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slipping-through-my-fingertips · 3 years

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Music for the Soul

Summary: Soulmate AU where the song your soulmate is thinking of gets stuck in your head.

This fic is inspired by and gifted to @yellowpaintpots.

Notes: canonical, this is S2 E6 and a little beyond but it’s not exactly like the show obviously.

AO3

Kurt Hummel was used to not fitting in. At McKinley High, he was often an odd man out. He did partner projects alone, he held his tongue around bullies and had no one to complain to, and most days, he had an entire lunch table to himself. No one sat with the kid in weird, homemade clothes unless there was no other choice.

What kept him going was music. He had one earbud in as he walked down the halls. Choosing from playlists his mother used to listen to, Broadway soundtracks sung by people still performing on stage today, and to the thrill of his father, rock classics. If Burt Hummel had passed anything onto his son, it was his music tastes and the fantastical idea of soulmates.

The image of a white knight coming to save him by serenade was one that haunted him before he fell asleep. A boy, which little eleven-year-old Kurt held close to his heart, picked out by the universe meant just for him. Even when he started to find the fantasy a little too cheesy, it kept Kurt going until he found the glee club.

No one could touch him or change him because there was someone out there who would love him exactly the way he was.

The New Directions were a hot mess when they started, of course. The 5 of them weren’t winning any competitions when they first found themselves in the choir room but they were five misfits who finally had friends. People who understood the passion of music and an adult who shared that same passion and would hopefully guide them to their dream futures.

Just months later, they became a mixture of a dozen sophomores and freshmen with a Sectionals win under their belt all ready to face the Dalton Academy Warblers in a few weeks. With Regionals looming over them, glee had become much messier than usual. With plenty of in-fighting about solos and song choices, the choir room was always a jumbled, loud mess. That is until Mr. Schue came up with the idea for a school musical. It was taking their minds off of Regionals for the time being.

Kurt was all too happy to be auditioning for a role instead of sitting in the back row wishing he had a shot at a solo. His voice was too unique for Ohio. But someday, he knew, it would get him to Broadway. He held that thought close to his heart while tuning out Rachel’s insistence bickering.

Yesterday, Mr. Schue had decided their school musical was going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Kurt loved cult classics as much as the next person but he wasn’t sure how Mr. Schue had gotten this approved by Figgins. It seemed too risqué for high schoolers.

He only hoped whoever his soulmate was enjoying the soundtrack he had stuck in his head this week.

Kurt planned on auditioning for Riff Raff. Already putting mental outfits from his closet to wear. The wound of Mr. Schue assuming he’d play Frank N. Furter based solely on the fact that he was gay was still fresh but his audition was going to blow everyone away.

He had chosen “Dammit Janet” for his audition despite it being a Brad and Janet duet. Quinn, who was hoping for Magenta, was going to be his partner. They had joked about the main roles already being off the table before auditions; it was clear Mr. Schue had chosen Finn and Rachel for the leads. It was hard to be upset when Quinn had instantly offered to do a joint audition with him. Their voices went so well together and Kurt liked spending time with her.

Ever since Kurt and Mercedes had their stint as Cheerios, they had gotten closer. The three of them even had a weekend sleepover this past Saturday. Mercedes had dumped the Cheerios but Kurt stayed on and Quinn had just gotten back on the squad after her dismissal last year. Coach Sue had them sing during practice last week and Quinn was waiting for him after their showers with the suggestion of a double audition song.

They had been having rehearsals in the auditorium during their shared free period and twice after glee club on days when it wasn’t already reserved. As the day came closer, Quinn offered her house to practice in since her parents were rarely home and so Finn wouldn’t become Rachel's spy. Though, Kurt assured her Finn was much too engrossed in video games to bother with their rehearsals.

Since they increased their run-throughs, Kurt’s had one song in his head all morning. In case the lyrics weren’t already ingrained into his head, he had his own little concert in his head. Just after lunch, that changed. A mere 3 hours until his audition after school his soulmate’s music had taken root. As much as Kurt was willing to bow down to the queens of pop, what he wouldn’t give for 5 minutes of something other than Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”. This bubble gum pop song had gone from ‘oh, that’s a good song to scream in the car’ to ‘if I hear it one more time, I’ll rip my ears off’ fairly quickly.

It hadn’t helped that his brain went from one song on repeat to another.

As he sits in geometry, he tries to hear Mr. Finnegan’s explanation of arcs but his brain has other plans.

Let you put your hands on me in my skin tight jeans.

Kurt knows it’s just a song but the image is so clear in his head.

Smooth, soft skin. Obviously, someone who used lotions regularly, Kurt expected nothing less from his soulmate. Neatly trimmed fingernails so they wouldn’t catch on Kurt’s pants when fingers trailed up to cup his knee. The grip would be teasingly light. He never let his fantasies get too far. Especially outside the privacy of his bedroom. In all honesty, even when he was alone in his bed at night envisioning the same kind of scenario, Kurt didn’t really know what came next. He wasn’t even sure what kissing really entailed.

What if his soulmate is ready for...certain things...Kurt’s not even to verbalize yet. What if he’s imagining their first meeting very differently then Kurt, who’s hopeful they’ll have coffee or a meal together before they do anything besides maybe hand-holding. The touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets, unless you ask Katy Perry it seems.

He spends the rest of math wondering what the boy with Katy Perry in his head must look like. Kurt wonders if his soulmate wears bright colors like his idol or maybe Katy is a secret shame that he’ll only share with Kurt.

…

Blaine liked fitting in. He enjoyed the uniform for many reasons. One, he thought the blazer looked stylish. It was also nice knowing what you had to wear every day, one less thing to worry about people judging you for. Plenty of people at his old school picked on him for his bow ties but at Dalton, everyone had neckwear. The standard blue and red striped tie. He liked how neat it was; there was a certain way to wear said uniform.

Everyone was the same here. No typical hierarchy of jocks and cheerleaders. Only the Warblers stood out simply because everyone knew them.

How could you forget a group of boys singing acapella at all hours of the day?

Blaine might joke that they’re teenage rockstars but really they are just a group of talented guys who liked to sing.

The Warblers were the first real friends he ever had.

When he was still attending public school he held tightly to the idea of his soulmate since it seemed hopeless to wish for friendship. Not when he was being harassed for a sexuality he wasn’t sure of yet and being pushed to the ground in the parking lot for it.

But a soulmate was a guarantee. Everyone had one. By the time Blaine reached eighth grade, he knew. All of those middle school bullies had used words Blaine didn’t quite understand until that moment.

He was surrounded in the parking lot after school having missed his bus because someone had stuck gum in his curls during last period. That was the day Blaine started to seriously consider investing in some gel. Maybe that would prevent some bullying. Anyway, he was surrounded, being literally kicked around by a group of soccer players and friends.

Other students had gathered to watch the so-called fight but Blaine thought their chants would only grab the attention of a teacher or so he hoped. No one came quickly. He had enough injuries by the end for his mom to insist on a trip to the ER. A big black eye and sprained his wrist along with plenty of bruising on his limbs.

But he honestly didn’t remember getting hurt beyond the initial pushing to the ground. When the bullying got bad like this he pulled out those daydreams. This time around it wasn’t this blurry image of hand holding, there was a boy. Blaine hadn’t seen his face but his voice was soft and comforting, inviting Blaine in. There was an outstretched hand just out of reach for Blaine to take. Blaine knew then. His soulmate was a boy.

When everything was over and he was being released by the doctor, all he knew was there was some boy built perfectly for Blaine just waiting to be found. Waiting for him.

He hadn’t even been upset by his injuries because he was sitting with these thoughts of ‘how do I come out to my parents?’

Instead of deciding that day, he kept those daydreams close to his heart for the next year and a half. Until the issue of high school came out and Blaine didn’t want to go back to public school. To his surprise, both of his parents took it well. They were more concerned for his safety than his sexuality. Together, they decided on Dalton. A private school with a zero tolerance policy for bullies. That was that.

He still had his doubts at Dalton. Was he really good enough to be a lead soloist let alone go onto Broadway someday? Could he make it out of Ohio? In those moments, Blaine still came back to his soulmate. Someone, no matter what came, Blaine would have by his side.

When he imagined his soulmate, Blaine could never truly figure out what he’d look like. All he saw was that outstretched hand. Usually, people could draw up a picture in their heads based on the music they heard.

For Blaine, the genre of music didn’t help. His soulmate was clearly someone with mixed taste.

Today’s selection was...a musical. Blaine wasn’t familiar with the characters Brad and Janet but he had looked it up at lunch. Some kind of cult classic people went to see in the weeks leading up to Halloween. It was October so it made sense for the soundtrack to be stuck in his soulmate’s head. Blaine wondered if he had gone to see it, wondered who he saw it with.

The Warblers thought he was crazy. Imagining that his soulmate was off with some other person. It was rare to date seriously before meeting a soulmate but Blaine always told them the same story of his parents. Both of them had been in very serious relationships before they met. Hell, his mother had been engaged. Neither of them thought they’d meet their soulmate, which was also fairly rare but had happened.

When they met, they didn’t drop everything to be together. The wedding was put on hold but his father hadn’t broken up with his girlfriend right away. His parents wanted to be together only if they agreed with the universe’s choice.

Blaine knew his dad had been wary of his mother’s music taste. Pam had been deep into her metal phrase in her early twenties. His dad, Robert, was not a fan. He loved classical music. Forever dooming Pam to hum music without lyrics meanwhile Robert was cursed with “nonsense yelling” as he called it. Lucky, both of their music tastes had shifted over the years to have more overlap. Though, Blaine and Cooper had been subjected to dinners with a mixtape of Def Leppard and Bach.

They got together in the end, which was the important part, but what if they hadn’t chosen each other? What if Blaine’s soulmate was deeply in love with someone else and he’d spend the rest of his days loveless and alone?

When he voiced these thoughts aloud, his friends usually told him what a downer he could be, which tended to shake those fears away. If his parents, different as they were, still fell in love it would happen to him too. It was just a matter of when.

…

The next day at lunch, Mercedes was fretting over her soulmate.

“What if he’s super young, Kurt?”

“What makes you think that?” He asked, stabbing his salad.

“He’s got The Backyardigans theme song in his head again,” she sighed. “He got to be like 7. I’m just not comfortable with that.”

“It’s an age gap for sure,” Kurt agreed, but he’s fairly sure Sam Evans was singing that song after PE today, “or maybe he just has younger siblings. Don’t let your only-childness cloud your judgment.”

She hummed in agreement and pushed her tater tots around.

It was sort of a hard way to figure out your soulmate unless they were obvious about what music they had playing in their heads.

Some people, like Mr. Schue, we’re pretty obvious. He had been singing in the auditorium when Ms. Pillsbury found him. It was a pretty clear-cut match. As far as Mercedes was concerned, Kurt is sure she’ll overhear Sam’s humming soon enough.

He doesn’t want to spoil anything for his best friend nor does he want to be wrong. Soulmate meetings only come once in a lifetime.

Well, the first soulmate meeting that is.

There are plenty of people, like his dad, who lose a soulmate too soon and are gifted another one later in life. Kurt was so happy when he introduced Burt and Carole at parent-teacher conferences. They had just been listening to the Wicked soundtrack in the car ride over and Carole Hudson did not strike Kurt as the type of person who knew “I’m Not That Girl” by heart.

“Are you nervous about auditions?” Mercedes asked. “The list goes up today after glee.”

“Not at all like,” he shrugged, “I think Quinn and I did well.”

“Oh no, Kurt, we crushed it,” Quinn said, sitting down with her lunch.

He smiled at her. Quinn went on to compliment Mercedes on her audition, having heard part of it from outside the audition. She would’ve been inside with Kurt to watch but Coach Sue wanted to meet with her head Cheerio about their upcoming competition. From what Quinn had told them via text, Sue was going all out at practice today.

“She doesn’t want us to be late,” Quinn said. “That list better be up right away.”

“We should change before glee,” Kurt suggested.

“Good idea.”

Once Quinn had sat down the rest of the New Directions filed in. With interlocking pinkies, Santana and Brittany wandered over taking the last two seats available.

“Cheerios practice is gonna be hell, hope you’re up for the challenge Hummel,” Santana said.

He shot her a short glare.

“Kurt always understands the assignment, Santana,” Quinn quipped back.

Brittany nodded in agreement smiling at Kurt from across the table. She gave him a small wave half hidden by her lunch tray. In return, Kurt waved back just as shyly.

They had an interesting friendship. Kurt had kissed Brittany before. He was sure it hadn’t phrased Brittany as it had him. After all, she had kissed almost every boy in school. Some kind of record, he thought.

They sort of dated for like a week when Kurt was trying to convince himself he was straight. When he firmly realized he was kidding no one, not even himself, they broke up. Since then, he and Brittany had remained close. They were both Cheerios and in the glee club, it made sense.

He was happy to have Brittany in his life, even if that meant Santana by extension came with her. Santana was fine outside of the public eye. If the Unholy Trinity incited Kurt to their sleepovers, Santana was a different person. She put up a front at McKinley, extremely similar to the one Kurt attempted when he dated Brittany.

Few are privy to why she did this, Quinn and Kurt knew and he was fairly certain Mercedes did as well. She was very perceptive that way. Brittany was Santana’s soulmate. It explained so much about their relationship. Always in sync, completing each other perfectly, a literal better half.

Honestly, it gave Kurt so much hope that everyone’s soulmate was like that. A missing puzzle piece.

He really hoped his soulmate listened to more than just Teenage Dream because the lyrics were slowly creeping into his everyday language.

Usually, Kurt found himself hyper-focused in glee club. He got an energy boost just from walking into the choir room. Like a light switch turning on. His focus wasn’t always on whatever lecture Mr. Schue was pursuing, sometimes he watched his fellow glee clubbers (catching himself up on drama just by sideways glances), or mentally mapping out his next performance.

Today, Kurt wasn’t able to do any of those things. With the soundtrack of Teenage Dream (again) in his head, all he was thinking about was the center of a bulletin board with the cast list for The Rocky Horror Show on it. How far down the list was Riff Raff? How many names came before his?

Someone was snapping in front of his face. Kurt shook himself from his daydream to find Mercedes.

“Boy, wake up!” She said, “cast list is about to go up.”

Either glee club had gotten shorter or Mr. Schue was putting it up early.

…

Blaine didn’t really understand why the Warblers were concerned. Doing an improv performance was not new to them. In fact, Blaine had done three already this school year and he was only a freshman.

The first one he did had been way back in September, he hadn’t even been an official Warbler yet. Warbler Tradition said: all potential freshman recruits were required to perform again after their auditions with the whole group. It was a solid way to see if they fit in well with the other established Warblers. Blaine fondly remembers vibing along with the older Warblers and fellow potentials to a medley of Pink songs. None of the freshmen had solos but it was still a fun time.

At the time it seemed like all of Dalton fit into the choir room and surrounding hallways but in reality it was the entire freshman class. Improv performances weren’t something any middle schooler had seen before but the upperclassmen of Dalton knew the Warblers had plenty of improvs to come for the rest of the school year. The first one was special. Just for the newbies.

Three days after that performance, Blaine had gotten word that he was to be a new Warbler and two months after that he was granted his first solo. Now, he was slowly becoming their go-to soloist for almost every performance for an audience. Blaine had become a vital part of all rehearsals for the most part. He was honored by their commitment to him honestly and he loved to sing however, a week and half of preparations was a tad excessive. Still, he walked his way to rehearsal positive that the council would have at least five points to discuss before they actually started singing.

He walked into the choir room shaking his shake fondly and smiling at the Warblers already present.

The council were always first to arrive. Together. Then it was a mixed bag of who followed. Usually Trent was there, punctual as always, and Blaine took the seat between Trent and Jeff.

The room was mostly full already.

Nick came in shortly after Blaine and sat across from him immediately asking if there had been a pop quiz in Stanton’s class earlier and was rather relieved to find out Jeremy was a filthy liar, who liked to start trouble. Before Jeremy could get on Blaine’s case about being overly sincere, the meeting began.

Wes banged his gavel and welcomed everyone before gesturing for David to read off last meeting’s notes. Once the talking portion of the meeting was over, they pushed the furniture aside to make room.

...

A week later Kurt was happy to have one musical under his belt but thankful the performance run had been short. If you thought the New Directions were dramatic during competition weeks, it was nothing compared to their musical rehearsals.

Now, Mr. Schue was having the brilliant idea to host a boys vs girls competition. Of course, Kurt hadn’t wanted to work with the boys. They were sure to exclude his musical talents and he doubted he could get them to agree to any of his costume suggestions.

This was hardly a challenge. It was bland and they had done it already.

Kurt was sitting in the back of the choir room pouting. Yes, pouting. Full on arms crossed, head down, and bottom lip puffed out. Until, Mr. Schue had an actual brilliant idea, Kurt’s suggestion of course, to spice things up.

The boys did not appreciate Kurt’s six hours of work putting two posters together. Even with the assignment to bring more feminine qualities into their performance, the boys ignored his input. So, when Puckerman suggested Kurt spy on the Warblers, he was thankful for a reason to leave. He packed up his projects and headed home to change.

When Mr. Schue found out who their competition was, Rachel and Kurt did some googling. He had seen the all-boys school uniform and was fairly sure he could replicate it with clothes he already had.

He pulled some looks from his closet. Once satisfied he looked up directions to Westerville.

Dalton was huge. It looked like a museum. How on earth was Kurt going to find their choir room? He hoped there were signs inside or a map.

As he walked down a spiral staircase much too pretty to be in a school, he decided to just ask for directions. He was going to get lost if he kept walking without help.

When the boy he stopped turned around, all Kurt could think was ‘I’d love to put my hands all over you.’ Which was a ridiculous thought to have because he didn’t know this boy and where had that even come from? Oh right, Teenage Dream was still playing in his head. Thanks, Katy.

If only his soulmate knew he was using this song to fantasize about running off into the sunset with another boy.

…

Blaine loved being in the spotlight. Wes would say it was because he didn’t get that kind of attention from his parents but that simply wasn’t true. Well, unless Cooper was around; he always pulled focus when it came to their parents. Older sibling privilege, he assumed.

But he was running late. He stayed behind in class to ask a question which turned into his teacher rambling. Didn’t he know the Warblers had a performance today in the senior commons and Blaine was their lead singer?

He was checking the time when someone stopped him on the stairs.

A beautiful boy. Unlike anyone Blaine had ever seen before. He almost missed his name because he was caught up in memorizing his face.

There was something said about being new, which Blaine doubted since he wasn’t in uniform, and Blaine mentioned a shortcut he knew of.

It wasn’t really a shortcut. More like the long way to the Senior Commons but less crowded. Everyone was making their way to the Warblers and Blaine wanted as much time alone with Kurt as he could get.

He wanted Kurt’s full attention. It was no wonder he instantly wanted to show off. Teenage Dream fit his vocals perfectly and Kurt was an excellent audience. In fact, Blaine was set on serenading him.

He had no way of knowing that exact song had been playing all day long in Kurt Hummel’s mind.

Afterward, Blaine lost himself in a group hug from the Warblers but Kurt’s beaming smile caught his eye. He pulled Wes and David aside, confirming his own suspicions that Kurt was spying on them first before convincing them to invite Kurt for coffee.

The four boys sat at a table. Kurt seemed very nervous now. Blaine wasn’t sure if it was because he had been caught or something else was going on. In the end, Blaine thought it best for just him and Kurt to have a conversation. Not at all because he wanted alone time with him.

This clearly wasn’t the time or place for romance.

Once they were alone the whole tale seemed to flow out of Kurt: the name calling, locker shoving, his biggest bully. Blaine could relate.

Sometimes he felt phantom pains in his right leg from Sadie Hawkins. At first, Kurt scoffed when Blaine began sympathizing. If he were Kurt, he might not believe himself.

Private schoolboy bullied? Blaine sure didn’t look like someone who lacked friends. It was fairly common knowledge that Dalton had a zero tolerance policy for harassment. So, he explained. As brief as he could about his own experience with public school bullies.

Kurt and he seemed to have more in common than a love for music.

He doesn't have any plans to see Kurt again though Blaine has plenty of ideas on how they could get together. Coffee at the Lima Bean. Old musicals were playing at the revival theater. Maybe another high school was putting on a play this weekend. All Blaine needed was a good enough message to ask Kurt out. He drafted plenty but none sent.

After school, Blaine knew Kurt might need an extra push. He was pretty sure classes at McKinley were done for the day.

He sent a single word. Less second-guessing that way.

Courage.

Then, he walked to the library to start writing an essay on Lord of the Flies for English.

However, he found himself unable to concentrate. Usually after a performance, Blaine had the song stuck in his head for at least a day or two afterward. In addition to humming in the weeks of rehearsals, of course. Instead, Blaine found himself thinking about Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones and oddly Livin’ On a Prayer. Both songs he thought better suited his father or Cooper’s tastes. It was a mashup of the two songs like his soulmate was hearing them simultaneously.

When he started thinking about his soulmate, there was a clear picture of someone. It didn’t take long for Blaine to bring up those blue eyes and the soft complexion of Kurt Hummel. Which was crazy thinking. He had no idea if Kurt was his soulmate.

Soulmates tended to be around the same age but just because Kurt was also in high school meant nothing. By that logic anyone at Dalton could be his soulmate too.

During his brief time with Kurt this week, Blaine heard no music from his mouth. In fact, Blaine had done all the singing. Even with half his brain saying he was nuts to think Kurt was his forever, Blaine couldn’t let the thought go.

…

Blaine’s text comes in in the midst of the girls’ performance. A wonderful mashup and excellent costumes. Tina had texted Kurt about the leather jacket idea early this week. He was very proud of how they managed to pull the looks together in such a short time. It was impressive.

Altogether, Kurt was feeling great. The boys had their rehearsal, apparently their performance was turning into an apology. Kurt wasn’t sure what they had done to Coach Beiste but apparently, she was quitting. He and Blaine were texting periodically now. No one knew it but Kurt was surely developing a huge crush on the Warbler boy.

Then, he confronted Karofsky. He didn’t want to feel the same regret Blaine did—no one messes with the Hummels.

It seemed like mere hours but in reality, it was days, Kurt was enrolled at Dalton and saying goodbye to the New Directions.

He was full on having a Vanessa leaving Troy moment here. Kurt Hummel has got to go his own way.

God was he nervous to start at a new school. In the middle of the school year too. Being the new kid was going to be hard but not as difficult as staying at McKinley would be.

When Kurt was greeted by Blaine’s smile outside the office on his first day, it made Kurt relax. At least he already had a friend here.

It isn’t until they’re walking down the hall together—Blaine insisted on escorting Kurt to his first class—that Kurt noticed Blaine was humming.

“Is that High School Musical?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, um, technically it’s the sequel.”

“What about us…” Blaine sang, “what about everything we’ve been through?”

“What about trust…you know I’ve never wanted to hurt you?”

Blaine chucked. “Cheesy but true. Such a good movie.”

“We should watch it sometime,” Kurt suggested.

Instantly, he wanted to take it back. He’s been told he can come on too strong. Especially around cute boys.

“I’d love too!” Blaine said. “I have it on DVD.”

Kurt doesn’t see Blaine again until their one shared class of the day right before lunch. He sits across the room from Blaine during history but next to him at the Warbler’s lunch table.

Most of the group has the same lunch so Kurt is introduced to them before his audition later this afternoon.

“Nervous?” Wes asked, “you shouldn’t be.”

“Yeah, from what Blaine's told us you're a great singer,” Trent added.

“He’s barely heard me sing,” Kurt replied, poking Blaine’s arm.

He only sang one line of a song to the other boy today.

“Well…” Blaine rubs his neck abashedly. “I might’ve watched some New Directions videos on YouTube.”

“Oh, I forgot Rachel uploaded those.” Kurt tunes to the other Warblers then, “I hope I don’t disappoint.”

After lunch, Blaine walks Kurt to class again. “Between you and me, you’re a shoo-in.”

“Really?” The Warblers were such an esteemed group. Not at all like the disorganized New Directions. They had also been a glee club for far longer.

“Really.”

***

Blaine has had High School Musical songs in his head all day. Whoever his soulmate is, at least he’s got good taste in Disney Channel original movies. Then as the Warblers were preparing for Kurt’s audition, the song switched. An Evita song.

His soulmate sure did love musicals. Blaine was rather happy about that. He could already picture them sitting on the couch cuddled under a fluffy blanket with any number of classic musicals laid out before them. Arguing over if it was too soon to rewatch Moulin Rouge and whose turn it was to make popcorn.

They’d be in a big city apartment. Somewhere where no one cared if they were gay. All anyone wanted to know was how they discovered they were soulmates. Their origin story.

From that point, the daydream grew fuzzy. Blaine couldn’t come up with that meet-cute story. It hadn’t happened yet and nothing his brain could come up with would ever match up with his future reality.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the choir room.

The room was buzzing with excitement. It wasn’t every day the Warblers auditioned someone mid-semester. Of course, Kurt had special circumstances but the group was notorious for never breaking tradition.

Blaine tried to focus but it was difficult without Kurt at his side. Lately, he had been distracted whenever Kurt wasn’t around. All Blaine could hear, despite the loud room, was the song in his head.

I had to let it happen

I had to change

Then, Kurt walked in and music started to play. For a split second, Blaine thought he was imagining the words from “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” coming from Kurt’s lips. Surely he hadn’t chosen the same song as Blaine’s soulmate had in their head. He knew it couldn’t be his imagination when Trent leaned over and whispered to Blaine how much he loved this song.

Like lightning striking a tree, Blaine had a realization. Kurt Hummel was his soulmate.

Oh god, what was he going to do?

His skin was burning as if it was burned away like bark. He drooped in his seat desperate for water to put himself out with. To put a stop to the tingling sensation bubbling up under his skin.

All he wanted to do was reach out and touch Kurt. Some part of his brain was able to override that thought. He couldn’t ruin this audition for him. There was plenty of time to spend with Kurt after this, Blaine had all the time in the world to talk with his soulmate.

Soulmate.

Never did he think he would find his soulmate this soon. Gosh, they were only teenagers. They had so much life to live together. This was rare, special, to find your soulmate so quickly in life. Blaine would cherish it, he’d be thankful for this gift for rest of his days.

But how in the hell was he going to tell Kurt? It had to be romantic. Blaine always thought it would be when he finally came face to face with his soulmate, his one true love. There was so much work to be done and so little time to do it. Now that Blaine knew, he didn’t want to spend another day without Kurt knowing too.

He used to dream about running dramatically in slow motion towards each other and embracing just as it started to rain, which of course led to a fabulous first kiss in the sudden storm. But Blaine knew how unlikely that would be.

He’d just have to build a new fantasy, which he thought would be easy to do if Kurt was his so-called Prince Charming. Whatever happened was going to outweigh everything his imagination had come up with thus far.

First and foremost, he’d had to sit through a discussion of this audition, which he was barely able to pay attention to. All he wanted to do was walk up to Kurt, cup his face, and kiss him. After Kurt was finished, the council dismissed him. Blaine knew he’d find Kurt just outside the choir room because they had plans afterward but now he had no idea how he was going to sit through coffee with Kurt and not tell him.

“He’s very good,” Trent said, nudging Blaine.

He nodded in agreement. It seems most of the group concurred, Kurt was a good fit for them.

Kurt Hummel was the perfect fit for Blaine too. Even if he didn’t know it yet.

***

Kurt didn’t consider himself to be a good reader of social cues especially when his own emotions were involved. See, Finn Hudson and Sam Evans. Crushes on straight boys never ended well. With Blaine, he swore things would be different.

They were friends, classmates, and hopefully, soon they’d be fellow Warblers. Kurt was not going to mess this up. Even if Blaine was really cute and friendly and super kind and understanding. There was so much to love about Blaine, Kurt found it hard to find something he didn’t like.

He had found focusing on his dislikes of a person kept his feelings at bay. Like how messy Finn could be really shut down any romance fantasy Kurt had drawn up. Except, Blaine didn’t dye his hair like Sam, he was completely organized (Kurt had seen his dorm room; spotless), he was modest and genuine.

It made sense that everyone at Dalton wanted some of his attention. Blaine embodied Kurt’s idea of a gentleman and then some.

After his audition, Kurt sat outside the choir room waiting for his results. The council would discuss with the full group, release them, and regroup tomorrow with a vote. Kurt was waiting for Blaine to be dismissed because Blaine had promised to buy him a cup of coffee.

Some of the Warblers who were leaving had some pretty nice things to say about Kurt’s performance. Just general praise which soothes some of his initial nerves. Mostly, he just wanted Blaine to walk out with a big smile on his face. That boy couldn’t keep a secret. Kurt would know if he was in or not just by looking at his face.

Kurt was joined on his bench by a boy who introduced himself as Duncan.

“I was super nervous after my audition. I just got in at the beginning of this year so I know what you’re going through.”

Kurt felt his shoulders drop in relief. As much as Blaine tried to assure him the audition would be perfect, Kurt felt like he couldn’t relate much as the star of the glee club. Back at McKinley, Kurt rarely had center stage. Here, Blaine always had everyone’s attention.

“That’s actually great to hear,” Kurt said, with a slight chuckle.

“Seriously, Kurt, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’m a little concerned they’ll kick me out just to have your voice,” Duncan teased.

They keep talking about what it’s like to be a new Warbler since Duncan is positive Kurt will be getting good news shortly. He offers up some pointers to get on the council’s good side.

“I loved your song choice by the way, so weird because Evita had been in my head all day.”

It feels like someone’s dropped an ice cube down his back. He sits up quickly.

Oh, Kurt thought, is this it?

“You did?” He must’ve heard wrong. There’s just no way.

“Yeah, I love that musical,” Duncan confirmed.

Could it be this easy? He wondered.

“We should hang out again soon,” Duncan told him, “I’d love to get to know you. Newbie Warblers gotta stick together.”

Kurt gives Duncan his number before the other boy wanders off. Before Kurt can get too deep into any fantasies of his soulmate, wondering if that soulmate has just left him or not, Blaine comes out from the choir room.

“Hey you,” Blaine greeted with a big smile.

“Are you allowed to give me any inclination?”

He shook his head but was still smiling wide which made Kurt feel like good news was in his near future like Duncan had said. Kurt was telling Blaine how long he had practiced the song over the weekend with Rachel and Duncan reassurances when Blaine blurted, “Duncan Samuels?”

“Yeah, we just met.”

Should he tell Blaine about them being soulmates or wait until he was sure?

But Blaine just nodded. Something was clearly bothering his friend. For now, Kurt was going to let it go because he was sure Blaine would come to him if he wanted to talk. He didn’t want to force it out of Blaine.

Kurt couldn’t even get Finn to talk to him during their warm milk chats at night. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to pull the information out of Blaine if he tried.

“Anyway,” Kurt said, continuing his previous line of thought, “Rachel has this whole stage setup in her dads’ basement.”

“I don’t find that hard to believe based on everything you’ve told me about her.”

After that comment, their coffee date is back on track, Kurt doesn’t bring up his potential soulmate meeting.

***

Duncan Samuels was his lifelong nemesis. As far as Blaine was considered his life began when he figured out Kurt was his soulmate and if Duncan was going to interfere with that they were now enemies. Since their coffee date yesterday, Blaine hasn’t heard a word about Duncan but he also had yet to see Kurt today. They only had one class together after lunch, which Blaine was on his way to now.

Kurt saved him a seat and delivered the news.

“Duncan and I are going for coffee today.”

Those words were devastating.

In normal circumstances, Blaine would’ve asked Kurt why he wasn’t going to rehearsal but of course Kurt wasn’t a Warbler…yet. Blaine knew the Warblers were going to announce Kurt’s membership at the end of day, which meant this was the last rehearsal Kurt wouldn’t attend.

So instead of a calmly said, normal statement, Blaine spent the next minute freaking out.

Duncan was the worst! He was going to steal Kurt away from him before Blaine ever got the chance. Well okay, the rational side of him thought, Kurt isn’t being stolen he’s going willingly.

“That’s nice,” he finally said.

There was no way for Blaine to stop Kurt and honestly no reason to try since Duncan posed no threat to Kurt. He didn’t need a protector. Blaine knew they were soulmates and he’d find a way to tell Kurt later on. At the end of it all, Kurt was his soulmate. He just knew it.

“Are you free when I get out of rehearsal?”

“For you?” Kurt asked, “of course, I’ll probably still be in the cafe.”

“I’ll come find you,” Blaine told him.

Still, all throughout Warbler rehearsal, Blaine’s attention was elsewhere. He needed to get out of here and meet up with Kurt. Wes knew it too because he pulled him aside at one point while David ushered the guys into a new arrangement.

“What’s up with you?” He asked, “I need you focused for competition.”

“I will be,” he vowed.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Blaine looked back at the other boys but they were already harmonizing.

“It’s Kurt.”

Wes smiled. “Don’t worry about him. He’s in, I can’t believe we have a countertenor on our team now. We’re going to wipe the floor at regionals.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Wesley. McKinley already knows what a talent Kurt is, he won’t be a surprise to them,” Blaine reminded him.

“Ah, but they didn’t utilize his talent,” Wes said, “it’ll shock them to see Kurt in the spotlight.”

Wes patted Blaine’s back and guided him back to the group to finish up rehearsal.

Blaine couldn’t help but check his phone again before he tuned back into rehearsal. He knew Kurt was getting coffee and that’s why he wasn’t answering his phone.

One of the best things about Kurt was when you were with him everything else was put aside. Blaine was sure if things got really serious, Kurt would shut his phone off entirely to prove a point. Right now, it was annoying as hell. Blaine needed to see a reassuring text that Kurt wasn’t running off into the sunset with Duncan Samuels.

What if his phone was turned off because the two of them were standing at the altar? Everyone turns their phones off in church.

He really really needed to talk to him. Blaine didn’t want to be the type of soulmate that holds onto that information too long. It’s like he’s lying to himself not being with Kurt.

Once rehearsal was finally over, Blaine rushed over to the on-campus cafe where he knew Kurt would be. He had to be there.

When Blaine pushed his way through the door, he saw Kurt was sitting alone nursing what looked to be a cup of tea. When Blaine approached him he could tell it was Chamomile.

“Can I sit?”

Kurt nodded but didn’t say a word as Blaine hung his bag across the back of the chair and removed his blazer.

He expected a question about the Warblers, perhaps an inquiry about his status to become one but nothing came. Kurt wasn’t even drinking his tea.

“What’s wrong? Did Duncan say something to upset you?”

“I’m fine, Blaine,” Kurt said, “Duncan didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me as usual.”

Blaine didn’t understand.

“Am I that unlovable?”

“What?”

Kurt was the most kind, sincere person he knew and Blaine had only met him a few weeks ago. He was most certainly lovable considering Blaine fell for him in just under 3 weeks

“I can’t really blame him,” Kurt continued, “it’s not his fault we aren’t soulmates.”

“You thought he was your soulmate?”

Maybe telling Kurt wouldn’t be too difficult after all.

“It’s just he made this comment yesterday that made me think…but of course I got too ahead of myself again and really I should know by now,” Kurt mumbled the last bit, “nothing ever goes to plan.”

“You can say that again.”

This cafe wasn’t a romantic candlelit dinner. He didn’t have rose petals to scatter around. There was no champagne to toast. But he had the most important thing.

Blaine reached across the table to grab Kurt’s hand. “Think of a song.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” Blaine said.

Kurt’s face was scrunched up in a “I’m confused but I’ll trust you” kind of way.

As soon as the song hit him, Blaine opened his mouth to sing, “this could be the start of something new…it feels so right to be here with you.”

“How did you—?”

Blaine smiled at him. “Pick another song.”

“Your cares and troubles are gone. They'll be no more from now on.”

His mouth opens slightly.

“Your turn,” Blaine said, “ I want you to sing what comes to mind.”

Wasn’t the best way to prove they were soulmates to test each other?

Blaine wanted Kurt to have his own moment of realization even if he engineered it. He didn’t want their “how-did-you-know” story to be him informing Kurt about their connection. Instead, he wanted to tell people about listening to Kurt’s Warbler audition and thinking how odd it was to know the song he was going to sing before it began. Kurt’s story would start with a laugh because he imagined someone other than Blaine as his soulmate the very same day.

And wasn’t that just so silly of him?

Rather than have Kurt just sing to him, Blaine harmonized with him. This was the proof. He’d sing everything Kurt could come up with and vice versa.

“But baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do? I'm hopelessly devoted to you.”

“Blaine,” Kurt said. “We’re….”

He nodded.

Before Blaine even realized it, Kurt was out of his seat leaning towards him, they’re kissing. Kurt’s fingers are curved around his chin and his other hand is tickling the curls at the back of his neck. The tiny wisps of hair that always escape the gel by the late afternoon.

Blaine would happily keep his curls loose if it meant Kurt would keep his hands in his hair always. Especially, if it meant they’d never stop kissing.

Eventually, Kurt has to pull away. They’re still close enough to feel each other’s breath.

“Soulmates,” Blaine whispered.

It had been quiet while they kissed like everything else in the world just stopped. All the sounds of Dalton came rushing back all at once. The students in the halls, coffee orders being called out, and the shuffling of chairs as people came and went.

“When did you know?” Kurt asked, sitting down again.

Blaine pulled his seat around so they were closer and Kurt immediately reached for his hand.

***

3 months later.

Blaine hadn’t been upset to lose to McKinley at Regionals. How could he have been when he got to sing with his soulmate in front of a crowd? Their duet was so in sync and the crowd could tell. He doesn’t think he ever received such a loud applause.

Blaine had wanted to just be in that moment forever—staring into Kurt’s eyes hearing the words in his head just before they were said aloud, gripping his hand before pushing him into the spotlight to soak up the audience’s love.

No, Blaine was happy about Regionals. The Warblers had worked hard on the set; their second place trophy sat on the right corner of the council’s table at meetings now. What Blaine was concerned about was Kurt’s leaving.

His dorm room was empty now, the last suitcase zipped up. Blaine was sitting on his boyfriend’s mattress taking in the last moment that Kurt was a Dalton student.

“I’ll miss you too, you know, a lot,” Kurt said from the doorway.

“I know,” Blaine replied, “it’s just sad.”

Kurt took a seat next to him on the bed.

“I’ll sing to you.”

Blaine smiled. “Promise?”

“Everyday.” Kurt kissed his cheek.

They were going to be okay.

#klaine fanfic #klaine fanfiction #soulmate au #klaine #my fics

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fanficsofmine · 5 years

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Wake Me Up - Chapter 2

Summertime. Young. Single. Free.

You were living your dream life. You had a great place, amazing friends and a steady job. Independent and happy and free, what more could you ask for?

You didn’t think that meeting Chanyeol at a concert or Minho on the beach would influence your life as much as they did. They weren’t supposed to, anyway.

What exactly are you to do with whirlwind romances that show up when you weren’t expecting them?

Characters: Park Chanyeol, Choi Minho, OC’s and appearances by others.

Soundtrack: Lightning in a Bottle: The Summerset

Word Count: 2,111

Chapter 1

“Are we actually doing this?” I took another giant gulp of coffee as I turned up the air conditioning in the car. Presley shot me a dirty look, but I shook my head. “The cold is keeping me awake. I can’t believe we are driving to Austin at one in the morning.”

“You’re the one that agreed to go.” Presley reached behind her into the back seat and grabbed a sweater.

“With absolutely zero objection from you!” I pointed a finger at her and she laughed.

“Okay. Okay. I know.” She handed me a candy bar she had picked up from our last stop at a gas station and I took it. Literally anything would help me stay awake right now.

She spent the next hour of the drive dialing hotels in Austin before finding one near the venue that was only partially sketchy and had a room available for a late arrival. The rest of the trip consisted of me questioning Presley about Chanyeol. I interrogated her with questions like, “what has The Ex said about him?” (Followed quickly by, “you could call him ‘Kihyun’ you know,” and me choosing to ignore her.)

Presley shrugged. “I don’t know much about him other than he hasn’t really dated anybody. He’s picky about who he chooses to spend his time on. Although he’s friendly to everyone, it’s rare of him to find someone to spend his time on. Kihyun has tried to get him to date people and he’s always turned them down. It takes a lot to catch his attention.”

Butterflies appeared in my stomach. That had to mean something good, right?

We got to the hotel and, despite the coffee in my system, I was able to pass out immediately.

I was woken up the next morning by Presley’s pillow hitting me on the head followed by an aggressive, “wake up!”

Whining, I pulled the blanket over my head. “Nope. This was part of the deal. I was allowed to sleep in today.”

I couldn’t see her face, but I could feel Presley’s eyes roll at me. “It’s 1:30 pm. Plus, we have company. The guys brought us breakfast.”

That woke me up.

“What?!” I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom mirror. I was in just my shirt from the day before and my underwear. We were planning on going and buying new outfits for the show tonight, but we hadn’t stopped for pajamas. I quickly grabbed my jeans off of the bathroom floor and, only managing to stumble over once in my rushed dressing, was able to get them buttoned up as Presley opened the door to the hotel room.

Kinhyun’s voice rang out a loud, “good morning!” followed by Presley’s giggles. I peeked around the corner with my toothbrush that I had bought at the lobby’s front desk hanging out of my mouth to see Chanyeol walk in the door. Blushing, I waved before ducking back into the bathroom to finish making myself look awake.

My hair needed a lot of work, but there wasn’t much to do with it right now but keep it at a semi-presentable bedhead. I rubbed the residual-mascara-raccoon-eyes away and deemed myself as socially acceptable.

I walked out of the bathroom to see that the guys had brought a huge box of donuts, a drink carrier full of coffees, and their drummer. He walked up and shook my hand and introduced himself as Dojoon.

Chanyeol took his turn to say hi and walked up to me, wrapping me in a giant hug. His arms wrapped around my waist and he squeezed me tight. He leaned over and whispered, “I’m really glad I’m getting to see you again.” He let go of the hug and smiled a giant, beaming grin.

As he walked over to the bed that I had been sleeping on that was now occupied by a box of Krispy Kreams, he asked what kind I wanted. I went and stood by him and examined my choices.

“Hmm. You can never go wrong with plain glazed…” I said.

“Right, but why play it safe when there’s chocolate there?!” Chanyeol gasped in faux shock.

“I could go completely wild and eat this one with sprinkles!”

“Woah!” Chanyeol raised his hands, “are we getting that crazy this early?! We’ve only just met and you’re going to eat a sprinkled donut in front of me. That’s a bit forward.”

The fake banter was fun. Talking to him and joking felt completely natural. I had completely forgotten that everybody else was in the room until Dojoon interrupted with, “the sprinkled one is actually mine.” and he quickly reached around me to grab it. It felt good to laugh with them.

“You drink caramel macchiatos, right?” Kihyun asked me as he handed me a cup.

I glared at him, unashamed of my dirty look in front of everyone. Taking the coffee, I said, “I’m only accepting this because I need it. We aren’t cool.”

It was said in a “I’m going to say this in a joking tone so everyone thinks I’m teasing you but also know that I’m completely serious” tone. Everyone else giggled, but Kihyun held my eye contact, a knowing look in his eyes.

“Coffee toast!” Chanyeol bounded to his knees on the bed and cleared his throat as if he was about to give a big speech. “To adventures and friendship! We live one hell of a crazy life and I’m glad to be on this adventure with these two assholes,” he pointed at Kihyun and Dojoon, “and thankful for the great company that comes along the way.” He glanced at me with a small grin and everyone in the room “cheers-ed” with their coffee cups and I took a sip, completely giddy on the inside.

After we had eaten, Presley and I talked about needing to go buy new clothes for tonight. We didn’t really want to go spend the money, but we also felt gross wearing day 2 clothes for a rock show again.

“I at least need to buy a new shirt.” I groaned as I sniffed my t-shirt. It didn’t smell awful, but it also wasn’t ideal

“Oh! I have an idea!” Chanyeol said as he grabbed the keys off of the nightstand and took off out of the room. Confused, we all waited for him to come back, speculating where he had run off to. A few minutes later, he opened the door and brought in two duffle bags.

“We stopped at a laundry mat two days ago and did laundry. The joys of tour life. This is all clean!” He tosses a bag at Kihyun who was not ready for it. He fell backward a bit, but then realized what Chanyeol was doing. They both began digging through their bags.

Finally, Chanyeol pulled out a white t-shirt. It had black script letters across it that read “Darling.” He handed it to me and I couldn’t help but let the butterflies start in my stomach again. “This will save you money! You’ll be able to wear something clean and I can hold the bragging rights that you’re wearing my shirt.”

I was positive that I turned nine shades of red right then and there. Thanking him, I went to the bathroom and changed. It hung down to my knees, Chanyeol was a tree after all, but after some front tucking and rolling of the sleeves, I examined myself in the mirror of the bathroom and determined that I looked pretty cute.

There was a knock on the door and Chanyeol was there when I opened it. He had the widest grin slapped across his face as he said “well that’s a damn good look.” My heart skipped a beat and I felt a blush cross my cheeks. He offered me his hand and said “come on! Come with us to set up. You can keep me company as I tune my guitar.”

Chanyeol rode with us to the venue so he could direct us where to go. Conversation moved just as easily between us that day as it had the night before, despite the bundle of nerves living in my stomach. He was easy to talk to and I couldn’t remember the last time that I laughed as hard as I did around him.

Once we had arrived at the bar they were playing at, we parked around back and Chanyeol jumped out of the car to go check in with Kihyun and Dojoon. Presley and I stayed back to finish touching up our make up, and she kept looking over at me.

“What is it, Pres?” I asked as I brushed a layer of mascara on over my night before‘s layer of mascara. I really needed to get in the habit of washing my face at night.

“It’s just… Interesting.” She quit running a brush through her bright red hair and smiled at me. “You haven’t been too keen on giving anybody a chance at all.” She wasn’t wrong. After my last big break up, I had sworn off all forms of romance. I had gone out on dates, sure, but nothing that was worth wasting my time on long term. I had become the queen of ghosting, not that it was a proud title to have.

“I dunno.” I brushed some chapstick on my lips and flipped the visor up. “There’s something different about Chanyeol.”

Pausing, I sighed. “Besides, after tonight, it’s likely I won’t even see Chanyeol again. He’s a damn musician and, no offense to you, I don’t see how people can deal with it. How do you trust them to not be smooth talking other girls? How many other girls has Chanyeol talked to like this?” I started to anxiously nibble at my thumb.

“Don’t you start!” Presley scolded me. “I already told you. This isn’t like Chanyeol. He doesn’t waste time on random flings. Give yourself some credit. You are wearing his T-shirt after all.”

I looked down and sighed. “You’re right. I’m just letting nerves get to me.” Shaking my head to clear the negative thoughts away, I said, “okay. Let’s go inside.”

This time, I watched Chanyeol more intently. I watched as he closed his eyes and rolled his neck back when he got super into a song. I watched as he and Kihyun circled around Dojoon’s drums and all rocked out. They looked as if there were no audience at all. They looked like three best friends just having a damn good time, and it was so much fun to watch.

Their pop punk sound was infectious and I drug Presley away from the bar and made her dance with me with the rest of the audience. I shook my head and threw my body around, letting myself feel more free than I had in a while. I glanced up at one point to see Chanyeol beaming at me as he sang his harmonies and played his guitar. I waved at him before joining the crowd in their jumps. I managed to remember a few words of their choruses and sang along, having the time of my life.

Eventually, their set was over, and I was exhausted. I asked the bartender for a few bottles of water, and tossed one to Presley. As they were quickly tearing down their set for the next band, I ran up to the stage and placed three more bottles down for the guys.

“Oh my god, I could kiss you. I needed this so bad.” Chanyeol gasped as he reached for some water.

“Prove it.” I winked at him, and this time, it was him who was blushing all the way up to his ears.

I giggled. “Didn’t think you could you could turn more red than you were from playing.”

Instead of a response, he jumped down from the stage and pulled me close. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to my lips. Nobody else was in the room at that moment. You could have told me everybody had faded away and I would have believed you.

How had this happened? How had this guy that I had just met yesterday managed to have stolen my heart so quickly?

Chanyeol pulled away and I opened my eyes to look into his. His hand was on my cheek. He looked nervous as he waited for my reaction. I wanted to say so much. I wanted to describe how quickly he had made me feel giddy; to tell him how I was nervous at how much he made me feel so fast.

Instead, all that I said was, “wow.”

#exosnet #chanyeol #park chanyeol #exo #shinee #choi minho #kpop #exo fanfic #exo fanfiction #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #exo fan fiction #exo fan fic #kpop fan fiction #kpop fan fic

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gardinerhouse-blog · 7 years

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Senior Series: Alex Pt. 1

Alex Miller uses she/her pronouns. She was born in Midland, TX, but has lived in the Houston, TX area, Moscow, Russia, and Cambridge, England, so who knows where she’s from.

What is your major and how did you pick it?

My major is East Asian Studies, and I knew that I wanted to major in it even before coming to Smith—that’s actually one of the reasons I picked Smith, is that this major was available. I started studying Japanese my freshman year of high school, and I knew I wanted to continue with that, but I also wanted to take history classes more than literature classes so I knew that an East Asian Languages & Literatures major was not for me. One of my favorite things about the EAS major is that it’s multi-disciplinary, so there are a lot of cross-listed courses. You can take art history classes, history classes, anthropology classes, government classes, and they can all count towards the major.

Where did you study abroad, and what was that like?

I studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan with the Associated Kyoto Program for my junior year. It was pretty amazing and I had a lot of incredible experiences, thanks to my wonderful host family. The first month was really tough, though, I’m not going to lie! I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, but it turned out I had no clue—my host family was a lot bigger, more lively, and initially overwhelming, than I had been led to expect from the paper from my program telling me who I was going to be living with.

But by the time I got to the end of that first month, I was like “well, if I could handle all that, I can definitely handle the rest of the year.” And I ended up having a really great time. I went to a bunch of rock concerts with my host family and with my friends, and I traveled a lot with my host family, and also with friends. My host mom bought flowers every couple of weeks so we could arrange them together, and we watched music programs on TV together. My friends and I hung out in Kyoto a lot, did a lot of karaoke, and frequented this giant coffee shop with literally hundreds of different parfaits available.

AKP actually provides a significant amount of financial support, from paying for our monthly transportation passes to and from school, to giving us a lunch stipend, to the monthly “cultural activities grant.” All of that allowed me to do more than I probably would have if all that was available to me was my own money. The program also had field trips and events that ensured we got to visit some cool and important places, and try out new things.

Honestly, though, the reason I had such an amazing time studying abroad was my host family. They were all amazing and kind and welcoming, and my host mom and I still message each other. She sends me pictures of her grand-kids every time we talk, and likes to check that I’m not too stressed and am taking time to enjoy myself in college.

I sort of intermittently kept a blog while I was abroad. You can see it here: http://jyakyoto1516.tumblr.com/ and you can also ask me questions through there if you want to!

Have you been involved in any extracurriculars or campus jobs at Smith? Which have been most rewarding to you, and why?

Fall semester of first year, I signed up for a bunch of clubs I never went to, but then in the spring semester I started doing a radio show with my friend Suwei because two of our other friends, Meghan and Siobhan, were having so much fun with their radio show. Sophomore year, I had radio shows both semesters, and I was also an SAA (Student Academic Advisor) for Gardiner, and a liaison for the East Asian Studies department. Junior year I was abroad, and then this year I’ve had a radio show both semesters, I’m the head of the HSECs (House Social Events Coordinators) in Gardiner, I’m a student editor for Global Impressions magazine, and for the spring semester I’ve also been our Social Media Chair.

As for which of these has been most rewarding, I would say all my positions with Gardiner House, and then also being a WOZQ DJ.

Being an SAA my sophomore year I was able to help out incoming first years with figuring out life at Smith, and Bae and I planned some fun events to help build house community—like big-little bonding with silly camp games, including a mummy-making contest, and Floor Wars, complete with a banana-eating contest and crab soccer.

As an HSEC, I’ve continued to create events to try to facilitate the creation of house community and encourage bonds across class years in the house. I’ve worked with five really wonderful firsties to make sure events like Fetish (our fall semester party that usually happens around Halloween), Yule Ball, and March Masquerade have gone smoothly and been special and fun for our housemates. I’ve also organized some smaller events, like the Gardiner Olympics (Floor Wars, but re-branded), a karaoke night, and some movie nights and stuff.

As Social Media Chair I’ve been most focused on starting this blog and creating content for it, and that’s been really fun. I get to learn a lot about my housemates as I interview them for the podcast, or put their interview answers together for a text-post. Making the videos and podcasts takes a lot of time, but I’m also learning some cool skills as I do.

And then lastly, doing radio shows. This is honestly just so much fun. I’ve co-DJed with friends and also DJ-ed alone, and either way, it’s great. WOZQ the organization itself is pretty disorganized and this is what best sums up my reaction to them: -__- But! Every week, I make a two-hour playlist of music I like, and then I get to go down to the booth and play my music over the airwaves to whoever’s listening while I blast it through very nice speakers for myself. A+.

Is there a Smith event, either in the house particularly or on the campus as a whole, that you think is really special and wish more people knew about?

Every spring, Smith has its own Sci-fi/Fantasy convention called ConBust. My first couple years here I kind of just assumed it would be pathetic and not worth the money to go, so I ignored it. And then senior year I saw one of their posts on Facebook and so I followed the link to their schedule of events and I was like “…why…why did I not look at this before?”

It is a small con, but that means you really get to talk to the panelists, and they bring in really cool people. There were two freelance manga translators there this year who did a lot to help put me in touch with people in the industry with the power to hire me if I was interested in pursuing a career as an manga editor. There were a bunch of authors and editors, an animator from Cartoon Network, cartoonists, the guy who created the Dothraki language for Game of Thrones, and more. There are weapons demonstrations, there’s food, an artist alley, people in cosplay (and not). If you love sci-fi/fantasy, this is an amazing event. I went to some really interesting talks, like the one on Creepypasta, and some fascinating panels that dealt a lot with how we create sci-fi/fantasy worlds, so there was one on making magic systems, another on interstellar governments. And then there were also panels that were about examining how we consume and interact with things, like the panel on fandom and criticism, and another on videogames as literature.

Also, if you’re at all interested in writing sci-fi/fantasy, OMG GO. I got so much advice and learned a lot, not just about world-building and editing, but also how the publishing industry works and what different routes are available to get your work out there, and what the pros and cons of each are.

I went with a couple friends and I honestly spent pretty much my entire weekend at ConBust. I got way more out of it than the $15 I spent for my weekend pass.

What have been your favorite courses at Smith and why?

ENG 296: Advanced Fiction Writing: I’ve taken this class twice, once with Emily Barton in the spring of my sophomore year, and this spring with Ruth Ozeki. And both times it has been wonderful. Ruth Ozeki is amazing. (I also really enjoyed ENG 206: Intermediate Fiction Writing with David Maine). I love creative writing, so it’s great to have classes that force me to prioritize my writing and work on it throughout the busy school year. I can really see my progress as a writer when I look back through stories that I’ve written and revisions I’ve done for these classes, which makes me proud. These are workshop-style classes, and so you get lots of feedback on your work, both from the professor (always a published author), and from your classmates. I also definitely learned how to give more constructive feedback and criticism, and how to take it. A+, 10/10, would take again, and in fact, did.

HST 217: WWII in East Asia: History and Memory: I took this class second semester first year with my major advisor, Professor Marnie Anderson. Every class I’ve taken with her has been amazing, because she’s a great professor—really knowledgeable and understanding, and also organized. She gets the necessary information across in her lectures, which are usually pretty engaging, and she’s really good at facilitating and supporting discussion in class.

For this particular class, we focused on certain big events from WWII in East Asia, like the issue of the comfort women, the atomic bombings of Japan, war propaganda in the US and Japan, and the Nanjing Massacre. We examined these issues from multiple perspectives, and it was truly fascinating to see not only how different countries remember things very differently, but also how historical memory changes over time within the same country. It was a really fascinating, thought-provoking class, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Digital Media Literacy 2017: This was actually a J-term class I took this year and it was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken at Smith, no joke. It’s a fairly intense class, and we all learned so much. I had zero digital media experience going in, and I came out knowing the basics of Photoshop, how to use a DSLR camera, how to scout a location for audio and video recording, how to set up light-kits and microphones for a video shoot, how to capture audio and video, and then how to edit my footage in Premiere Pro. We learned about copyright, too, and how to do some basic things in Motion5 to make animations. Am I perfect, now? No. But I can do things I had literally no clue how to do before I took this class, and I’m building on those skills as Social Media Chair for Gardiner.

You can see some more stuff about the course, including examples of the work we did, here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/Uw4HSPPAYTV1d/

Also, here’s a video I made for the class! I had no clue how to do things like this before I took DML, and by the end of the 2 weeks, I was able to produce this, so that’s pretty impressive! (Thank you to Siobhan for letting me interview you all the time lol)

youtube

EAS 210: Culture and Diplomacy in Asia: I took this class with Professor Dennis Yasutomo and it was amazing. First of all, Professor Yasutomo is one of the best professors I have encountered during my college career. He really understands what it’s like to be a student—for this class we didn’t have to buy a single book, he gave us printouts and links to articles on Moodle, because he said he had always hated it when professors made him buy tone of books to read one or two chapters out of, so he wasn’t going to do that to us.

For this class, we examined different ideas about different countries’ negotiating styles and the various theories behind why they negotiate like that. His lectures were always informative, and discussions were always lively and interesting. And then at the end of class he would be like, “so, to sum up, what I’m hearing from you is that you think XYZ.” And we’d all be like “wait, now that you say it like that, no, hang on. Let me think about this some more.”

#gardiner house #smith college #senior series #sci fi & fantasy #DJ #collegelife #study abroad #Japan #Kyoto #digital media

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bradbdormanus · 6 years

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The Best Luxury Hotel in Singapore – The Fullerton Bay

Luxury Hotels in Singapore

There is no doubt that Singapore has plenty of luxury hotels and if you’re reading this post you’re probably planning a trip to Singapore soon so you’re looking for the best luxury hotel in Singapore! If you’re looking for a luxurious getaway, rest assured that Singapore does something very well and that is luxury! With its gorgeous hotel suites, rooftop pools, the best restaurants and relaxing spa treatments, you’re in for a luxurious treat on your Singapore vacation!

There are many 5-star hotels in Singapore, but there is one that I consider the best luxury hotel in Singapore and that is The Fullerton Bay Hotel.

I had the pleasure of staying at The Fullerton Bay Hotel during our visit to the Lion City and was very happy with the entire experience. Here you have it, my luxury hotel review that details what you can expect, what not to skip, and my favorite things about this luxury hotel!

I know that you may be wondering; what about Marina Bay Sands? Isn’t that the best Luxury Hotel in Singapore? If you love mass crowds, long lines at check-in, and being one of thousands (2,561 rooms at Marina Bay Sands) instead of being one of a few (100 at The Fullerton Bay), then you might want to select Marina Bay Sands. If you want a peaceful getaway where you’re greeted by name, don’t need to wait to check in, and have personalized service for your entire stay then continue reading!

The Best Luxury Hotel in Singapore

The Fullerton building was erected in 1928 and is considered “Mile Zero,” the point from which all of Singapore was measured in road distances. It set the bar as a standard of excellence in construction and spent most of its years housing government offices (including the “most important post office in the East”). Its significance has been noticed worldwide and in 2015 it was designated a national monument, during the year of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, no less.

Known as the Grand Dame, it became The Fullerton Hotel Singapore in the year 2000 and quickly became known as a 5-star destination with 400 rooms. Across Collyer Quay lies The Fullerton Bay Hotel, lodged in a building that is completely built over water, not surprising in a city-state where land is precious. An underground walkway connects these two luxury hotels that both project an air of tranquility rarely found in the hustle and bustle that is Singapore.

Centrally located on the waterfront of Marina Bay, in the heart of the financial and arts districts, The Fullerton Bay Hotel is a great jumping-off point for any sightseeing or business activities during your stay in Singapore. You’ll find museums, theaters, concert halls, and numerous dining choices within a short walk. The Raffles Place Mass Rapid Transit Station is also close by, allowing you to wander farther afield if you so choose. It’s a short way from Gardens by the Bay and a short cab ride to Sentosa Island. Not only is it completely gorgeous all around but because of its central location to the best attractions that I consider this the Best Luxury Hotel in Singapore.

The main hotel itself has an array of fine dining establishments with a variety of cuisines, including offering High Tea. You’ll also find several bars, including one near the rooftop infinity pool, the award-winning Fullerton Spa, gym, business center, luxury boutiques, and access to GoGreen mobility devices to make your tours around this city-state effortless and environmentally friendly.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Fullerton building, and the hotels are celebrating with year-round events and promotions that make it hard to choose another hotel for your stay in Singapore. At least we thought so!

The Fullerton Bay Rooms

You will find both expansive rooms and suites at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, all featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies, where you can partake of the Singapore skyline or the bayfront.

Standard rooms, start at 484 square feet and go up to 635 square feet. The decor is primarily one of old world elegance combined with an Asian aesthetic. You’ll find a large bed, as well as a comfortable seating area with couch, desk, and table/chairs.

They’re very thoughtful with room amenities, including goose down pillows and duvets, Egyptian cotton sheets, excellent wi-fi, in-room coffee and tea service, fully stocked mini-bar, television with on-demand movies, and some wonderfully smelling Bottega Veneta bath amenities. The bathrooms feature both a shower and a bathtub, the latter with a flat-screen TV at the foot to watch while you soak, and super plush robes that almost made their way into my suitcase.

In addition to the standard room, there are six themed suites. Each has those massive windows, a balcony, a generous ensuite living room, and bespoke decor. For some real decadence, stay in the Presidential Suite on the very top floor, where you’ll have a living and dining area, lounge, game room, study and large bedroom…all overlooking the waterfront.

The Fullerton Bay Restaurants

The Fullerton Bay Hotel is not without its share of fine dining, and offers up a remarkable array of cuisines via 8 venues, including the 4 just cross the walkway at its sister property, The Fullerton Hotel.

The Clifford Pier

This restaurant is a nod to Singapore’s heritage. With diverse influences, you’ll find the flavors of China, India, and other parts of Asia, as well as a British influence. In fact, you can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea here, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, and little fancies. Weekday lunch, a dim sum brunch, and a set dinner are also available.

La Brasserie

This classic French bistro offers Sunday brunch (with or without create-your-own Bloody Mary and Gin Parlour Station), weekday lunch, and dinner. Here you can enjoy escargot, foie gras, steak and frites, confit of duck and other traditional French dishes, as well as decadent desserts like Tarte Tatin, Peach Melba and a sinfully dark chocolate mousse. There’s a definite yum factor at work here.

Lantern

The Lantern, so named for its location near the red lantern that used to hang from the adjacent pier and warn ships (much like a lighthouse), serves lunch and dinner daily, and is a pretty hopping place for drinks in the evening, when a resident DJ makes an appearance. The menu has a European bent, with pasta, chicken Cordon Bleu, and tiramisu, as well as a nice selection of wines from around the world, delicious signature cocktails called Lantern Slings, and several snack platters for late night noshing.

The Landing Point

This restaurant serves an all-day breakfast menu, as well as an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. They also have an afternoon tea and an unusual Sundown Soiree Evening Tea, with an impressive array of bites, including duck rillettes on sourdough with pickled onions and Parma ham and truffled mascarpone crostini. The Landing Point is the perfect place for your evening cocktails, with a live pianist from 4 to 7 p.m.

The Fullerton Hotel Restaurants

Town Restaurant

Town Restaurant is available for all-day dining, although the interior is much more upscale than you might imagine. Here they serve tasty breakfasts, an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, as well as a rotating menu of international buffets, including Asian, seafood, International, and Singaporean cuisine. They also have a champagne brunch on Sundays. The veranda overlooking the river is the best place to get a table here, as you can enjoy your food while you watch the world float by.

Jade

Jade is a very refined dining environment, with the decor heavy on Asian influences. Here they serve a wide variety of Cantonese-style dishes for both lunch and dinner. You can also get a Dim Sum Set lunch, and set dinners if you so desire. The set dinners have a theme that changes from month to month, such as Jade’s Peking Duck Lobster and Jade’s Feast of the Ocean. Both the menu and the price are set (but they do give you 1 diner free with a table of 4 – which, unfortunately, we could not take advantage of).

The Lighthouse Restaurant

The Lighthouse Restaurant (and Rooftop Bar) sits—literally—atop The Fullerton Bay Hotel. Interestingly enough, it serves upscale Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner. The restaurant has imported an Italian chef whose specialties are from the Campania, Sardinia and Sicily regions of Italy. Try their Angel Hair Pasta with Lobster or their Wagyu Beef Ragout with Pasta for heaven in the mouth. For a real treat, there is the Degustation Dinner (reservations absolutely required) with either 4 or 5 courses.

The rooftop bar creates craft cocktails that are mighty tasty The Happy Hour deals are great and come with a complimentary bite. You can also enjoy offers tapas in the evening, while you overlook the city skyline.

The Courtyard

The Courtyard, located in the magnificent atrium, offers all-day dining, including a la carte items, a Japanese buffet, an Indian curry buffet and a traditional High Tea, courtesy of Singapore’s British colonialism. This latter offering should not be undertaken lightly. The tea sandwiches, scones, petit fours and other fancies—all served on a three-tier tray—are replenished as often as you wish, so come with an appetite and enjoy with a pot of tea while being serenaded by their harpist.

In the location in which the General Post Office once conducted business, now resides the Post Bar. The room features the original ceiling and pillars, and always seemed to be humming with worker bees from the nearby international business district. Here you can get light meals, appetizers, and craft cocktails, as well as beer and wine.

And I don’t want to forget The Fullerton Cake Boutique! This culinary marvel boasts a whole host of tasty moon cakes (yuzu, pandan, milo, white lotus seed), as well as decadent cakes, tarts, cookies, and chocolate. The calorie count in that shop was astronomical but every bite was worth it!

My Favorite Things About The Best Luxury Hotel in Singapore

From the time we checked in to the time we left The Fullerton Bay Hotel, we felt like pampered guests. The check-in experience was amazing and efficient. The staff (all the staff) endeavor to learn your name upon check-in and greet you personally as you enter and leave, something you rarely see these days. Feeling special is one of the main things I look for when evaluating luxury hotels, it’s one of the main reasons you choose these 5-star locations right?! The best luxury hotel in Singapore does this very well!

The Fullerton Spa was a real treat. Being on the road so much, traveling from place to place can be hard on your body and spirit. Constantly packing and unpacking, standing in airport terminals, walking miles and miles every day…it can take its toll. But just walk into the spa and you’re in a different world. Everything slows down. They offer signature treatments, massages, scrubs and wraps, and facials. You’ll also have use of their sauna and steam room if you just want a bit more. I can tell you that I walked out from my treatment renewed and rejuvenated, ready to tackle the world again (after a little nap).

I also relished the rooftop infinity pool. You could hang out and enjoy the bay view and the city skyline at the same time. In the morning, the pool was almost deserted, allowing for some exercise (or just floating around). At dusk, the light that played off the glass-front buildings was spectacular. (Photo op!) And the fact that you could order both food and drink to enjoy while relaxing was a bonus.

All in all, our experience at The Fullerton Bay Hotel was just what we needed, some relaxing, indulgent down time at a luxury destination. We found that the Best luxury hotel in Singapore was more than just a hotel, it’s really an experience.

Stay Stylish, -V

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