In which Tony keeps trying to craft the perfect proposal, which goes as terribly as you'd expect, until he stumbles into the perfect moment despite himself.

(And it's Glee, so of course the boy and the girl representing how the world thinks it's supposed to work are all kinds of miserable, and thus making everyone else miserable, and of course, of course, the archetypal boy and girl have their first storyline about pregnancy. Of course.)

In which Kurt finds Blaine, and sanity reigns in the Hudson-Hummel household. A couple of missing scenes from the Kurt storyline in 3.07. Actually, can we strike 90% of 3.07 from the record and replace 40% of it with this fic? I'll find a non-offensive Santana coming out fanfic to fill out the other 50%. Ugh, Carole. You are so underutilized on the show, and so perfectly utilized in fandom. Can you come be the gentle voice of sanity in MY life next?

In which Kurt and Finn discuss their first times over a bout of Mario Kart. This was really, just really, really nice. It was great not having to hate Finn for a little while.

In which Kurt and Blaine reward themselves with a post-Black Friday victory nap. This was very warm and very real to me--all terribly realistic shopping logistics and small, infinitely imaginable touches and relatable sleepless revelations about life and one's place in it.

"Some context: I'm Autistic/possessed of an extraordinary set of Bad Brains, and I work(ed) in an intensive special education classroom where 4/9 students had abusive parents and 1/3 were no longer with their biological families. I was told by the teachers that this was a typical ratio for this classroom. I consume and interpret media and entertainment in a context that often feels more like a war-zone. Probably this is why I like Glee." A beautiful piece of writing, and a provocative piece of meta.

In which Kurt and Blaine support Santana in the wake of Mash Off. ;___;

In which Blaine and Kurt almost marry different people, but nobody, not even themselves, are really ready to let them make that mistake. There were way more typos and questionable stylistic choices in this fic than there should have been, but I'm actually going to set aside its sentence-to-sentence problems to compliment the fic overall. Although it played out like a typical romance story, I wouldn't say the plot was predictable. Rather, I'd say it was comprehensible. The turns it took to get where we all knew it was going progressed (dare I say it) organically from start to finish. Its contrivances were delightfully guileless--recognizable as part and parcel of the genre, and still managing to serve the story and characters well. And I think it was because of that artless simplicity in the narrative that I was able to forgive the stumbles with the writing. I got invested in this version of Kurt and Blaine, liked the differences this AU proposed, believed that it could have happened like this. At its core, this was a compelling romance, and I'm actually pretty keen to see this author develop and improve.

In which there is Steve, and things that stay and things that slip away, things that are always changing and things that endure. Steve's voice in this was pitch perfect, deeply in character and grounded with touches of historically appropriate cadences and slang. The artistic affect in it was lovely, too.

Dude, this is badass. The editing is a little rough, but the narrative that gets told is shockingly on point and thought-provoking. Can we ban Florence's actual music video and just air this instead?

In which Kurt and Blaine meet and feel an immediate connection where it actually physically hurts them to be apart from each other. This fic was predictably indulgent, and because of that, the huge word count was more of a detraction than a bonus. There's only so much you can drag out when you know exactly where everything's going. Also, the hand-waving of the timeline (months passing in a sentence, exposition dumping that ~they'd done some stuff by this point in their relationship and were now ready for more~ in order to set up the fic's only sex scene), the casual use of swear words (frequent enough to seem OOC for Kurt), and some poorly integrated flashbacks (one of which actually ended with "END FLASHBACK") all combined to make this fic seem negligently unpolished. All in all, a good effort that would have been vastly improved by a stricter editing process.

In which Burt isn't too sure about Blaine, but he trusts his son's judgement of people, and that trust isn't misplaced. Lol, read ALL the Burt Hummel scrutinizes Blaine fic! Except, no, seriously, I will read it all.

In which Blaine makes breakfast for people, and then someone makes breakfast for him. Oooh, feels.

In which they live in a universe where your soulmate is written on your hand, except Kurt's hand is blank. I really liked the artistic intent of this piece. Sometimes the delivery was a tad overwrought, but not enough to become a real detraction from the experience. Also, I couldn't help but privately theorize about why Kurt's hand would be the way it is, and the puzzle of it was almost like a gift.

In which it's really possible Dalton is an asylum and not a prep school, to hear the crazy shit the Warblers get up to in their off hours, and it's so goddamn funny you start thinking maybe the insanity is catching. Letting go of some typos and a few tangential jokes that the author didn't /quite/ manage to pull off, this fic is hysterical and worth every brain cell I sacrificed trying to understand the logic behind these teenage boys.

In which Blaine and Kurt weather an uncomfortable Anderson family party. VERKLEMPT OVER BLAINE'S RANDOM OC COUSIN, WHY IS THIS MY LIFE. FOUR FOR YOU, OC COUSIN. YOU GO, OC COUSIN. Also, the endingggg.

In which we see the aftermath of the Sadie Hawkins dance. This fic hit me right in the nostalgia gut. I remember being a young teen and overhearing hard stuff from my parents and feeling the weight of their words like a death sentence. Even if this fic is sort of indulgently angsty, it's pretty damn age appropriate.

In which Steve is trying to get the GSA off the ground and Tony's a troubled kid who's very much in need of a friendly hand. High school AU, kind of a wysiwyg deal.

In which Steve's bakery has a adverse effect on Tony that really isn't that adverse at all. This was pretty much a PWP, but the small moments of perfect characterization and setting made me lonnnng for the longer version of this fic.

In which Blaine tries to find a niche to fill with Kurt and keeps getting niche-blocked by all of Kurt's friends. This was wholly, utterly hilarious, and perfectly, ridiculously fun, and still lovingly, brilliantly in character. Also, adorable to extremes I can't express. Just a joy, from start to finish, in every way, from the thrill of recognition I felt at Blaine's terrible logic and motives to the snorts of laughter I could not hold back watching him fail miserably (but so earnestly!) at every turn.

In which Kurt and Blaine meet Taylor Lautner by complete accident. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *deep breath* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA. Wow. The deep, deep irony that exists here, as well as the deep, deep levels of GPOY I felt reading this... Perfect.

In which we see Kurt's perspective of the period of time covered in "Than The Sum of its Parts". This was equally adoooooorable.

In which Kurt and Blaine return to Lima for the first time in a long time since Burt died, and they prove that grieving and healing are both long processes, but the love that goes along with them are always, always worth it. This fic had me so, so verklempt, it's not even funny. It's so hard--between all the hardships of growing up and of processing conflict and loss, I suspect there's going to be parts of it that will hit too close to home for every single person that reads it--but so lovely and so full of all the best of humanity and its intentions, you forgive it wholeheartedly. It ends with home, and with love, as all things should.

In which Kurt and Blaine have the Anderson house to themselves for a night, and they make that night theirs. This was beautiful and funny and so carefully, perfectly in character. I just loved it. Also, Sondheim totally WOULD go for that.

In which a future Blaine and Kurt prepare for a new arrival, and Kurt has to reassure Blaine in the face of some pre-baby jitters. Oh my Gooooddddd, this was just perfect. Perfect.

In which Kurt catches Blaine in the middle of seeking some post-Jeremiah catharsis, and proves himself understanding. UNNNN, this was SO CUTE and SO LOVELY and is now 100% MY HEADCANON, OMG. ADORABLE.

In which Rachel sings at their wedding.

In which Blaine gets sick, and people care for him.

In which Blaine has telepathic/kenetic powers, and they go haywire whenever Kurt and Blaine are intimate. This was lovely!

UGH, no one told me greensilver did a Sherlock vid? Shame on you all.

Oooh.

In which Kurt wears something of Blaine's during sex, and it's kind of a turn on.

In which Blaine's been raised with a strict Christian upbringing, and Kurt changes and expands his entire world. In terms of religion, this fic was delightfully considered and fair to all perspectives. In terms of everything else, this fic was a very decent read, but I kept getting thrown out of the story for one reason or another. Perhaps the most damning (lol) reason, for me, was that it didn't really jive with my conception of the characters. To be honest, I spent a lot of this fic wondering what it would have been like if Kurt had been the religious one. That's my own feeling, and admittedly terrible constructive criticism, but still, I think that might have been the key to the story I personally kept wanting this one to be.

In which we see what a typical day is like in the life of Blaine Anderson. ;_________; My heart.

In which Kurt and Blaine meet as junior flight attendants. This had me smiling indulgently from start to finish. Adoooorable.

In which Burt works out that Kurt and Blaine must be having sex, and the prospect is actually sort of nice. This was lovely! Burt Hummel, man! All the world's greatest dad mugs are belong to him.

In which we see Blaine's thoughts at the end of the auditorium scene, and they're heartbreaking and lovely.

In which Kurt and Blaine work through Blaine's first episode of major depression. This was hard and sad and a little too close to home, but carefully and fairly and hopefully done.

In which Steve accidentally says a very bad thing to Tony and Tony's squad of protectors give him the evil eye while he fumbles all over himself trying to apologize. I liked this so much! Steve being the asshole! JARVIS being too sentient for anybody's good! Team banter and Pepper and Rhodey moments! A great little fic.

In which John writes himself notes, and some stick out to Sherlock. Wow, for 444 words, this sure does pack a FEELINGS punch.

In which Steve likes television, and Tony likes Steve. Lol, this was pretty great.

In which we see Blaine's history with cotillions and his heritage and his life as they relate to one another other. This was fascinatingly evocative and frequently heartbreaking, but I'm glad I read the meta that spawned it (linked in the ANs), because I felt like there wasn't a clear throughline, especially in the way it leads to the final part with Kurt. Ultimately, this fic could have stood to have been about 2000 words longer, but I can't really fault what there was of it, because it was all good.

In which Kurt's working on some pieces for a fashion competition and Blaine's standing in for the model to do some fitting and adjustments at Kurt's house one Sunday. This was lovely. So many wonderful moments of Blaine looking at Kurt and Kurt looking at Blaine and both of them seeing a miracle, and Burt looking at the two of them together and seeing love. I was warmed and delighted. And the stuff about the pieces Kurt's working on was PERFECT.

In which we see the aftermath of 3x05. Also, some Blaine angst. Basically, this became another kind of comfort sex scenario, like with Finchel, except this time done positively instead of really weirdly.

In which Chris and Darren talk about wet dreams they had, which somehow leads to phone sex. This was just about the hottest thing ever. Chris is definitely AWESOME at phonesex, lol. It was also really, really funny, which was an amazing bonus.

In which, when they're both just starting to find out who they are, Kurt and Blaine find bikes and books, respectively. And then they find each other. If something about the summary of this fic strikes you the wrong way, or something about the author's notes or the fandom or something, anything, makes you think this fic is not for you, I urge you to reconsider. This fic is perfect. It's perfectly conceived and perfectly crafted and perfectly poignant. If at some point during this fic you still think, nope, still not for me, I really, really implore you to finish, just for the sex scene at the end. I haven't seen such senuous, emotive, and compelling writing done in a long time. In an AU fic where Kurt and Blaine developed very differently from how we see them in canon, that sex scene strips them away to the core characters we've come to know and love, baring the whole of themselves to each other and to the audience in a way that left me almost shakingly in awe. I've run out of words to describe what I'm feeling, so have these, which are almost too poignant after what we saw of Blaine in 3.05:

"He’d been aware—very keenly aware—of how much he’d had to hold himself in check around Kurt, but he hadn’t known, there was no way he could have known, what permission would do to him, how fundamentally it would undo him from the inside out until he felt like nothing more than a collection of desperate hungers."

Please drop whatever you're doing and read this.

In which Kurt catches Blaine in the bathroom when they're supposed to be 'cooling off,' and some visas for south of the border are finally granted. Actually, this isn't 3x05 compliant, but what does that matter when this fic is so wonderful? And so, so, SO hot.

In which Blaine learns about love. The high concept here was really lovely, and while there were some minor moments where the language got a bit too out there for me, overall it was well executed and a wonderfully illustrative way to bring us into Blaine's psyche.

In which Blaine used to do classical fencing, and he explains some of it to Kurt. Oh my GOD, this is perfect.

In which we see Steve getting used to the internet via email exchanges with Tony. I HAVE NEVER LOLED LIKE I LOLED AT THIS. I JUST CAN'T. I CANNOT EVEN. I AM ONLY ODD.

In which Kurt becomes a singer songwriter and he and Blaine navigate the dynamics of small-time touring. I love this verse. It's a little cynical in a cheeky way, in a grown up way, where love and hope and triumph exist because minor annoyances do, too. At this point my grin is starting to hurt my face.

In which Tony ends up with a kid in the aftermath of Captain America's assassination, and between figuring out how to be a father to a traumatized girl and figuring out how to process the fact that Steve Rogers didn't actually die, it's bound to be a rough couple of months. I wanted to like this more than I did, mostly because I fell for the kid really hard and was continually frustrated with all the scenes that drew the narrative away from her. More Maria!! I'm glad this seems to be an ongoing universe because there's lots to explore. But seriously, I want more family unit dynamics, more unpacking of Maria's trauma, more of her adjusting to her new life, and less sex scenes and outsider POVs, tbh. Not that there were many, I just felt that the fic didn't need the few there were. My priorities, I am betraying them.

In which Steve and Tony grow old together, for a given definition of old, and the given perimeters of Steve and Tony.

In which Burt dies as a result of his heart attack, and Kurt goes mute until someone comes along to remind him of the importance of his voice. This has some dialogue and melodrama problems, but was very good overall.

*based on SPOILERS about The First Time* In which Kurt and Blaine put on a little bit of a show at the gay bar, but it's more about them than anything else. OMFG, so hot, but also very grounded in the feelings and issues of the upcoming ep / these two boys. LOVED it.

*__*

In which Blaine and Rory bond a little bit after Rory joins Glee. Coda to Pot O Gold. I WANT THIS TO BE CANON REALLY BADLY.

IN WHICH THERE IS GYZYM OUTLINING KIDFIC. IIIII LOOOOOOVE ITTTTTTTTTT.

In which Tony is cockblocked by his teammates, or maybe he just isn't as great at seduction as he thinks he is, or maybe it's a bit of both. THOR GETTING MAD AT HORS D’OEUVRES, OMG.

In which they rub each other the wrong way, until they find a different context for rubbing each other. *eyebrow waggle* Moohaha. I liked that it was Tony here who "didn't like" Steve, and I liked that the fic doesn't apologize for that early belligerence, and I like that it doesn't resolve perfectly, but with a promise of more development yet to come. As much as I love seeing them warm with each other as they are in most fic I read, this kind of wary circling seems more likely canonically and I was pleased with how much this fic made me enjoy it.

In which we see what Blaine's life is like that first semester Kurt's in New York. Alternatively, in which Blaine structures his life around other people, but those people are wonderful, so maybe that's not a bad thing. Mmmm, Wordplay. This was wonderful.

In which Tony is seriously injured (permanent damage) and his life changes. I wanted to like this more than I did, mostly because the 2nd person Tony POV was perfectly voiced and well-considered. But the style and plot is so cyclical and melancholic that I was left exhausted and let-down in spite of myself.

In which the team plays I Never.

In which Tony finds he's grown up kind of by accident, Steve re-acquires his best friend, also sort of by accident, and the team and the house are all kinds of great together, absolutely and amazingly by accident. Sequel to Ready, Fire, Aim. I have to wake up and catch a plane in less than 6 hours. Worth the lost sleep a thousand times over. Gyzym and her Marvel universe own my story- and character-loving heart and soul.

In which Steve proposes in the flush of victory after the Marriage Equality Act passes in New York, leading to a spontaneous party and a spontaneous "exclusive interview" between Peter, Tony, and Steve. This fic series is just the greatest. It seems like it would be mindless fluff, but Tony's laundry list is on full display here, and there are some really interesting moments of weakness on both Tony AND Steve's sides. That being said, a lot of this is an unrepentant riot of team-related snark and shenanigans, with extra helpings of Peter, Thor, Pepper, and Rhodey being amazing and hilarious. The word threesome gets tossed around a lot, to the point where it's temporarily stopped being sexy for me and has instead become the trigger for instantaneous gigglesnorting. All in all, two thumbs way, way up.

In which we see a series of Steve's birthdays from 1925 to 200*. Lovingly warm, but also perfectly wry.

UNIVERSE EXPLANATIONS, OMG. *CLINGS* Comics fandom, it is crazy.

In which Steve is sort of passively introduced to the music he's missed out on through overhearing Tony sing in the shower. This was just adorable in every way. The stupid grin the title immediately inspired never left my face the entire time I was reading.

In which Blaine outlines his history with coffee.

In which Gary and Kestrel get to be baby daddies in honor of 4x04. Part of the No Business Like Show Business voice actors!AU. Teeheehee

In which Tony is perfectly content to privately nurse a crush on Steve, until Steve poses in his underwear for a charity calendar and suddenly "manageable crush on" becomes "raging hardon for" and apparently Tony (along with the rest of the free world) is just unable to handle seeing that much of Captain America with any amount of maturity or tact. At first I loled in delight when I saw this fic was about 10000 words. That lol quickly became a crey, because I realized this fic was only 10000 words, when obviously it should be a billion, and never end. It's just that great.

In which Captain America is slowly seduced by technology and by Tony Stark, and the two are somewhat confusedly related. A series of cute vignettes that I personally feel didn't fit together as well as they could have (or perhaps suffered for each being so short?), but were enjoyable nonetheless.

In which Logan joins the X-Men when Erik and Charles come to call and basically rewrites the entire course of the movie with the force of his awesomeness. BOSSEST BOSS TO EVER BOSS, WOW.

This song fits so well... except for that one oft-ridiculed line, which sort of threw me out of things despite how great this vid is.

Oh my GOD. Intensely well-edited, with a high concept that's nothing short of entrancing.

In which there's Tony, through the years, building things, often in spite of himself. Jesus, this was gorgeous. Frenetic and charged, just like it should be.

In which there is some virginal hand-holding, and other things holding, too. Hahaha, jesus, virginity kink with a lot of talking, my weak points were assailed from all angles!

So many rounds of goosebumps while watching this. So goddamn many.

WOAH.

3 minutes of parallels that make them look pretty darned destined for each other, lol.