trips to California so she could be with Stevie and Aaron to, giving Keira and Sté "couple" time for adventures on the west coast.

And that possibility did happen.  Sté and Keira married, and he became a step father.  With it came co-parenting with Stevie and Aaron and expanding his family even more through extended connections.  Once they settled into married life, Ste and Keira discussed having a child of their own.  Emily was older and probably not likely to feel like she was being replaced, which would never be the case.  However, maybe they wanted it too much, were trying to hard, but it wasn’t happening for them.  And when it finally did, it took Kris pointing it out for them to realize what was going on about a week after his 40th birthday.  

Maybe his thirties really did turn around and be everything, and more, that he wanted for himself.  Sté couldn’t be happier in this moment.  (pre-reunion chaos obviously)

#inlimaevent07 #ss: future week inspo

[thrushandson]

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[gleekto]

Even Better Than the Real Thing (3/15)

Summary: College AU/Famous!Blaine and Fanboy!Kurt - Kurt POV

Kurt really doesn’t have time to figure out the dating world between being a freshman at prestigious theatre school, LAADA,  and his active but secret blogging life in the Sing!Fandom. So what if Sing! ended last year? There are still fics to read and actors to follow. Especially the uber talented heartthrob lead, Blaine Anderson. He can act. He can sing. He can even dance. He’s gay. He’s out. And he’s only 24. Kurt is willing to twiddle his thumbs and click refresh until Blaine Anderson’s next project.

He just didn’t expect the next project to be on his roommate Rachel’s new TV show.

Part 1, Part 2

Even Better Than the Real Thing (3/15)

LimaBlaineFan: Spoiler alert - My source is back. He is going to be meeting Blaine tonight.

After Wednesday’s official announcement that Blaine Anderson had been cast as Rachel’s musically talented but romantically challenged love interest, Colin Red, on That’s So Rachel, Kurt’s followers jumped again. 331 more this time. It’s the credibility surge - not that he’d ever be a troll. 

Kurt realizes he’s in a potentially problematic position, with one foot venturing into the real life filming world of Blaine Anderson, and his other foot firmly in the fantastical world of fandom. He realizes that he could end up in a conflict of interest,  or with inside information that he clearly can’t share or worse, that he accidentally does. But who’s he kidding? He’s just been gifted a fan’s dream ticket of a non-fandom interaction with his celebrity crush. Yeah there might be consequences, but for now Kurt plans to enjoy having his cake and eating it too.

Kurt puts the finishing touches on his cocktail party outfit - layered blacks and greys for the cool fall day with a perfectly fitted long jacket. Sophisticated without looking like he’s trying too hard to impress very impressive company.

“Kurt, you ready?” Rachel is already halfway out the door as he grabs his phone and notices the red private message alert beside the growing notes on his “my source is going to meet Blaine” post.

MercedesSing!: It’s you, isn’t it? You remember that I know that Rachel Berry is your roommate, right?

Kurt types quickly as he exits the apartment. Can’t talk now with a winky emoji. 

...

The cocktail party for the cast of That’s So Rachel isn’t exactly what Kurt was expecting. With Patti and Barbra, he expected glitz and glamour, unlimited martinis, caviar, and free air pods in an obnoxious swag bag. Instead, there is some nice red wine, hot dogs in a blanket, fried mushrooms on a stick, and a take home cookie with a cartoon face of a smiling Rachel Cherry. Low key and almost relaxed. And he will definitely enjoy biting off Rachel’s head.

Kurt relaxes at the less intense than expected atmosphere, and manages to be an excellent plus one for Rachel’s idols turned TV moms. He and Rachel are so engaged discussing the brilliance of a gender reversed ‘Company’ with Patti, and his own lauded rendition of Rose’s Turn from his high school Glee club, that he almost forgets that Blaine Anderson is coming. Almost. 

When Patti is called over to meet one of the executives, and he and Rachel are left with a cone of appetizer fries in hand by the wine bar, he starts to get nervous. His eyes wander, trying not to search but definitely searching. There’s Jesse St. James who is playing Rachel’s music teacher talking to the showrunner. There are the friendly hair and makeup gang over by the couches. Rachel points out another couple of young women who will be playing Rachel’s friends. But no Blaine Anderson. Kurt tries not to look distracted.

“Rachel, hey!”

Just from the voice Kurt knows.

“Oh Blaine, hi,” Rachel turns around to a smiling and wow really quite perfectly dressed Blaine Anderson, approaching from the back door. 

“Sorry I’m late. I just had to finish up filming before running home for a quick shower.”

“Great to see you. We were just-”

“That is a really great outfit. Especially the shoes.” The words just fall out of Kurt’s mouth as he swings on the balls of his feet. Could he make a more awkward first impression? He apparently can’t keep his mouth shut when it comes to red shiny shoes perfectly matched with a soft red cardigan, skinny tie and jeans that fit just so. Somehow Blaine is even more warm and gorgeous in-person and wow, does he have style. Which Kurt appreciates - unfortunately, out loud.

“Oh. Thank you.” Blaine looks slightly surprised but not put off by Kurt’s over enthusiasm. “I could say the same to you,” Blaine grins now, eyeing Kurt’s grey sweater-blazer, which does look great, Kurt admits. He feels like the fanboy at Comicon. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Blaine says. “I’m Blaine Anderson.” He extends his hand.

I know, Kurt thinks, smiling dumbly. I know. “I’m Rachel’s roommate.” Kurt shakes his hand - warm, soft, firm. Of course he would have a firm handshake. Kurt keeps smiling, hoping he’s being polite, but there’s an awkward silence.

“Kurt,” Rachel adds. “This is my roommate, Kurt Hummel.” Great. He forgot to say his name. Nothing like a first impression.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kurt.” He knows that people in fandom who have had the luck to meet Blaine in person have said it, but he can now verify that Blaine really is good at that eye contact thing. His eyes are focused right on him and Kurt is sure he will drown. Kurt nods, trying not to seem like he’s staring. “How did you two meet?”

Rachel looks at Kurt, waiting for him to speak, probably because Blaine is looking at him, and not at Rachel. When he doesn’t say anything, Rachel eventually chimes in. “We went to high school together in Lima, Ohio-”

“The thriving metropolis,” Kurt manages to snap out of his stupor to give a shout out to his hick hometown. Blaine nods, laughing. He’s still looking at him.

“I know what you mean.”

“You do?” 

“I’m from Ohio, too. Westerville.” Kurt knows that. “Not exactly the best place for a wannabe actor to grow up.” Blaine went to the prestigious Dalton Academy - also known as the gay Hogwarts of the Midwest. And he is absolutely not going to ask him about that.

“Fair,” Kurt replies, still smiling like a starstruck fanboy. He is a starstruck fanboy. And before Blaine notices, or worse, before he says something stupid, he figures he should exit while he’s ahead - leaving no damage in case they actually do meet again. “It was nice to meet you, Blaine and I’ll leave you two to talk shop. My glass is empty and  I’m going to get another red while the line is short.”

Kurt takes a deep breath while he waits in line. Conversation completed and no harm done. Rachel and Blaine are talking animatedly about something or other and he has a moment to breathe as he makes his way to the bartender, “Merlot, s’il vous plait?”

“You speak French?” Kurt turns to see a once again grinning Blaine Anderson, who has somehow appeared behind him in line. What? 

“Me?”

Blaine gives him a quizzical look. “You did just speak French to the bartender, right?”

“Oh! Oh yeah, of course. I don’t really speak. I just took French in high school.”

“A Corona please,” Blaine asks the same bartender as Kurt turns to walk away, red wine in hand, “Hey Kurt. Wait up.” Kurt freezes. Okay. “Cheers,” Blaine says as he chinks his beer bottle to Kurt’s wine glass. “Sometimes it’s nice to just have a drink and chill at these events, you know?” Blaine leans into him so he can hear what he’s saying in the noise of the crowd. “It’s a lot of industry people and a lot of being on. They’re great. Don’t get me wrong. But it takes a lot of focus to say all the right things to Patti Lupone.”

“Oh my god, I know. I just met her.” Kurt agrees. “I’m studying at LAADA so Rachel wanted to make sure I made the connection-”

“You’re at LAADA? That’s awesome. Such a great school,” Blaine knocks into his side.  “You know if I hadn’t gotten my part on Sing!-” Kurt keeps his face neutral, “I would have gone into musical theatre. Did you do Glee Club with Rachel?”

“She’s already told you about Glee?” Kurt says.  “Guilty. We weren’t exactly the top of the social pyramid at a football crazed school in Lima, Ohio.”

“I was in Glee club in Westerville, too, way back when. Dalton Academy?”

“Oh yeah,” Kurt nods nonchalantly. “The Warblers, right? I think we competed against them a couple of times two years ago.”

“Yeah,” Blaine nods fondly. “We were strangely revered by the boys at the school but Dalton was still very much an old boys’ club in the middle of Ohio. It’s not the progressive mecca some may think it is.”

“I may have heard a rumour-” Kurt pauses.

“Yeah, no. It’s not the gay Hogwarts,” Blaine makes quotation marks with his fingers. “Not when I was there at least. I was out but I never had a boyfriend until I moved to LA.” How can he be having this conversation? “But then I got Sing! and you know, dating wasn’t so easy.”

“It wasn’t?” Because Kurt is pretty sure that there would be boys literally lining  up for a chance at a date with fandom’s most eligible sweetheart.

“No,” Blaine shrugs. “It’s really hard to meet people when you’re on a show like that, you know? Constantly in the spotlight, or in the selfie camera. It becomes hard to distinguish between fan and friend.” Kurt’s eyebrows rise. “And with that schedule on Sing!  - I was too busy for anything serious, anyways.” Kurt nods keeping his face as flat as possible while his heart beats out of his chest, hoping Blaine can’t hear it over the background music. “I should apologize. I’m doing all the talking. What about you, Kurt? Do you have a boyfriend?”

What.

“Who me?” Kurt is taken aback. The combination of the very chill and bizarrely intimate conversation he’s having with Blaine Celebrity-of-My-Dreams Anderson, while being casually asked about his (non-existent) love life, the assumption that he’s gay and could be taken so obvious and ordinary, makes him feel like he’s in the Twilight Zone. He is in the Twilight Zone - he is talking about his love life with Blaine Anderson. He needs to compose himself. “Oh no. No no. Like you said, small town Ohio is not exactly a gay mecca. Just swinging and single,” Kurt says awkwardly. He knows he’s beet red but Blaine bites his lower lip and his smile gets wider. 

“Blaine!” Jesse St. James from across the room, beckons him over. “Come here. Meet Joan Silver - she’s the executive producer.” Blaine looks up at the ceiling and sighs.

“I’m being summoned,” Blaine says and Kurt nods, still feeling surreal. Blaine reaches out and squeezes Kurt’s upper arm, “Really nice to meet you,” He winks,  “Rachel’s roommate.”

#even better than the real thing #gleekto writes #ahhh the meet cute

[hazelandglasz]

OMG They Were Zoommates

Based on this post 

I really couldn’t resist, and like @tchrgleek said, “Everything is a Klaine prompt”!

On AO3

All things considered, yes, this quarantine is a huge hassle.

Kurt doesn’t particularly like to be forced into confinement, and while he can put on a professional face like pretty much any thirty year-old, he doesn’t like being forced into social interactions through video conferences.

He may be an introvert, but even he needs more than this second-best choice to get in touch with his colleagues and partners.

Speaking of which.

“Mrooow?”

“Oh, stop being judgmental, Wildcat Jackson,” Kurt tells his cat, who is sitting on his bed and looking at him with what is, truly, a judging look. “At least I put on pants.”

The cat looks down at his legs before rolling herself into a ball, away from him. 

“They’re pants,” Kurt mumbles. Yoga pants, sure, but they are still pants.

And Kurt put on his pristine pink shirt and his brooch.

From the camera’s point of view, he’s every bit the professional he needs to project for this meeting with their new partners.

The Zoom meeting is not planned before 2pm, but it’s 1:50pm when Kurt logs in, because that’s just the kind of person he is. And yet, he’s not the first one in the Zoom.

“Um, hello? I just logged in.”

The person was away from his computer, and Kurt had just enough time to see a bookshelf filled to the brim with books, manuals and several Funko Pops. 

Nothing unusual from a company specialized in developing educational apps for teenagers and young adults.

But then the man slides back in place, and wow, that is not how Kurt pictures Dalton's CEO.

“Hi. I’m Blaine Anderson.”

The man looks like a lot of things—a model from the 1950s, a romantic male lead, a wet dream in the flesh, your pick—but not like the man who sent several emails regarding the intellectual property of both parties and who was a stickler for proper language.

Kurt waves. “I’m Kurt, Pavarro’s founder and CFO.”

Mr. Anderson smiles, waving back at Kurt. “Looks like we’re the early birds.”

“I always prefer to be early. Fashionably late is too 1990s.”

Blaine nods, waving his hand toward Kurt. “Though you seem to know a thing or two about fashion.”

Kurt looks down at his (visible) outfit and cocks one eyebrow at Blaine. “So do you,” he replies appreciatively, swallowing whatever flirtatious sentence was about to follow when other participants join in the conference room.

Blaine straightens up, his hand smoothing down his tie, before smiling to the camera.

Kurt can’t help but notice it is a very different, tighter smile than the one he had before.

“Now, I want to begin this unusual meeting by thanking all of you for agreeing to the accommodations we all had to make…”

---

They are at the very beginning of the negotiations to include Pavarro’s music sheets and vocal coaching videos to Dalton’s latest app, designed for high school students wanting to focus on the Arts.

After a dozen or so Zoom meetings involving different members, it quickly comes down to only Kurt and Blaine meeting through Zoom, either to explain the technicalities ...

“No, Kurt, I’m not saying this coaching lesson is wrong, all I’m saying is that maybe the coach shouldn’t look …”

“What.”

“Constipated.”

...  or to compare their business models and projected numbers.

“Blaine, if I may …”

“Of course, Kurt.”

“You seem overly enthusiastic about the potential breakthrough we would have in the Midwest.”

Through the meetings, both Kurt and Blaine have relaxed, both in outfits and composure.

Kurt is this close to say that they’re friends (for want of anything closer).

Blaine sighs and leans back in his chair, his yellow polo slightly stretched over his chest causing a hitch in Kurt’s heartbeat. “It’s where I’m from, Kurt. I need to be optimistic about my home state. I need for it to grow to become a place of origins for artists.”

“Midwest, uh?”

“Ohio.”

Kurt sits up, leaning toward the screen. “Ohi--no way! Me too!”

Blaine looks startled. ��Really?”

“Lima!”

“Westerville!”

They both start laughing, before Blaine returns his attention to his notes. Kurt takes advantage of the moment to admire Blaine’s face so close, his eyelashes casting a shadow over his cheeks in the soft glow of his screen.

“We may have been just a teensy weensy bit enthusiastic, though,” Blaine finally says, looking up and surprising Kurt who can feel his face heating up immediately. “I’ll get over it with Wes and we’ll have to meet again in a couple of days.”

“Ah, the hardship.”

“Ha, ha.”

Blaine has mastered the art of talking with his eyebrows, and his cocked one clearly says “I see through your bullshit, Hummel”.

“I’ll let you set up the next meeting, then,” Kurt rushes to conclude the meeting before he lets himself blurt something totally unprofessional and embarrassing. “In the meantime, Tina will send David the singing coaching videos we developed while in confinement, so please disregard the poor quality and focus on the subject, ‘kay?”

“Will do. Take care, Kurt.”

“You too. Good evening, Blaine.”

As soon as the conference window is shut, Kurt picks up Wildcat and screams into her soft belly.

This crush has to stop.

…

It won’t stop, will it?

---

Kurt knows that he’s in the right conference Zoom, because he clicked on the link Blaine sent.

That’s the only element he has to know that he didn’t get “lost”.

Because right now, filling his screen, is not Blaine’s gorgeous mug.

An adorable mug it is, sure, but not the one he was expecting.

“Blaine?”

“Oh shit, ‘Gana, move!”

Blaine rushes into the screen, picking up the smiling corgi and unceremoniously pushing her away. His shirt is opened and Kurt wants to thank whichever deity is having fun right now for the sight, both of Blaine’s chest and of his blushing cheeks.

“I am so, so sorry for that, Kurt,” he whines softly. “I don’t even know how my dog came up here.”

“That’s a cute corgi you got here.”

Blaine runs his fingers through his hair and smiles, obviously relaxing. “She is very cute. And very stubborn.”

“What’s her name?”

Blaine’s blush is back at full force. “Um …”

“Come on, I promise I will level the field.”

Blaine cocks his head to the side and shrugs. “Fine.” He moves away before returning with his dog in his lap. “Kurt, meet General Pupgana Anderson, leader of the Resistance.”

On the Corgi’s collar, Kurt does notice a couple of buttons that give clues about Blaine’s political leaning. 

Particularly, a rainbow one.

Interesting.

“Your turn.”

Luckily, Kurt’s cat was just out of frame, lying on his desk to catch the afternoon Sun. He picks Wildcat and presents her like an offering. “Here is Wildcat Jackson Hummel,” he says, and Blaine frowns, resting his chin on top on his dog’s head before snapping his fingers.

“Hey look me over, lend me an ear

Fresh out of clover, mortgage up to here

Don't pass the plate folks, don't pass the cup …,” he sings, not even off-key.

Wildcat opens one eye and bats the camera, interrupting Blaine’s singing in favor of laughter.

Kurt really doesn’t know which sound he prefers. All he knows is that he should have recorded it.

“I didn’t know you were a singer too,” he comments, letting Wildcat walk away in a huff.

“Oh, yeah,” Blaine says, absentmindedly fluffing up his dog’s already fluffy ears. “I was the leader of my school’s choir, back then.”

“Choir?”

“Ok, Glee club. Happy?”

Kurt beams at the camera. “Would be if you had proof.”

“No.”

“So you tell me if I search Blaine Anderson choir on YouTube, nothing will come up?”

Blaine mumbles something.

“Beg your pardon?”

“It. Better.”

Kurt bursts out laughing. “Okay, fine. I won’t look it up.”

Blaine cocks one eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe I will look it up, but I won’t bring it up.”

“Hm-hm.”

“I won’t make it a big deal.”

“Right.”

“Pinky swear.”

Blaine smiles crookedly at the camera, a look of disbelief on his face, before he does hold up his pinky in front of him.

Kurt mirrors him, all while quietly and internally losing his shit over how cute Blaine is.

That level of cuteness and geekiness and just gorgeousness should be illegal.

“Now, back on the matter at hand. Let me show you the new numbers we cranked up for our Midwest penetration …”

Oh Lord, Kurt thinks while putting his glasses on, do not let me focus on the idea of penetration for the next hour.

…

Try again.

---

“I’m sorry, Kurt, but the files have been compromised in the transfer.”

Tina looks like on the verge of tears, and Kurt himself is this close to cry.

“How did it happen?” he simply asks.

“Artie is looking into the tech of it, but in the meantime, we, um …”

“What?”

Tina glares at him. “Don’t bite my head off, Hummel, I can smack you down via video and we both know it.”

Kurt takes a deep breath. “What?” he repeats, softer this time and with a smile plastered to his face.

“We need to re-record the songs we planned to send to Dalton.”

“You know what we could do, instead?”

“Fling ourselves through the window because nothing matters?”

Kurt blinks. “Err, no. No. We’re not going to do that. What we are going to do, is mirror what the musicians from the National French Orchestra did.”

“Play Ravel’s Bolero?”

Kurt shakes his head. “No, but we can have a Zoom conference with Blaine and David--”

“Blaine, uh?”

“Yes, Blaine.” Tina’s smile could rival the Cheshire’s. “What?”

“Nothing. I’m glad you and Blaine managed to build such a good relationship while apart.”

It’s Kurt’s turn to glare. “I see what you’re trying to imply, Cohen-Chang, and it’s not--it’s not that.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I may wish it was that, but it’s not, so can you please drop it and brainstorm something with me for a good …”

“Audition?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

Tina’s smile is softer as she ends the call, promising to come up with a list of songs they wanted to add to their catalogue anyway.

As the call ends, Kurt swirls around in his chair, worrying his lower lip.

Has he been so obvious?

Does every participant into their Zoom meetings see how he feels about Blaine?

Does Blaine know?!

Blaine must know, oh shit.

“Goddammit,” he mutters, pushing himself off his chair to get a well deserved homemade pumpkin spice coffee because he needs it and he’ll be a cliché in his own damn home if he so chooses it.

--

“Blaine?”

For once, Blaine seems very unfocused today on their meeting. He frowns into space, asks Kurt to repeat what he just said and just seems … upset.

“Yes, sorry. I’m here.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Kurt asks, pulling Wildcat into the frame.

Somehow, along the weeks, adding their respective pets to the discussion has become a signal that the meeting is about to take a turn for the more personal.

Blaine hesitates, before leaning down and picking up Pupgana, who seems delighted to see Kurt.

“So, what’s going on in that cute head of yours?” Kurt continues, throwing caution to the wind, mostly because Blaine doesn’t react one way or another to his little flirting.

Which is both a blessing and a curse for Kurt’s mental well being.

“I had tickets for a play for tonight,” Blaine says softly. “And I understand the lockdown, I understand the quarantine, I understand the necessity and the safety of it …”

“But.”

“But,” he repeats, smiling sadly at Kurt. “There is no way to be sure that the play will be reprogrammed for a later date. I have been reimbursed and everything, but still.” He sighs. “I was looking forward to it, and it may make me sound like an entitled white man, but …”

“But,” Kurt echoes. “I had tickets for an opening last week, too. One of my best friends plays in it, so I had first row tickets too.”

“Oh? Which show?”

“Six.”

Blaine straightens up immediately. “No. Way.”

Kurt can feel his jaw clicking open. “No.”

“Yes!”

“You--”

“And you!”

Kurt leans back in his chair, a startled, breathless laugh escaping him. “Wow.”

“Took the word out of my mouth.” Blaine chuckles. “Which part was your friend supposed to play?”

“Ah, Mercedes was supposed to be Queen Catherine of Aragon herself.”

“Mer--your best friend is Mercedes Jones?!”

Kurt preens a little. “Yep. Since high school.”

“Wow. You keep getting more and more interesting, Kurt.”

His face heats up enough to make him worried about getting a fever, but Kurt knows it shouldn’t have anything to do with the pandemic. “...Oh.”

Blaine’s cheeks do pink up too, but he doesn’t lose his composure. “I mean it, Kurt. You’re probably--no, without a doubt, the most interesting man I have ever met.”

“And we haven’t even met yet.”

Blaine leans his head against his closed fist and stares into Kurt’s soul--that is, into his camera. “Do you really feel that way?” 

Blaine’s voice is soft and low. Intimate, in a way Kurt cannot comprehend or translate or interpret in his emotional state.

“I …” he starts, ready to deny whatever Blaine is imply, but he can’t.

Kurt can’t lie to those golden green eyes.

“No, I don’t. Feels like we have known each other forever.”

“It does.”

Kurt sighs, and Blaine follows.

When Pupgana imitates them, they chuckle and look away, focusing once again on arranging Pavarro’s demonstration for Blaine’s board.

---

It goes pretty well, if Kurt may say so himself.

Adding the Beatles has always been a goal of his, if only because his dad loved the British band so much, and performing “Blackbird” to the camera, while Tina provides backup and Artie plays the guitar, along with their teaching methods, was a stroke of genius.

Everybody agrees that the demo is a success. Wes, David and Trent leave the Zoom chat first, having another appointment with investors, and Artie spends some time talking to Blaine about how their codes could be more compatible--a conversation that flies over Kurt’s head--but after a while, it’s just the two of them, alone again in their Zoom meeting.

Blaine seems thoughtful as he looks at Kurt every two seconds, his eyes and fingers otherwise busy typing away.

“I could get used to this,” Kurt says to break the heavy silence.

“Hm?”

“You, me, working together. It feels right.”

Blaine bites his lip as he nods before pushing his keyboard away. “Kurt, I have to tell you …”

This is it, Kurt thinks. He’s going to tell me that I have been inappropriate, that we’re barely friends, that we need to stop talking to each other every day…

“... I didn’t expect to feel so emotional about your performance.”

Ah.

Ah?

“I mean, I heard recordings of you singing before, but that was … You moved me, Kurt.”

“Oh, really?”

“I had to restrain myself from clapping when you were finished.”

“Blaine …” Kurt takes a deep breath. “You know that a lot of the subjects we talked about during our meetings were not my forte.” Blaine cocks his head to the side with a frown. “Why did you decide to have them with me anyway?”

“Oh.”

“Not that I mind, but it just feels …,” Kurt hesitates and lets his silence fill in for him.

It just feels … odd.

Abnormal.

Surprising.

Like it’s leading to something else, please tell me if there is something else, because I am feeling that “else” too.

“You know, Kurt, since we’ve been in lock down, I didn’t think I would--,” Blaine pauses, looking away and muttering something Kurt doesn’t catch. And then, Blaine looks back up, jaw squared as if getting ready to enter battle. “Kurt.”

Kurt has never been more focused on the sound coming from his speakers.

“There are some people you meet along your Life’s journey, and it doesn’t feel like a meeting but like a reunion with someone you already know. When we first met, I thought “oh, there you are”, like I had been looking for you forever, like all my decisions ever since Ohio were meant to bring us back together.”

Ho. Ly. Shit.

“And I know it may sound like a rehearsed speech, and yeah, I did, a little,” Blaine continues, running his fingers through his curls and chuckling self-deprecatingly, “but I didn’t have to look for the words. I had to rehearse to be able to say it all without stuttering over my own heart. Because he’s in charge here, and he told me to do anything necessary to spend more time with you.”

Kurt is about to faint, and he doesn’t even care.

“I know we met in an unconventional way, but I can tell you that all I want right now is to kiss you, if you’d let me.”

“I would.”

“Oh,” Blaine blushes, looking surprised (and, really? Surprised? So he didn’t know?), relieved and, well, ecstatic, really. “I guess we both know what we’ll do the first time we meet without cameras between us.”

“Oh, I do. Describe it.”

Kurt knows he’s pushing his luck, but a cute, intelligent guy just made him the most romantic love declaration, he is high on feels.

Blaine cocks one eyebrow, his smile turns into a slightly cocky one and he leans closer, describing in excruciating details all the micro-actions that would lead to their kiss.

Truth be told, Kurt is no longer a blushing virgin, but it still leaves him blushing fiercely and hot all over.

And that was just a virtual first kiss.

They don’t know how long this confinement is going to last, but Kurt knows one thing.

It won’t be boring with his new boyfriend.

*

Wildcat Jackson Hummel

General Pupgana Anderson : https://www.reddit.com/r/corgi/comments/b11ngx/pancake_would_like_to_facetime/

#sometimes i write #klaine au #covid-19 au #colleagues to friends to lovers #mutual unrequited pining #fluff #adorable pets

[homecoming-hq]

Look out gleeks, someone’s back in Lima!

Name: Ava Grace St. James Age of Character: 25 Occupation: Owner of New View Photography  Pronouns/Sexual Orientation: She/her, Pansexual Birthday: 2nd December 

(TW: Assualt)

Everyone in Ohio knew of the St. James family – or that’s what the family likes to think. They come from old money and due to this, the St. James household was a pretty strict one; at least when their parents were around. Being the little sister to Jesse St. James was something that Ava hated more than anything in the world. She never had an identity because everyone referred to her as Jesse’s sister and this was hard on Ava when growing up in the spotlight of the infamous. Every time that she tried to make a name for herself, it was as if she would get pushed down or pushed to the side for someone else. She was never good enough – not smart enough, not skinny enough, not talented enough. Instead of following in her brother’s footsteps as a performer, Ava took another route – photography.  

With a camera in hand, that is where Ava felt most comfortable. She wasn’t the best, but she also wasn’t the worst when it came to her photographs. At the age of 18, she made the huge leap to go to California and start a career. It took her a few years to get her clientele established but she was the photographer for the stars, and she loved every minute of it. She homed in her skills and everyone wanted to hire her. While she worked full time as a photographer, she also started a YouTube channel about her experiences. Her videos include vlogs, q&a, and behind the scenes of her photoshoots where she takes her friends on the journey with her. She has a couple of million subscribers and she’s passionate about creating a fun and safe space.

After leaving one of her shoots at three a.m., Ava found herself in a very scary position. She was putting all her equipment in the back of her car when someone assaulted her from behind. They took everything and because she never saw his face, she could never identify who it was so instead of staying around, she packed up her studio apartment and headed back home to Akron, Ohio.  When asked why she returned, she decided to lie and say it was because she wanted to get back to her roots but it was because she was too scared to stay in California anymore. She started a small photography company and she’s been living her life quietly. Her YouTube channel is still up and running but it’s not the same as it was before she left and people have noticed. Every once in awhile, she’ll still do shoots in New York and other locations but she’s trying to find her purpose in Ohio again.

#ava st james #st james family #taken

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Barr Hotel

200-218 N. Union St.

Lima, OH

The Barr Hotel is a historic hotel on the eastern side of downtown Lima, Ohio, a two-part building from Lima's golden years. Built in 1914, the Neoclassical hotel occupies the northeastern corner of the intersection of High and Union Streets. The primary portion of the hotel is a brick building, seven stories tall; it rests on a concrete foundation and is covered by a flat roof. Next to this portion is a connected building, four stories high and also built of brick. Large sash windows and Ionic-capped pilasters are among the most distinctive elements of the primary portion of the hotel.

During the early twentieth century, Lima experienced rapid growth as a result of its place as a hub for Standard Oil and as the home of the Lima Locomotive Works. Many large buildings were erected in the city's downtown, including the still-standing Hotel Argonne and the Ohio Theatre. The Barr Hotel is a typical building of this period. Officially opened in October 1916, the hotel was originally owned by the physician, Dr. Eugene Jacob Barr and his attorney son, Ortha Orrie Barr Sr., who was later elected to the Ohio House of Representatives between 1931 and 1935.

In 1956, businessman, C. O. Porter assumed ownership of the hotel. On May 15, 1986, the Barr Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its significance in overall American history. As a little-altered example of Lima's golden years, the hotel was significant partially because of the unusually frequent destruction of historic buildings in Lima since the early twentieth century.

The entire building was refurbished in 1994 and became an apartment complex with modern fixtures and state-of-the-art amenities. The building, now called The Barr Apartments, was bought in spring 2010 by real estate investors, Michael and Barbara O'Connor, co-owners of the company, O'Connor Investment Properties. Tenants in the building are professionals working in the downtown Lima area as well as local university students.

[blurglesmurfklaine]

Christmas Eve With You (Let It Snow)

Summary: It's Christmas Eve in Lima Ohio, and Kurt has a lot to do: find the perfect gift for his dad, make a life changing decision, and--after an unexpected turn of events--escort pop star Blaine Anderson around town. You know, the usual...Based off of Netflix's Let It Snow

A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to you all!! I personally celebrate Christmas and it's my favorite holiday and I've never written a Christmas Rom-Com AU so I decided last minute to write one lol. Relatively short, part one today, part two to come hopefully before the New Year!

Read on AO3

***

Congratulations!

We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts. With an acceptance rate of less than 4%, NYADA is one of the top tier schools for those wishing to perfect their

Kurt tore his eyes away from the page and slowly drew in a deep breath. He didn’t need to keep reading. He had practically memorized the damn thing in the first hour he opened the envelope. He began folding up the acceptance letter for what must have been the hundredth time and opened his desk drawer, tucking the letter underneath some old papers where his dad would never find it.

He pulled on his coat and any other winter wear necessary to make the freezing train ride to the swap meet bearable.

He would probably come home later and read the letter just one more time, scouring it to see if it had the answer he needed, but right now he had an elf to find.

***

“I’m looking for a Townhouse Moments Christmas Elf number forty-three.” Kurt explained to the man at the swap meet while this year’s crappy pop Christmas song played on in the background. “I ordered it online ahead of time, but they gave me number forty-two.”

The vendor simply looked at him with an almost bored (and definitely condescending) expression. “Listen, kid. You and every other collector out here are looking for this guy, and I don’t have him. You’re not gonna find it. Not on Christmas Eve.”

Kurt sighed, the background song seeming even more annoying than usual. Seriously, the swap meet couldn’t find any holiday music better than some lame Blaine Anderson single? “Look, I really need this figurine. My dad’s Christmas kind of depends on it.” He explained desperately.

The vendor shook his head. “Like I said, I can’t help you.”

Kurt angrily huffed and shoved the figurine he’d brought with him back in his pocket. “Merry Christmas,” he muttered under his breath before heading back to the train station.

At least the train had a stop near the Lima Bean. There was nothing quite like sitting with a warm cup of coffee in your hands while watching the snow fall down through the frosted windows.

***

Blaine stepped up from the platform onto the train, immediately searching for a seat in an area that wouldn’t be too crowded. He rarely got a chance to walk through the world without being gawked at like some Zoo animal, and he wasn’t about to have that ruined by an overexcited fan.

It’s not that he wasn’t grateful for everything his fans provided him, but sometimes it got to be a bit much and he needed a moment to just… retract from all the pandemonium.

He finally spotted a somewhat secluded area and headed towards it. Before he could make it, though, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Excuse me,” a voice called out from behind him.

Blaine sighed before reluctantly turning around to face a boy, probably around his age, with pale skin and a nose slightly pinked by the cold they both just entered from.

The boy looked slightly startled, as if he had just realized who Blaine was, but remained calm.

“Look,” Blaine started. “I really don’t feel like taking any pictures right now.”

The boy pursed his lips and glared at Blaine. He then extended his hand out and Blaine looked down to see he was just returning his phone that must have fallen out of his coat pocket.

“You dropped this,” the stranger said with a bit of sting in his voice as he shoved the phone back into Blaine’s grasp.

“Oh,” Blaine replied lamely. “Sorry, I—“

Mystery boy scoffed and held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t bother.” He muttered, then turned around to find a seat.

Fair enough, Blaine thought.

Just as Blaine was about to head back to find a seat of his own, the boy whipped around, apparently not quite done with him yet. “And by the way,” he began. “You don’t even know anything about me. I don’t care for your trashy pop music, I’m not one of your Blaineiacs who swoons at just the mention of your name, and I’m definitely not the type of person who would just throw myself at someone just because they’re famous.”

“I never said—“

Once again, Blaine was cut off, but not by the (admittedly attractive) boy. The train suddenly jerked forward and the momentum sent the strange boy flying backwards into Blaine’s unsteady arms.

Blaine felt his breath hitch, caught off guard by the suddenness of it all. He looked down and caught the boy’s gaze, realizing he had some of the clearest crystal blue eyes Blaine had ever seen. Awesome. The universe throws a super cute guy into your arms and it’s someone who thinks you’re a complete asshole.

As soon as it happened, it was over. Before either of them knew it, the train was on its way, steady enough so that the pale boy had the balance necessary to shoot himself out of Blaine’s arms like a repelling magnet.

His face flushed bright red and he gaped at Blaine for a moment. “I–That wasn’t—that was the train,” he said in a huff before whipping around and heading to his seat on the other side of the train car.

Blaine followed him with his eyes the entire time.

***

Not even ten minutes into the ride, Kurt felt the train slowly come crawling to a stop. “No,” he pleaded under his breath. “Please, no, we’re so close to the Lima Bean,” he whined.

But sure enough, the conductor’s voice came over the intercom and loudly announced that the train would be stalled indeterminately due to the recent snowfall.

Kurt sighed and looked longingly out the window towards the Lima Bean. This was ridiculous, he could see the rooftop to his favorite coffee shop just over the snow-covered hill. There was no reason he couldn’t make it there without incident.

He drew in a steadying breath before standing up and heading towards the doors. Unfortunately, before he could completely escape the defective cab, another figure came up in front of him and unintentionally blocked his path.

It so happened to be none other than the Blaine Anderson. Of course it was Blaine. Of course it was the idiot celebrity who thought everything revolved around him.

“You headed to that coffee shop, too?” Blaine asked without turning back to look at Kurt, using his clover hand to block out the morning sun as he stared off into the distance.

Anderson only kept trucking on forward as Kurt followed his lead—coincidentally, of course.

“I’m not following you,” he felt compelled to say. “I also just want a decent cup of coffee.”

Blaine gave him a charmingly warm smile and hopped off the platform into the soft snow. “Of course. Then, I suppose, you wouldn’t mind keeping me company.”

Kurt followed his lead and hopped off the train, beginning to trudge through the snow after Blaine—again, completely by chance that they were headed in the same direction.

“Fine. Just know that this is completely coincidental!”

“Deal.”

***

“Deal,” Blaine said. “So, uh, do I get your name? I mean, it’s only fair since you already know mine.”

“Yeah, because everybody knows your name, right?”

“I–no-! That’s not what I meant…”

The pale boy narrowed his eyes slightly at him and looked him up and down like he was deciding whether or not to trust him. “Kurt,” he finally answered. “Kurt Hummel.”

Blaine extended his hand out and Kurt stared at it for a second before taking it. “Blaine Anderson—because I’m not going to assume anybody knows my name anymore.” Blaine noticed the corner of Kurt’s mouth twitch up, barely noticeable. “Nice to meet you, Kurt.”

They walked on for a few moments in silence before Kurt spoke up again. “Why did you even take the train into town?” He asked.

Blaine shrugged. “I wanted to get away from the tour bus for a while. It felt real being in there. Surrounded by real people.”

Kurt chortled. “If the train made you feel real, the Lima Bean is gonna blow your mind.”

***

Kurt and Blaine stood in front of the long awaited coffee shop, both staring up at the broken and incomplete sign at the top of the building. The worn out block green letters should have obviously spelled out “LIMA BEAN”, but time and weather had taken out the L.

“Say it to yourself,” Kurt instructed Blaine. “Out loud.”

“Ima Bean?” Blaine said questioningly.

“I’m A Bean.” Kurt said dismally. “Because nobody in this town is—or ever will be—anything but a tiny bean in the universe… at least, that’s what we would say growing up.”

“That’s… morbid.”

Kurt simply shrugged before heading in through the doors. “It’s the truth,” he grumbled, remembering the letter burning a hole in his desk drawer and knowing he could never ever let it see the light of day again.

The Lima Bean was empty for the time being, but Kurt knew it would be filled with McKinley high teens in no time.

The couple silently made their way to the counter and Blaine took note of the barista who was… not exactly someone he imagined to be working at a coffee shop, but a job was a job he supposed. The barista had his head down, showcasing his unique haircut (a mohawk) while he began to take their orders.

“Welcome to the Lima Bean,” he sighed before slowly upturning his head. “What can I…” Just as Kurt had expected, Puck’s eyes grew wide upon seeing Blaine. “Get for you today…”

“Uh, Puck.” Kurt started timidly. “This is Blaine… I didn’t expect you to be here, I thought you’d be preparing for your long awaited Christmas Eve Rager?”

Puck pouted. “Uh, yeah… so my parents flight was delayed ‘cause of the snow, and they caught me setting up for the party. Decided I should come to work instead. But!” He held up his index finger and his face lit up. “I convinced Sam to let me have it here! So if you’re free tonight, just come on down to I’m A Bean.”

Kurt stifled a laugh at his friend’s wild antics. “Sure thing, Puck. Though, at this point,” he jerked his head towards Blaine. “I don’t know where this day will take me.”

“Been there… anyways, what’ll it be?”

***

“Order for Kurt!” Puck called out.

It was both their orders, but they’d decided it’d be best if they didn’t use Blaine’s name. It turned out to be a good call considering the fact that a group of Titans and Cheerios walked in as soon as Kurt and Blaine sat down.

Kurt got up and shortly returned with their coffees and pastries.

“Are you going to actually finish all that?” Kurt asked, referring to the small mountain of food Blaine had ordered including a tomato and mozzarella panini, a snowman cookie, a breakfast biscuit, and his medium drip.

“Yeah, I don’t like to waste food. It’s like a charity thing for me.” At Kurt’s unamused look, Blaine rolled his eyes and gave his real explanation. “We uh, didn’t grow up with a lot. It feels kind of wrong to throw out a meal when I remember the days we didn’t get one.”

After a moment of processing, “Oh…” was all Kurt could pathetically offer, suddenly feeling like the biggest asshole in the world.

Here he’d been, making assumptions about Blaine when he really didn’t know anything about him. Kind of the way certain football players would do to Kurt.

Okay, so Blaine had kind of come off as a presumptuous dick, but now Kurt realized he himself was making that same mistake.

He watched as Blaine took a bite of the panini and the too full sandwich overflowed with cheese into Blaine’s upper lip. Kurt giggled. “You’ve got a little…” he pointed to his own mouth, trying to point out the stained area on Blaine’s face.

Blaine stuck out his tongue, but completely missed the area. “Did I get it?”

“Not at all,” Kurt laughed again. “But I’ll go grab you some napkins, your royal highness.”

As Kurt was standing up, Blaine opened his mouth to contest before noting the playful look on the other boy’s face.

“And add some more creamer to this bad boy while I’m up,“ He said, gesturing to his half full coffee.

Kurt was nearly to the condiment table when a hauntingly familiar figure blocked his path.

“Where you going off to, fairy boy?”

“Merry Christmas to you, too, Azimio,” Kurt scoffed, trying to side step his long time tormentor.

Azimio followed Kurt’s move, leaving him in the same position he was not a moment ago. “Heard my boy Karofsky’s got a boyfriend over at Thurston high now.”

“Good for him.”

“That’s the farthest thing from good, my man. If it weren’t for you turnin him gay, we’d still have a winning offensive line.”

“I really don’t have any time for this,” Kurt lamented.

“Not so tough without your army brother to protect you, huh?”

Kurt opened his mouth to explain that he didn’t need anyone to protect him, but was immediately silenced by Azimio suddenly slapping the cup out of Kurt’s hand. Kurt flinched as lukewarm coffee splattered around him, the majority of it spilling right on his shirt.

“That’s for turning my best friend into a homo.”

“Hey!” Puck called from behind the counter. “Get out of here!”

“I am a paying customer!” Azimio argued.

“Read the sign, dickwad. Right to refuse service to anyone. That includes no good Lima Losers like yourself!”

Azimio rolled his eyes and angrily stormed out of the store.

As Kurt looked down his stained shirt, he could feel Blaine’s horrified stare burning right through his back. “Oh my god, Kurt. Are you okay?”

He turned around to face the other boy, still shaking with rage and that twinge of humiliation he always felt after scenes like this, no matter how hard he tried to push it down.

“You wanted real?” Kurt asked, feeling tears he would never let Azimio and Langanthal see begin to burn behind his eyelids. “How’s this? Only out gay kid in the entire town gets harassed on a daily basis—even publicly, as you just saw—finally gets an out when he gets into his dream school, and can’t even go because his dad is too sick to be left alone!”

Blaine reached out to place a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “Kurt—“

Before Blaine could finish his sentence, Kurt heard the table full of Cheerios become more chatty than usual, and he came to a startling realization. He quickly turned around, scanning the table to see that several of the McKinley High cheerleaders were whispering to each other and pointing at Blaine.

“Shit,” he muttered before facing Blaine again. “Restroom, back window,” he ordered as the head Cheerio stood up from the table and made a beeline towards them.

“What?”

“Just go!” Kurt ordered nudging Blaine in the right direction.

Blaine finally seemed to notice the onlookers and started to quickly walk towards the bathroom as one of the cheerleaders walked right behind Kurt.

He spun around to face her, a fake smile on his face. “Hello, there Satan—Santana!”

“Was that... Blaine Anderson?” She asked brusquely, staring down Kurt and crossing her arms.

Kurt raised his eyebrows before turning his head behind him to check that Blaine had made it to the impromptu escape route. He turned to Santana again and sighed, throwing his hands out in defeat. “Yes,” he said, feigning a trenchant dismay. “You caught me. Blaine Anderson is here, with me, at the I’m A Bean …” Kurt scrunched up his nose and smiled wryly at her. “And if you wait a few more minutes, I’m pretty sure TuPac is going to start a flash mob!”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. As she turned around her perfectly cooked ponytail nearly whipped him right across the face.

He watched her take a seat with the rest of the Cheerios and let out a sigh of relief before heading out to go find Blaine.

***

Blaine writhed and squirmed with all his might, but still wasn’t able to get enough momentum to hoist himself out of the window. He lay on his back, the top half of his body exposed to the bitter cold while the bottom half was stuck in the warmth of the I’m A Bean. The opening wasn’t big enough for him to turn around to get on his stomach. In that position, he could easily reach out for something and just pull himself out.

He he was straining to reach for the window to get some sort of leverage when he heard a giggle. And if he weren’t in the situation he was currently in, he might’ve taken more time to appreciate how beautiful that laugh was.

“Wow,” Kurt chuckled. “I wonder what TMZ would pay for a photo like this.”

“Not enough,” Blaine grunted, struggling for some sort of hand hold. “Now, are you— going to— help me— or not?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and headed over to Blaine.

He laced his arms underneath Blaine’s. “Alright,” Kurt said. “I’m gonna pull on the count of three, so brace yourself. One…”

“Wait, on three or after three?”

“What? Clearly on three, Blaine.”

“Wait, did that count as three?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

Kurt tugged and Blaine slid out of the window with ease. The momentum of the pull sent them both toppling backwards—Blaine’s entire body on Kurt—towards the ground.

They hit the frozen ground with an “oof,” and immediately bust out into a fit of laughter.

“That went well.” Kurt giggled.

Still laughing, Blaine turned his body to face Kurt. “Yeah, we’re the epitome of grace.”

They settled into a surprisingly comfortable silence, both warmed by being in the other’s embrace. After a moment, Kurt cleared his throat and shifted backwards,as if he’d just realized the position they’d fallen into. He shuffled to his feet and brushed off some snow from his pants. “So, um, it was so nice—and super random and bizarre—to meet you,” Kurt said, shaking his head. “But I have to go. I have… things to do.”

Kurt headed off in the direction of his next destination, but not without Blaine following close behind. “Like what?”

“Like go meet my dad to watch my Jewish best friend play mother Mary in a multicultural holiday play. “

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Fine, don't tell me.”

“Oh, I only wish I were joking… Whatever, I have other things to do. Important things.”

“Like what?” Blaine pried again, hoping it was something he could accompany Kurt to. He was intrigued by him, and wanted to get to know him better.

“Like make the biggest decision of my life!” Kurt finally snapped, whirling around to face him. Blaine wondered for a moment if he had been too intrusive before Kurt deflated, like a cat un-bristling its tail. “I got into NYADA. It’s one of the best schools in the country for musical theatre, but it’s in New York and I can’t go.”

Blaine thought back to the incident that happened moments before he had nearly been discovered, then back to when he first met Kurt. No wonder Kurt was so wary of him.

“Because of your dad.”

Kurt gave a meek nod of confirmation. “He had a heart attack last year that put him in a coma for a few days, and now, he has… cancer… and we don’t know which way it’s going to go… I asked NYADA for a deferral, but they said I would lose my scholarship.”

They both stayed silent for a moment, neither quite knowing what to say after that. “Sorry for the huge downer,” Kurt mumbled. “I just… haven’t said that to anyone yet. Aside from kind of yelling it at you in the I’m A Bean a few minutes ago… Anyways,” he started up again, turning from Blaine and heading off into the snow covered terrain. “Merry Christmas, I gotta go.”

Blaine continued to trudge after him. “What, where?”

“I told you, multicultural nativity play.”

Blaine caught up with Kurt and sent him his most charming grin. “Sounds fun.”

***

“A hundred and fifty six piece elf village?” Blaine asked in astonishment as he and Kurt walked through the underpath of some trees.

Kurt let out a dry laugh. It sounded even more ridiculous aloud. “Some people’s dads collect coins, or artisan beer bottles; mine collects elves and their homes… So, what are your plans for the holidays?”

Blaine just gave him a halfhearted shrug. “I’ll probably just stay in the hotel room.”

“Christmas Eve in a hotel room?”

“I travel a lot. I’m used to it.”

“And I’m used to getting harassed by idiot meatheads, that doesn’t mean I like it.”

Blaine barked out a laugh, making Kurt’s stomach flip involuntarily. “I guess, just once… I’d like to stay in one place for a little while.”

Well, Lima isn't the worst place to spend Christmas Eve, Kurt nearly said before stopping himself and realizing he would look like a total creep if he did. He lightly shook his head, trying to bring himself back to reality. Head out of the clouds, Hummel. He probably has a girlfriend on the tour bus waiting for him.

“So why does your dad like Christmas so much?” Blaine asked, breaking Kurt out of his thoughts.

“Oh. I think… I think it’s because my mom passed away between Thanksgiving and Christmas.” He took note of the sympathetic look on Blaine’s face before continuing. “So now I think he wants to make Christmas this big and spectacular thing… for me, I guess. I used to love the little figurines when I was little, because I kind of looked like them. My mom decided to start collecting them a few weeks before she died.”

“I’m sorry about your mom,” Blaine said, adding a gentle hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “But that’s pretty sweet of your dad.”

“Yeah… I guess it is.” Kurt smiled warmly. “He’s a great dad.”

The two boys finally reached the peak of the hill. The view overlooked a beautiful wintry scene, complete with frosted evergreen trees and a meadow blanketed in fresh pillowy snow.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.”

Kurt scoffed. “Snow can hide a lot… it’s like the spanx of weather…” Blaine laughed and another comfortable silence fell between them for a moment. “So, where did you grow up?”

“New York. Queens. Growing up, you had to be tough and my brother was… I, on the other hand, was a little more sensitive… and I think that came off as weakness to the other kids.” Blaine shrugged it off. “But it was okay because I always had music.”

Kurt nodded and smiled understandingly. “I know exactly what you mean. The only thing that keeps me sane around here is the glee club. When I’m not singing, I don’t really feel… whole. It’s like—“

“Like you’re barely even a person.”

Kurt let out a little puff of air in astonishment. “Yeah… kind of exactly like that…” As they tread on, Kurt could hear the sound of ice softly crunching beneath their feet. “So uh, what do your parents think about your job?”

Blaine let out a short laugh that felt just the tiniest bit bitter. “Well, my mom supports me but… My dad doesn’t think performing is a real job. He’s really strict. He wasn’t too happy when I came out to him either, but he got over it… sort of.”

Kurt snapped his head up to look at Blaine, eyes wide as he processed the words he just heard. Came out, as in… “Wait a second, you’re…”

A smile tugged at the corner of Blaine’s lips. “Queer as a three dollar bill.” As soon as it was there, it faded. “But uh, it’s not something I advertise, you know? My dad thinks it’s better—safer, if I don’t.”

Kurt cocked an eyebrow, doing his best to push down the butterflies raging in his stomach. “Like a safer career move?” Why would Blaine’s dad care about his career if he didn’t even think it was valid?

Blaine shook his head. “When I was in middle school, before my first album, I went to a Sadie Hawkins dance with a friend; the only other gay guy in the school. While we were waiting for his dad to pick us up, these three guys came and beat the crap out of us.”

In an instant, Blaine felt Kurt’s hand on his. “I… I’m so sorry.”

“I uh, never pressed charges or anything. Just transferred and never looked back, which made sense at the time, but now I just regret not standing up to them.” Blaine looked right into Kurt’s crystal blue eyes as he came to a stop. “So if you ever get the chance to do what I didn’t, you should take it.”

***

They lumbered on through the snow, finally reaching the peak of a hill with a gentler slope than the last one.

Families stood huddled together while groups of children, wrapped up tighter than the presents under their trees, waddled to sleds and rode down the hill.

Kurt watched a smile crack Blaine’s face and he narrowed his eyes with a light suspicion. “What are you smiling at?”

“We should go sledding.”

“We don’t have a sled..?”

Blaine just picked up his pace to a light jog and headed towards a group of women huddled together. He faced Kurt, but kept up his jog in a backpedal. “Young moms; kind of my bread and butter.”

Kurt huffed out a laugh as he looked on at Blaine introducing himself to the star struck mothers. He offered to take a few selfies with them before shortly returning back to Kurt with—lo and behold—a sled.

A minute later they were at the edge of the slope and Blaine settled himself behind Kurt. Kurt felt his heart racing and if he was being completely honest, he couldn’t tell if it was because of the dropoff or the way Blaine was pressed flush against his back, his arms wrapped snug around Kurt’s waist so that he could take hold of the reins.

Blaine started to scoot the sled forward and Kurt felt his nerves kick in. “Wait!” He cried out.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I just… despite living in a snow covered town for eighteen years, I’ve never actually been sledding before.”

Blaine leaned forward and rested his head in the space between Kurt’s head and shoulders. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ve got you. You’re safe with me.”

Kurt had absolutely no reason to believe Blaine—considering the short time they’d known each other—but for some reason, he found that he did. He believed he’d be safe with Blaine because he already felt safe with him. Safe enough to tell him about his mom, safe enough to confide in him about his dilemma with his dad, and now, safe enough to go sledding for the first time.

He nodded and felt himself pressing his cheek closer to Blaine’s. Blaine pushed them forward and off they went, down the gentle curve of the hill.

The air started rushing quicker and quicker against Kurt’s face, until they were riding at an enjoyable speed. Kurt felt Blaine’s arms close in a little tighter around him and he turned his head to smile back at the other boy, who graciously returned it.

The smiles were wiped clean off their faces when they faced forward once more and suddenly came into contact with a bump in the hill that sent Blaine tumbling backwards with an “oof.” Kurt managed to stay on, panic rising as he realized he had no control of the sled.

“Oh no. No no no,” Kurt yelped as he approached the sharp incline of a snow bank, unable to do anything to slow down or avoid the oncoming collision.

The sled went up the ramp and Kurt went flying, landing hard on a cleared path of snow he didn’t even have time to recognize as the road. He heard a harsh noise in the distance while he groaned and tried to gather himself. Kurt finally made it to his feet and the (now much louder and closer) noise finally registered as the revving of an engine from an oncoming car that was coming down way too fast for this weather.

The car seemed impossibly close and Kurt wasn’t sure he’d make it out of the way in time.

Out of nowhere, Blaine came racing across the road and practically tackled Kurt to the safety of the other side of the road.

The curly haired boy lay with his body pressed warmly against Kurt’s for a moment before clearing his throat and rolling off to the side.

Kurt let out a breath (of relief or disbelief, he really couldn’t tell) and watched it wisp away into the cold air. After the initial shock faded, Kurt turned his head to look at Blaine, who lay next to him looking just as dazed.

Of all the things he expected to do after a situation like this, feeling a smile start to curl on his lips definitely wasn’t at the top of the list. But Kurt took one look at Blaine’s (horrified) honey colored eyes and couldn’t help but think how ridiculous this whole situation was. Before he could help himself, he exploded into a fit of laughter.

Kurt felt an unfamiliar tingle in his chest—something light and warm, that he maybe only had a memory of. As his laughter grew and he watched a smile spread on Blaine’s lips, the glow spread down through his arms and legs and all the way down to his toes until his entire body felt sunny, despite being surrounded by mounds of snow.

#klaine #glee #wow look at me im writing! #kurt hummel #blaine anderson #merry christmas! #let it snow #fic rec