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redheadgleekfic · 1 year

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Ficlet: Dear Elder Anderson

by @redheadgleek for @wowbright

Words: ~1400

Rating: General

Summary: Coming home isn't always easy.

A/N: written for and inspired by my dear friend @wowbright and their Mormon!Klaine universe. Several months ago, we were talking about what happened after Kurt's return from his mission and it inspired this idea. As Wow hasn't read this, think of it as an AU of an AU.

Other notes: this includes blatant descriptions of the LDS temple with direct wording from the endowment and sealing ceremonies. Along with a multitude of other sins not condoned by the church. If this offends, I encourage you to find something else to read.

5 August 2014

Dear Elder Anderson,

I know, it’s a little weird calling you this after so many weeks of using your first name. But now, after coming home where I can’t call you Elder Anderson to our investigators on a daily basis or hear Elder Flannigan slaughter the pronunciation, I miss it.

I miss you.

I miss you every day. I think I miss you most in the mornings, when I think about those mornings sitting across from you as you ate your pretzel and scrambled eggs and we did companion scripture study together. But I also miss you at night when I could hear you breathe in the dark and listen to the little snort you’d make when you were just drifting off.

It’s weird being home, weird being away from you after so many months with you constantly at my side. You’ve been my compass for so long, that now I feel adrift. I swore I wouldn’t be one of those missionaries who couldn’t have a normal conversation for months. But every time I start to share a story about my time in Germany, it always seems to feature you, and talking about you both thrills and hurts me, so I stop and I sound so awkward.

Dad suspects something. How much I don’t know, but he asks me a lot of questions about you. He can sense something has changed. That I’m different than I was before.

He and Carole sat down with me two nights ago. They want to be sealed in the temple next month. And they want me to do Finn’s temple work.

I am so conflicted and I think my silence surprised them. Doing my brother’s temple work so that we could be together as a family for eternity was my primary goal for so many years. This is what I wanted.

I feel no guilt or shame over my feelings for you or anything we did. What we have is precious and God-given. I know this with as much of a burning bosom surety as I got when I’ve prayed about the church. So I felt no guilt when I sidestepped the questions at my exit interview with the bishop and I told him I obeyed the law of chastity and was worthy to enter the temple with no hesitation. He would have disagreed with me, would have excommunicated me if I had confessed, but he is wrong. It was harder to answer the questions about sustaining the president as a seer and revelator, when I’m not sure that he really is, but I got my recommend and I’ve been determined to use it.

And yet, when Dad brought up us spending the day at the temple, I was at a loss. Do I want to do Finn’s work any more? Will he really be lost to me for eternity if I don’t? If the church is wrong about being gay, is it wrong about the afterlife too?

I wish you were here so I could talk to you about this. Your straightforward explanations always calmed my worries and got me out of my head. You never were afraid of any of the questions I asked. I know if I brought them up with Dad, he’d worry about it.

On the plus side, I was able to shove all of my mission suits to the back of my closet. I went on a shopping spree and treated myself to a new waistcoat and shirts with color and jeans - jeans, Blaine, I’ve missed them so much. They look great with the bowtie you gave me - I’ll send you the pics.

Love, Kurt

7 September 2014

Mein Liebling Elder Anderson,

Yesterday, Carole took out her endowment and she and Dad were sealed together for time and all eternity. And with me acting as proxy, Finn was sealed to them too. They were so happy. Carole looked radiant in her white dress and Dad kept hugging us both.

It was a draining day, spiritually nourishing and numbing at the same time.

Dad baptized me, confirmed me and gave me the priesthood for Finn. I wept hearing his name over and over. “Kurt E Hummel, I baptize you for and on behalf of Finn Christopher Hudson, who is dead.”

Kurt E Hummel, I confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ for and on behalf of Finn Christopher Hudson, who is dead."

Who is dead. I was reminded over and over that he was dead.

I’ve always loved the symbolism of the temple. Perhaps because Dad was a convert and Mom did things her own way, but I’ve never minded the anointing or the endowment or found it weird. There’s something meaningful in the rituals, the way that we would all perform the same signs at the same time that felt powerful. I felt closer to God the few times I went to the temple before my mission and that’s why I’ve been so determined to keep my recommend.

Elder St. James told me once that he almost walked out when he took out his endowments, certain that he was part of a cult. I don’t think I ever asked you of your experiences with the temple. Carole didn't seem too shocked, but I'm pretty sure that Dad filled her in on what to expect.

The endowment bothered me more yesterday. Finn was washed clean from his sins by someone who everybody else in the church would see as sinning. I couldn’t help that wave of worry that by lying to the lord’s anointed to get the recommend and doing Finn’s work, I would be invalidating it all and he would be in the terrestrial kingdom forever. I tried to ignore it as I pledged to refrain from loud laughter for my brother whose loud, free laugh could be heard across the school and made everybody around him happy. I took vows to obey the law of chastity with promises for his posterity when he never got to get married or have kids or any of that.

There were beautiful moments too and those were almost harder. When the officiant reminded us about the meaning of the marks, I remembered stroking the mark of the square on your breast as I listened to your heartbeat. I love seeing you in your garments, seeing you as a son of God.

And everything felt peaceful and familiar and right when I stood in the prayer circle next to my dad and stepmom. Carole was crying, tears that seeped out from under her veil and my dad was glowing in pride for what I was doing. His wish of having all of his family together.

Dad took Carole through the veil. Does my mom mind sharing my dad for eternity? So many questions that I have no answer for. He also served as the officiant when I got to the veil too. I didn’t know that this was going to happen and I started crying when I heard his voice through the veil. Having my dad’s hand on my shoulder, holding my hand and giving the tokens, and hearing him say “Let him enter” - Blaine, this is all I’ve ever wanted. We sat in the celestial room afterwards, talking about Finn and cried together. For once, one of the temple workers didn’t try to shush us for talking too loudly.

When it was time for the sealing, we all walked to the room together. It was just the three of us and the sealant. Dad and Carole were sealed first, and then I knelt next to them as Finn, who is dead. I looked into the mirror, and watched our reflections echoing, trying to picture my mom beside us and Finn and you. Because you belong there too in our circle of love. I wish I could kneel across from you and take your right hand and pledge before God, angels and witnesses to uphold the holy order of matrimony.

And I can’t. I won’t ever be able to do that.

We took pictures outside on the temple grounds. I’ve always loved the simplicity of the Columbus temple. It was built when I was a toddler, and I have pictures of my parents and me at the open house, my dad carrying me because it had been a long day.

Again, I imagined you holding my hand as we exited out of the front door to the cheers of all of our loved ones.

I thought I could still make the church work after coming home. I’d be like John Gustav-Wrathall, faithfully attending church every week with you by my side, even if they disfellowshipped or excommunicated me. I don’t know if I can do that, because I ache so much for what I can’t have.

But I know this. You are worth more than the eternity that the church offers.

Love, Your Kurt

#mormon!klaine #redheadgleek writes #mormon!klaine verse #i hope you like it Wow!#klaine fanfiction #klaine #barole

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gleefulpoppet · 7 months

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I was tagged by @bitbybitwrites ♥ All the rest of the questions are under the cut!

favorite color: Turquoise/Teal/Blue/Navy somewhere in there!

last song: You Make Me Feel (Adam Lambert)

last movie: Red, White and Royal Blue (whatever day it came out!)

currently watching: I really don't watch much TV but the last show I watched was Heartstopper Season 2.

other stuff I watched this year: Heartstopper. (when I say I don't watch much TV I really was not exaggerating lol). I really want to see Barbie, but haven't yet.

shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: Erm. Once again, nada. I am either working or if I have a free moment you'll find me writing or working on art😁.

currently reading: Some poetry! Selected Poems by Neruda and The Essential Rumi (both are translated into English). I used to consume copious amounts of books, but I haven't read nearly as much since I've become obsessed with writing.

currently listening to: Adam Lambert. Always. And the Sonder playlist I've been making/working on for hours and hours to find the right songs for!

currently working on:

Sonder (A Klaine AU that I am having the best time with. It's updated several times a week.)

Chapter headers for @wowbright Mormon!Klaine verse

Unnamed Elliot/Kurt/Blaine fic that I LOVE. Not sure when I'll get it finished at this rate, though!

I have three other drafts I've started in the last two years that I'll finish at some point.

Looking forward to NaNoWriMo!

current obsession:

Writing. Writing. Writing.

Stickers (I love finding artists on Tumblr and purchasing their vinyl stickers)

Popcorn with M&Ms

Vintage Muppet Photos (I have a side blog that is getting out of control)

Tagging anyone who wants! I know a lot of you have already played along! ♥

#gleefulpoppet #get to know games

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lobstercardigan · 2 years

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Society if i had writing skills to create the worlds that live in my head rent free. My god I would be so powerful

#mormon klaine au got me fucked up ngl #as a brainwashed Christian kid I do love me some angsty internalized homophobia shit

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todaydreambelieversfic · 3 years

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Author Spotlight : Notarelationship (Slayediest) Day 4

Author : Notarelationship @slayediest

What other Glee Fandom authors do you enjoy? Can you recommend some of your favorite fics?

Okay! I read a lot but not everything - there are so many Klaine fics and I can be kinda picky about tropes, and there are a lot of things that are just not my jam (but yay! variety!).

That said! I love so many authors in this fandom, and lately I have seen a bunch of new (or at least new to me) authors and stuff pop up on my dash, and I highly recommend the things I've seen from @hippohead, @kurtstinypurse, @slipping-through-my-fingertips and @coffeeorderwrites (and I know there are some of you I’m forgetting! I think you’re all great!! Keep it up I love it!) I see these on tumblr but they may be on AO3 too? They are all writing sweet, romantic, yearning Klaine stories and I'm so happy when they pop up on my dash.

Other stuff I like a lot!!

The Symphony Verse by Shandyall - One of the first things I stumbled on when I started watching Glee, and I give a lot of credit to this amazing marathon for making me fall in love with these fellas, no matter what stories we got on screen (which I also love!)

It should go without saying, but the complete catalog of @missbeizy, and @misqueue‘s amazing fic, both writers that frequently write stuff I think I wouldn't be into, but I can and do read (and reread) anything in their very capable hands.

No, the one beside the sex shop by @slowcookedwriting - super sweet, very current take on everyone’s new favorite trope.

Small Things, and A Marvelous Work and a Wonder from @wowbright - the Mormon!Klaine universe, and a real (surprising to me!) fave. (I am an atheist who loves to read smut fics. This is none of that and it’s great. Please check it out if you haven’t!)

Anything from villiageidiot - fun and frequently funny aus!

Dancing in the Dark by @flowerfan2 - Early Klaine fumbling, and amazingly sweet.

Enemies With Benefits by @klaineanummel - Enemies/idiots, potato/potahto. Written for me for a fic exchange and I SWEAR I WILL FINISH MINE SOME DAY.

Not Like the Movies by Knightlycat - there’s a whole verse, but it starts with Famous!Kurt and Bodyguard!Blaine and it’s a total romp.

Here I Am Honey by @luckiedee - a basically perfect Dirty Dancing AU

How to Deal by @mailroomorder - idiots to lovers is my favorite trope, and man are they idiots. A terrific college AU.

All of @skivvysupreme 's one shots. You pretty much can’t go wrong.

#author spotlight #notarelationship #slayediest #thanks slayediest for doing this so I didn’t have to ;)

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evelynspasta · 3 years

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Alternate Universe (AU) Multichapter Fics

AU (MULTICHAPTER, LONG)

Catch Me If You Can Series, To Shield and To Protect, and That's How You Know (UNFINISHED) by afterthenovels.

Is It Weird? Series by a_simple_rainbow.

Syrup and Honey, Flowers In The Window, and Sing To Me Instead by heartsmadeofbooks.

The Sidhe by Chazzam.

All The Other Ghosts Series by rainjoyswriting.

100 Days by borogroves.

The Symphony Verse by shandyall.

Go Your Own Way verse by zavocado.

Mormon!Klaine verse by wowbright.

Lovesong by andiheardeverything.

The Sweet DREAMers 'Verse/Finding My Voice - A Sweet DREAMers Blog by perry_avenue.

Myosotis series by maanorchidee.

One More Night by GleefulPoppet.

Sideways by CrissColferL0ve

The Boy From Oz Trilogy + The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up Trilogy by inkystars.

AU (MULTICHAPTER, MEDIUM)

Blackbird by NotUnusual.

a lost boy 'verse by Pterodactyl.

Chasing Pavements by spaceorphan.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied by somefeministtheatrepls.

The Hating Game and Warbler’s Lonely Hearts Radio Show (WIP) by coffeeorder.

You’ve Got My Number (WIP) and Hit The Switch (WIP) by dizzywhiz.

If That’s What You Want Series and Pride & Prejudice & Superheroes by a_simple_rainbow.

It Happened On A Monday and About-Face (WIP) by quizasvivamos.

If Music Be and An Honest Man by Blurglesmurfklaine.

A Pinch Of Salt by TheNameIsBritney.

The Cuffed Verse by skivvysupreme.

Harry Potter AU by skintightsocks.

The Luckiest by wordplay.

Indiscretions by shandyall.

Undiagnosed by Esperanto.

Don't Do It by BeautifulUnseen.

In My Life I Love You More by moongirl24.

To Be Myself by wowbright.

The Round Room by misqueue.

Owl Post (UNFINISHED) by zavocado.

Love Me Like a Hufflepuff by kookaburrito.

Mendacious, Talkative series,, All the pretty things that we could be, and I’d cry a river just for you by maanorchidee.

The Dalton Prison Study by lovetheblazer.

Bibs to Boyfriends by brighterworld.

For as Long as it Always Ends with You by notyourdaydream.

Once Upon by neaf.

The Fallacy of Trust by thelegendofjenna.

Supporting Characters by portmanteaux.

un(lost) (WIP) by realmsoffreedom.

When The Night Falls On You (PDF)

Sleepless in Brooklyn by heartsmadeofbooks.

Kama Seusstra by GSJwrites.

AU (MULTICHAPTER, SHORT)

Not How It Should Have Been by dizzywhiz

'tis the damn season and Cornelia Street by Blurglesmurfklaine

Roommate Wanted by gleekto.

invisible string by hippohead.

sure like never before by redheadgleek.

Hey Mister DJ, Put a Record On by honeysucklepink.

Scam School by spaceorphan.

Father Knows Best by nadiacreek.

Kind Of A Weird One and How To Deal by mailroomorder.

Hearts In Crayon (UNFINISHED) by spinmybowtie.

Sabotage, Pursuit of Happiness, Klaine Advent 2012 and Operation Secret Santa by chasingkerouac.

Stay With Me by marauder_in_warblerland.

To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This by BeautifulUnseen.

Pivot And Slip and As The Years Go By by alilactree.

klaine advent drabble challenge 2019 by Pterodactyl.

Hot For Teacher by flowerfan.

It's about time by maanorchidee.

Hiding in Plain Sight, The President's Son, and Of Owls and Boys by nineofhearts.

Directions by notyourdaydream.

Where There Is Moonlight And Music by Lola_Mejor.

The Man of My Dreams by Anonymous.

Rumour Has It Universe by jockkurthummel (orphan_account).

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wowbright · 11 months

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Fic: Out of Eden (Klaine AU, Glee)

Fic Summary: As a gay Mormon, Kurt Hummel has decided to go the rest of his life without falling in love. But toward the end of his two years as a missionary in Germany, Elder Anderson moves into his apartment—and Kurt’s best-laid plans fall apart.

Continue on AO3

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to @gleefulpoppet for the beautiful art!!!!

There are many other people who deserves thanks for beta-ing and generally encouraging/putting up with me, including @jazzypizzaz, @redheadgleek, @snarkyhag, @klaineship2, @disbear, @coffeegleek and @perfectanomaly.

This story is based on my Mormon!Klaine tumblr posts. But it's more coherent and, dare I say, better?

#mormon!klaine #wowbright writes fic #mormon!klaine news #fic: out of eden

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klaineccfanficlibrary · 10 months

Note

Here's a bingo card full of great Klaine fics:

Debut: Days by AllyThePotato

Page Turner: Come Alive by delires

Need Tissues: Stick Season by Blurglesmurfklaine

Unusual Occupation: Witch Wanted by RockItMan

Wild Card: Running in Circles, Coming up Tails by izwordsoup

Summer: Swing, Swing by quizasvivamos

Challenge: Ebb and Flow by maanorchidee

Laugh: these inconvenient fireworks by redheadgleek

Trope I don't normally read: Out of Eden (and the whole 'verse) by wowbright

Thanks for your Bingo card! HERE is the collection (125 fics and counting!) and here is the info for the 2023 Klaine Bingo! ~Lynne

1) Days by AllyThePotato

Blaine lives in San Fransisco, Kurt lives in Lima. They've never met in person, but befriend one another and talk over the phone. They make plans to live in NYC together, but will everything go as planned?

2) Come Alive by delires

1960s NYC: Newly-wed junior advertising exec Blaine Anderson finds a missing piece to his puzzle in the back room of a Manhattan bar. Mad Men era AU.

3) Stick Season by @blurglesmurfklaine

After Finn dies, Kurt leaves everything he knows behind without a trace. His hometown, his family, his boyfriend. When his dad has a medical scare, he returns to Lima, one year after breaking Blaine’s heart with no explanation.

4) Witch Wanted by @rockitmans

Blaine is cursed to not touch anyone, Kurt is the grumpy neighborhood witch. They each have something the other other needs (the thing is love)

5) Running in Circles, Coming up Tails by izwordsoup

Kurt and Adam are married with a seven-year-old daughter, Ellie. "Happily married" is another question. Ellie takes piano lessons from none other than Blaine Anderson, who also happens to be a good friend of Kurt's since college. What happens to them when Adam goes to England to star in a West End musical, leaving Kurt and Ellie in New York? What happens when Blaine becomes a more frequently-seen figure in Kurt and Ellie's lives due to Ellie's piano schedule?

6) Swing Swing by quizasvivamos

The Skanks, Kurt and Quinn, are a thing. Blaine, a bit of a bad boy, is dating that goth girl, Tina. The four best friends are fully immersed in the Emo/Scene subculture, the kids everyone at school calls emo or just plain freaks. As close-knit as a friend group can get, the couples share a lot in common: their love of choir and band, tastes in music and art, partying, going to shows and concerts, getting wasted, and—oh, yeah—each other's partners. They swap sometimes. Because it's cool, and it's hot. Besides, it's just for fun. Then, in the summer before their senior year, they take a life-altering road trip to Cleveland for Warped Tour 2005.

7) Ebb & Flow by maanorchidee

Blaine Anderson is yet another anonymous New Yorker who's trying to get a job in the entertainment industry. His days are filled with auditions, bleak subway rides, piano lessons, and complaining about his annoying next-door-neighbour. But Blaine has a secret that he cannot share with his other friends: he dreams of playing competitive Splatoon 2. He already has a hard time justifying this music degree, so he doesn't need to add an interest in eSports to that. That's why the only person who knows about this, is yet another stranger on the internet named Kurt. The two met in an LGBT Splatoon 2 Discord and became fast friends. Little do they know that they also know each other offline.

8) These Inconvenient Fireworks by redheadgleek

After an unexpected Tony award, Kurt Hummel is Broadway's hottest up and coming star, which comes with expectations and some admirers that won't take a hint. When his best friend Elliott Gilbert suggests that they pretend to date to get the leeches to back off, Kurt takes him up on the idea. It's all working out great - until Kurt starts to fall hard for the dark-haired music director of his latest musical.

9) Out of Eden by @wowbright

As a gay Mormon, Kurt Hummel has decided to go the rest of his life without falling in love. But toward the end of his two years as a missionary in Germany, Elder Anderson moves into his apartment—and Kurt's best-laid plans fall apart.

#2023 Klaine Bingo #Klaine fanfic #klaine fanfiction #glee fanfiction

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klaineccfanficlibrary · 8 months

Note

Part 1 because of character limits. Some of these have the same author because I tend to find a fic that looks interesting & then read everything the author has written. Page-turning Fanfic - Wowbright's A Marvelous Work and a Wonder Mormon Klaine verse. While Out of Eden isn't completed on AO3 there are other fics within the verse that are.

Part Two Fanfic that made you reach for a box of tissues. Empty Nest - Revised by coffeegleek. Fanfic where one has an unusual occupation. Perfectly Imperfect by GleefulDarrenCriss. FanWild Card - Reaching Out to Touch A Stranger by honeysucklepink. Fanfic set during the summer. A Very Hallmark Christmas by coffeegleek (The story takes place during the summer because that’s when winter movies are typically filmed.)

Part Three Fanfic is written for a challenge. Anyway, Here's Wonderwall by honeysucklepink. Fanfic that made you laugh out loud. Everybody’s Naked & There’s a Country To Run by coffeegleek

Part Four (Final part) Fanfic that you enjoyed using a genre/trope that you don’t normally read. I don’t normally read daddies!klaine nor older!klaine fics. This author writes a lot of both. They’re really good and not much known in fandom, so I’d like to give them some love. This is one of their fics. A Family Party: Christmas at the Hummel-Andersons by notenoughtogivebread

Answer

Thanks for your card!! # Jen See them on Klaine Bingo 2023 on A03. and library.

2. Page turning fics: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by @wowbright Part Six - Out of Eden

(It's not necessary to have read the previous works in this series to follow this one, or to read the works in order. I try to make most things understandable from context. You can start this and, if you like it, hop back to the earlier stories as you wait for new chapters to post.)

~~~~~

3. Fanfic that made you reach for a box of tissues.

Empty Nest - Revised by @coffeegleek.

Burt Hummel was an empty nester who discovered a teenager sleeping under his porch. Kurt was just trying to survive in a world that was against everything he was. This is their story.

~~~~~

4. Fanfic where one has an unusual occupation.

Perfectly Imperfect by GleefulDarrenCriss. Already chosen for this category!

~~~~~

5. FanWild Card - Reaching Out to Touch A Stranger by @honeysucklepink

There have always been soulmates in the universe. Only recently have we discovered that for two soulmates to connect, a third person with "The Gift" helps to make the connection. We call them "conduits," and Mercedes Jones is one.

~~~~~

6. Fanfic set during the summer.

A Very Hallmark Christmas by @coffeegleek

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

~~~~~

7. Fanfic is written for a challenge.

Anyway, Here's Wonderwall by @honeysucklepink.

Inspired by the story of the Oasis cover band and pub goers who got stranded at a pub in a snow storm.

Adam Crawford is the proprietor of a tavern and music venue in the English countryside. Just before Christmas, he hosts a Battle of the Bands, unaware of a forecasted winter storm. A blizzard traps the patrons, the final bands standing, One Three Hill and The Warblers, and their bickering leaders, Kurt and Blaine. The two have been rivals since their NYADA days, but their friends and bandmates can smell the unresolved sexual tension a mile away. If circumstances had been different, so too would their relationship. So their friends decide to give fate a little nudge...

Each chapter uses a word based on the Klaine Advent 2021 prompts

~~~~~

8. Fanfic that made you laugh out loud.

Everybody’s Naked & There’s a Country To Run by @coffeegleek

A take on the "prince/king!Blaine and prince/king!Kurt are getting married and have to do it while naked in front of their loyal subjects" trope. It’s pure crack taken seriously. I’m blaming the heat. The fic started as this wisp of an idea and a single funny Kurt line. It was supposed to all be fast paced and instead sometimes dissolves into a bit of world building, exposition, and Kurt feelings. I do try my best and hope that at least some of the jokes and humor land. It also developed a full blown plot that has a beginning and an end.

~~~~~

9. Fanfic that you enjoyed using a genre/trope that you don’t normally read

A Family Party: Christmas at the Hummel-Andersons by @notenoughtogivebread

Daddies!klaine This is a real nostalgia piece for me. I wanted to get them all together another 10 years out from the finale.

#klaine fanfiction #fic finder #klaine fanfic #Klaine2023 bingo

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wowbright · 2 years

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Fic: Forever’s Not Enough Time

Klaine/CC Valentine's Challenge: Day 10 prompt song, Anyone by Justin Bieber.

Words: ~2750 words

Rating: Teen and Up

Summary: A dinner with the sister missionaries leads to a flirtatious duet.

A vignette in my Mormon!Klaine universe. This one takes place after Clues I Didn’t See and before Losing My Sleep.

My Mormon!Klaine Masterpost.

Notes: (1) The photo is from the sealing room of the LDS Temple in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I mention the reflections in the double mirrors in the story and wanted to provide a visual. (2) This one was hard, because I apparently neither think nor talk like Justin Bieber. But I worked in little bits of the lyrics here and there. Have fun hunting, if that's your thing. (3) Here’s the video for The Circle of Our Love, which appears toward the end of the story. (4) As always, I welcome questions, typo identification, feedback on German spelling/grammar, and encouragement!

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“Do you think that orange cola counts as one cola or half a cola?” asked Schwester Rose halfway through dinner, staring longingly at the dregs of soda at the bottom of her glass.

“Half. It’s literally fifty percent orange soda and fifty percent cola, isn't it?” Blaine said, always attentive to Schwester Rose’s concerns. He looked especially dapper today in his brown tweed suit and the new matching necktie and pocket handkerchief set he had picked up on a recent visit to their favorite consignment store in the Altstadt. His hair was meticulously styled, but with a little less gel than he usually employed, so that it retained just enough volume and bounce to tantalize Kurt and make him want to dig his fingers into it.

Kurt, however, knew that the special attention Blaine had given to his hair had been for Schwester Rose’s sake, and not his. It was their last dinner together before her transfer away from Ingolstadt. Usually, the transfer would have taken place at the conference, but a travel delay meant that her replacement wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.

Kurt liked Schwester Rose. She was pleasant and energetic and a good counterbalance to Schwester Wilde. But he didn't think he would miss her. It was against mission rules to keep in touch with an active missionary after they’d left your area, and if you missed every missionary that you had to part ways with, you would spend your whole mission moping around.

Blaine, on the other hand, was going to miss Schwester Rose. Kurt wasn’t oblivious. He’d noticed the way Blaine always laughed at Schwester Rose’s jokes, and how bubbly they both got whenever they talked about cats or Disney movies or memory verses, and how perfect they were for each other with their shared, irrepressible positivity. Kurt was fairly certain Blaine’s crush wasn’t overly serious—not the kind of thing you had to bring up with the mission president—but given time and attention, it could blossom into something much more. Kurt wouldn't be surprised if Blaine and Schwester Rose got back in touch after their missions were over and he ended up getting a wedding invitation soon after. Hopefully, Kurt would be over his companion by then, and his heart wouldn't break too severely when it came time to sit in the sealing room and watch as they kneeled at the altar, their reflections in the double mirrors stretching out into eternity.

“My mother worked in restaurants for many years,” said Schwester Wilde, “and she says when they were out of Spezi, they would mix it on their own with two-thirds cola and a third orange soda. So I’d say it counts as two-thirds of a cola.” She paused and looked at her own drink, still half full. “You could order another one and we could split it in half, then we wouldn't go over one each.”

Kurt loved being a missionary. He really did. But when he got home, he would not miss the nitpicky rules, nor the nitpicky discussions that ensued from them. It was time to put his zone leader hat on. “A caffeinated soft drink is a caffeinated soft drink, people. I know none of us were expecting the new rules, but now that they're in place, you have two choices if you want to drink more than one orange cola a day: split hairs ad infinitum in order to try to justify yourself according to the letter of the law, or admit to yourselves that you don't think the new mission rule is inspired.”

All three of his fellow missionaries turned to look at him, their eyes wide.

“That’s strong language,” Schwester Wilde said.

“It’s intentional,” Kurt replied.

Schwester Rose's expression turned contrite. “I wasn’t … I wasn’t trying to be disobedient,” she said, her voice wobbling slightly. “I was trying to figure out how to be obedient.”

Kurt hadn't meant to make Schwester Rose feel bad. Especially not in front of Blaine. Ugh. His companion would think he was a total jerk now. Kurt gentled his voice. “Schwester Rose, I wasn't trying to be harsh or critical of you. The truth is, I don't care how many colas you drink each day. But you know what the memorandum said. It said ‘no more than one regular cola or other caffeinated beverage per day.’ Now, if you have prayed about this and don't feel that Heavenly Father wants you to follow the new rule, or wants you to taper down to the new limits, that's between you and him. I won’t interfere. But if you have that witness, I want you to rely on that witness—not on rationalization. One of the most important skills you can learn on your mission is to trust the guidance you receive from the Holy Ghost.”

Kurt caught Blaine beaming at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh, it’s not the Holy Ghost,” muttered Schwester Rose dejectedly. “I just really like orange cola.”

“Here,” said Schwester Wilde, “As my special going away present to you, I will create a custom-made decaf orange cola for you.” She slid out of the booth and went over to the counter, and came back with two bottles of decaf cola and one of orange soda. “This round’s on me.”

The missionaries drank up what was left in their glasses and let Schwester Wilde be their soda jerk. The stuff wasn't bad—not quite the same as a Spezi or Mezzo Mix, but still tasty. And Schwester Rose was back to her usual effervescent self, chatting brightly and making Blaine smile and laugh. And maybe that last part hurt a little, but the pain of it was outweighed by the warmth in Kurt’s heart from seeing his companion happy.

Kurt would totally be able to let Blaine go when the time came.

“What was up with the timing of that memorandum, though?” Schwester Wilde asked. “Why didn't President Steele announce it at conference? Especially considering how detailed it is. Plus, he could have cleared up any questions about orange cola.”

The memo had been detailed. It read:

No caffeine pills.

No medications containing caffeine except by prescription from a licensed medical professional.

No energy drinks, shots, or powders.

No coffee or tea in any form (e.g., no chocolate-covered espresso beans or other coffee- or tea-containing candies, desserts, ice creams, supplements, etc.)

No regular cola or caffeinated beverages stored or consumed in the home.

No more than one regular cola or other caffeinated beverage per day outside the home, not to exceed 500 milliliters.

Soft drinks, regardless of caffeine content, should only be consumed with meals. Missionaries may accept soft drinks outside of meals only where politeness dictates, for example, offered when visiting a home and water is not available as an alternative.

“I can only assume that he didn't receive his prompting until after the conference was over,” Kurt said, stirring his drink with his straw. He so wanted to share the bit of gossip he’d gotten from Elder Saint James, but he must not give in to the inclinations of the natural man. As zone leader, he was supposed to set a good example for the other missionaries. And as smoldering as that little tidbit was, like a hot coal bouncing on his hands that would be such a relief to toss out into the open, he needed to be valiant and endure its heat.

“Yeah, but why didn't he receive his prompting before conference?” continued Schwester Wilde. “Don’t you find that a little ... Suspicious?”

“Schwester Wilde, you are not being subtle,” said Schwester Rose. “You are clearly hinting at something.”

Schwester Wilde took a neat sip of her drink, her lips two thin lines on either side of the straw. “I think something happened at conference. And I think we all witnessed it.”

This entire time, Kurt’s foot had been bouncing beneath the table without him even being cognizant of it. He lunged forward excitedly and lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “I heard Elder Clarington has been popping caffeine pills.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” said Schwester Rose, smacking herself on the cheek. “I was worried he was having a nervous breakdown. Or on cocaine!”

“Shhh!” hissed Kurt and Schwester Wilde simultaneously. You couldn't have missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shouting about cocaine in a public establishment.

“But then why did he got promoted to assistant to the president?” whispered Schwester Wilde.

Blaine, who had been silent throughout this part of the conversation, piped in. “I think sometimes people get chosen for a calling because they’re prepared for it. But sometimes people get chosen so that the calling can prepare them.”

The sisters furrowed their eyebrows at him.

“You know, for higher worthiness,” Blaine said. “Didn't you two have people in your young women’s groups who were sort of on their way out of the church, and they got appointed to leadership positions to help keep them in?”

“No,” Schwester Wilde said. “Because that's stupid. Why would you put someone incompetent or uncommitted in a position of authority?”

“I'm not saying I would,” Blaine said. “But the Holy Ghost might? I mean, if you have that kind of leadership position, you have to constantly check in with the person above you. Elder Clarington will now be working directly with President Steele on a daily basis, and President Steele can keep an eye on him and support him in his struggles.”

“I suppose the Lord works in mysterious ways,” Schwester Rose said.

“I guess,” said Schwester Wilde. “But I heard, back in Utah where he comes from, if you've been assistant to the president, you can get hired for pretty much any job. It doesn't seem fair that Elder Clarington is padding his resume when this is really a demotion, not a promotion.”

“No, it doesn’t seem fair,” Kurt agreed. “But we all came here to serve, right? Not to become assistant to the president. Besides, it’s not like he’s working alone. His new companion will share the responsibilities, and I think Elder Saint James will do a good job. He’s more … relaxed then Elder Clarington.”

The conversation moved to lighter things, like favorite Disney princesses and musical numbers. Soon, it was time to walk the sisters to their bus stop and go their separate ways to evening appointments.

“You know what I want as my parting gift?” Schwester Rose said, doing a little hop of excitement as they left the restaurant.

“More decaf orange cola?” Kurt said.

“No.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Remember that movie we watched on Easter? Saturday’s Warrior? It was so cute! And the songs have been going through my head over and over, but I've only heard them once, so I don't know if I have them right. But you and Elder Anderson seemed to have every single one of them memorized when we watched it. And I love both your voices so much. Sing one of the songs for me! Pretty please!” She tugged on Schwester Wilde’s sleeve, like a little girl begging for candy, even though it was surely Blaine’s sleeve she wanted to tug on. But it was against the rules for sisters and elders to touch each other outside of handshakes. Sometimes a companion had to suit as a body double.

“What do you want us to sing?” asked Kurt. “The missionary duet?”

“No, that song is stupid. One of the pretty ones. Like the one where he's painting in the park, or the one where he’s in the premortal existence with his girlfriend …”

“You mean, I've seen that smile somewhere before?” Blaine sang the lyrics, his eyes meeting Kurt’s in both invitation and challenge.

Kurt was never one to back down from a duet. “I've heard your voice before …”

This song. Kurt had loved it so much when he was a kid. Even though he didn't believe in fate, it was romantic to think that soulmates existed, that the person you belonged with in this life was someone you had been with in the premortal existence. When he was just a little boy, he would daydream about singing it with an older boy he’d met at the Hill Cumorah Pageant, about to go on his mission. Spencer had been so handsome and sweet and kind, asking Kurt to show him how to sew on a button and letting him tag along beside him wherever he went, and he’d had the friendliest eyes.

But eventually, Kurt had figured out he wasn't supposed to feel that way about other boys. The song had taken on a bittersweet edge. When Kurt sang it, he could no longer think of himself as one of the dueting lovers.

The circle of our love is more than just a rising sun that sets;

the circle of our love, it goes forever.

But the way Blaine was singing with him now—his expression sincere and warm, and his voice full of emotion—Kurt felt like maybe he was allowed to inhabit this song. That maybe soulmates and eternal love could be real, even for him.

Maybe it was true. Not in the way Kurt wanted it to be true, but true nonetheless. Blaine loved him deeply, and even if that love would never have the physical expression Kurt longed for, it was intense and real. Maybe it was eternal, too. Maybe, even without a sealing in the temple, friends could be reunited in the afterlife.

The circle of our love extends beyond the reach of time,

Beyond the span of days and years, it goes forever.

Why did the celestial kingdom have to be limited to heterosexual couples and their progeny? Earthly life provided such a rich network of relationships; it didn't make sense that we would lose them in heaven. Maybe heaven was more like earth than Kurt had previously imagined. Maybe there was a place for friendship there. Maybe friends, too, could be together and dream together and create worlds together.

The circle of our love is found in every warm and tender thing

that lips may breathe or hearts may beat, forever.

I love you. That's what Blaine was really singing. I love you. I love you. I love you.

He’d been hedging on it before. He knew he loved Kurt, but he wasn’t sure how much.

Now, he knew.

Kurt was meant to be the only one Blaine would ever love, in this life and the next. And even then, forever wouldn’t be enough time to show Kurt the extent of his feelings.

As Blaine sang the words to Kurt and heard them echoed back, he felt the rightness of them. That this exact moment, hearing Kurt sing about love and eternity, was the moment he had waited for all his life. The moment when he would find his eternal companion.

This wasn't a crush. This wasn't temporal love that ended in either betrayal or death. It could be infinite, if Blaine didn't shy away from it.

The circle of our love begins with now—

Now. Now. Eternity begins with now. It hit Blaine like a bag of bricks: I've got to tell him.

Blaine's love for Kurt was the greatest gift God had ever offered him. It opened the door to paradise. But if Blaine didn't do anything about this gift, if he kept quiet and wallowed in the fear of Kurt rejecting him, the door would close.

The prospect of confessing his feelings was terrifying. Kurt might say that he loved the church more than he loved Blaine, that forever wasn't possible between two men, that the physical intimacy Blaine longed for was sinful and depraved.

But it didn't matter. Blaine needed Kurt to know he was the only one Blaine wanted to ever love. He had to give Kurt the choice to accept that love or reject it.

Because that's what you did when you loved somebody, wasn't it? You let them make their own choices. God had modeled such love in the plan of salvation: giving people free agency so they could decide between good and evil, so they could choose to love him or to turn away from him.

If Blaine did nothing, he would be throwing away God’s gift of eternal love before even trying to unwrap it.

The circle of our love begins with now and every promised dream;

In God's eternal plan, it goes forever.

So he had to do something.

It was just a matter of what and when.

#mormon!klaine #klaineccvalentines2022 #wowbright writes fic #klaine fanfiction #klaine fic #my klaineccvalentines2022 #saturday's warrior #Strike through added February 25 2023 #I moved the duet to a different part of the story #It's now in a vignette called Recognition

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todaydreambelieversfic · 3 years

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Author Spotlight: Wowbright Day 3

Author: @wowbright

How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

For episode reaction fics, I tend to do very little revising beyond arranging all the parts I've written in order, smoothing out the transitions, and checking spelling and grammar. Longer fics undergo substantial revisions. I don't count how many times because my writing process is circular, but 5 to 7 revisions is probably not an underestimate.

If you were to revise one of your older fics from start to finish, which would it be and why?

The Glory of the Stars (https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833819/chapters/20253937), which is part 2 of my Mormon!Klaine ‘verse. I would base more of the people Kurt and Blaine meet on canon characters, instead of creating so many original characters, and I probably would spread those encounters out over a few days instead of just one. And I would change the kitchen/living room layout, because the one I set up there is not easy to work with, so I’ve ended up ignoring it in my current Mormon!Klaine writings.

What do you look for in a beta?

Someone who will discuss characters and ideas with me. Someone who is good at catching little errors -- I make more than the average amount since I rely on dictation software. Someone who will tell me how reading a certain thing makes them feel. These traits do not all have to be in one person.

If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

I actually started writing a companion fic (with permission) to Husbandly Duties by anxioussquirrel years ago. There was a sentence in there that got me thinking about the world they lived in and set off a spate of elaborate world-building in my head, and I started writing a parallel story with some of the minor characters.

I got a good start on it before I realized, “Who in heck is going to want to read this?” Husbandly Duties is an upbeat Klaine fic, and the thing I was writing was dystopian, filled with alternate religious history (Judaism and Hellenism), dealt with rape and child sexual abuse, has recuperating from trauma as the main theme, and has David Karofsky and Jeremiah-from-the-Gap as the main pairing. I mean, I’d read it, but who else would?

So it’s partly on my computer, and partly in my head, and it will probably stay that way.

Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

Both. My episode reaction fics are almost always canon compliant. Even some of my AUs, like Fidelity and Jonathan Unruh, I wrote so that most of the story could have theoretically happened behind the scenes in canon and never mentioned for some weird reason. But obviously when I set a story in the 1980s or on a Mormon mission, things get non-canony quickly. I still try to base the characterization and some of the events on canon, though.

Talk about a review that made your day.

A few months ago, @slayediest said some random nice thing about Mormon!Klaine even though I hadn't posted anything from it in four years. It hit me at the right time and got me posting again.

That is a dramatic example, but many, many reviews have made my day. In fact, I have often responded to comments, “This comment made my day!” And it has been true every time.

Sometimes I don’t respond to comments. This can happen because I’ve overwhelmed by life, trying to focus on writing the next thing before some self-imposed deadline, or lost my login. But I read every comment, and I treasure them. Getting a kind comment is an emotional boost like no other.

Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Rarely. I usually ignore them—which is easier said than done.

If it's just negative or slightly inconsiderate but not rude, I thank them for giving it a shot and, if it's a multichapter, recommend that they not keep reading it because the story is not going to go the way they want it to.

An aside: Sometimes readers get stuck on something that is unrelated to my story telling. The comments aren’t rude, but they confuse me. One of my stories involves Blaine going to a 12-step program (https://archiveofourown.org/works/910055), and a reader who didn’t like the concept of 12-step programs kept commenting about that. Or someone reads a polyamory story and comments that they can’t get behind polyamory. I don't really understand why people leave these types of comments. Are they trying to convince me not to write about those things? Or maybe they’re intrigued by the story and are just trying to start a conversation about the thing that caught their attention most? If anyone has thoughts on this, send me an ask! I want to know.

What advice do you have to people just starting to write?

Write often. When you write a lot, you write faster and more easily. You become less attached to your words, and at the same time better at putting them together.

Write your first draft without editing it much. Try not to struggle over every word, because in the next draft, you might end up deleting that whole part anyway. And when it comes time to delete stuff? It's not a failure. Deleting judiciously is part of the creative process. Think of it like making a sculpture. The first draft is your slab of marble, and your subsequent drafts are the carving.

Which fic do you most like to discuss with other people? Why?

Mormon!Klaine. Because it’s the one I’m working on now, and I like bouncing around ideas with people and hearing from readers about what works for them or what questions they have.

But I love to discuss fics in general.

What's one aspect of writing fic that gets you really excited?

Connecting with other fans.

***

Check out Wowbright’s Fics

Il Maestro: Tina's obsession with Blaine is weird. Artie intervenes for the sake of the New Directions. Things get worse.

Song of Hope: On their honeymoon, Blaine tells Kurt he applied to NYU. Happy reaction fic to Glee 6x11 “We Built This Glee Club.”

Everything’s Connected, If Only You Can Feel It: Blaine takes up a new hobby in hopes of becoming closer to Kurt, despite the distance between Lima and New York. Stoner Brett turns out to be a surprisingly erudite, if flawed, mentor. Blangst with moments of humor.

#author spotlight: wowbright

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