breakthistrap:

myfeetlitup:

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I started typing and this got really long.  I was about to go to sleep but I thought, screw that.  Let me meta Blaine instead.

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waking up to thoughtful blaine meta is a beautiful thing.  the op makes a lot of good points about blaine craving acceptance vs approval.  and once one can wrap one’s head around the idea that those are two separate (yet often intertwined) concepts, blaine’s motives and characterization can be seen in a much more nuanced and (i think) precise way.  sometimes i think fandom’s tendency is to break characterizations down into overly simple and basic concepts (see: the oh blainers meme, puppy!blaine) and that makes it much harder to see the nuance in a character’s motivation. 

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I gather people are into this fight club thing of Blaine’s.  That’s cool.  I am not, and I feel kinda lonely on my anti-fight club island of one.

Like, I get it, sweaty dudes exerting their sweaty instincts can be hot.  And if I try, I can even resolve Blaine starting a fight club with his character, even though it was probably meant as a throwaway jokey line.  

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also i think pride is a big factor in everything blaine does.  and i’m going to chalk that up to his daddy issues. and the fact that from an early age he was told to be better, the be exact, to be the model citizen that noone can really achieve being.  which is why he holds himself up to such a high standard and why he ended up being the lead guy in the warblers and why it affected him so deeply when kurt said he was proud of him and why he has so many internal issues with perfection.

this is so wonderful.  i get this feeling that in the  overlap in the venn diagram of the person who blaine thinks he’s expected to be and the person who he wants to be is quite small.  like when he left the gay bar and said he just wanted to make art and help people—that’s not something we’ve really heard from him before.  but around kurt (and ok some of the art + help people admission was due to the alcohol) the expectations of who blaine should be don’t matter so much.  his heart opens when he’s with kurt and he feels things much more overtly and dare i say, strongly than he has allowed himself to before.  and (maybe somewhat unwittingly) he also allows himself to go to the place where all the pressue he puts on himself to be is not bearing down on him so strongly.  and yeah, he still worries that he’ll fuck up, and yeah, he still has that perfect~ complex going, but it’s not as burdensome, like a giant weight on his shoulders telling him to be different, be better, be exact.  because now it’s with love in his heart and happiness thrumming through his veins and bursting out in the happiest most content smile.  because where his heart is is also where he finds joy in life.

There’s a quality about Blaine that relishes in giving his all.  Which is why he loves so fiercely and is so deeply loyal to those he cherishes.  But just as much as he relishes at putting it all out there, there is a timidity behind it all, too.  Like, he has to slip into alternate version of himself to go through with it. It’s so clear on his face in the first and last gifs.  The first gif where he amps himself up and gives himself that final push into the song, and in the second gif where he becomes Blaine The Performer.  And throughout the whole performance he just owns the song, the stage, the attention span of anybody watching.  

He is so captivating because the raw power behind his performance is so palpable.  It’s about more than performing, it’s about laying himself bare and powrfully expressing emotions he would not normally be so forthcoming with if it weren’t through this alternate persona and through this song.  And then the last gif, the song is over, and as the adrenaline rush fades the vulnerability creeps back on his face, because Blaine singing, Blaine performing is a stronger part of himself than he can convey on his own.

Then there’s the conflict at the end, where it’s not just choosing between what Kurt wants and what he wants for himself, but it’s about Blaine having to choose between two sides of himself.  The one who loves the who he is when he’s putting himself out there for the world, and the one who loves Kurt and wants to support Kurt putting Kurt out there in the world.  Two sides that he embraces so absolutely, and two sides he never realized until that moment could be at odds with each other.

 (And of course it is all more complicated than that with Kurt’s feelings on the matter and how these two sides are not mutually exclusive, but in that moment, it certainly doesn’t feel that way.)

So here’s what I love about how Kurt and Blaine dealt with Prom Queen.

There’s the intial shock, where Kurt is once again shoved down and told, “no, you can’t have it all.  Fairy tails can’t come true for you.”  And there’s the part where Blaine sits back and lets Kurt work through this because he doesn’t know what to do either and goddamn, this is all so unfair.  And then there’s the part where Kurt paces and dithers and reflects on how incredibly hurtful these people are.  Then there’s the part where, after all that, Kurt decides that no, he will not let those assholes think that they got him.  He will not give them the satisfaction that they could do anything to push him down for good.  His decision to go back out there is a giant declaration of fortitude and resilience, a great big fuck you to all the haters.

 And Kurt decided this all of his own volition.  

And Blaine could not love him any more than in that moment.  Seeing Kurt this strong, this determined, Blaine is almost moved to tears.  The depth of admiration and respect and awe and pride he feels for Kurt is written all over his face.

Who blame Blaine for feeling this way though?  It is something to behold really, because this is Kurt being strong through his vulnerability, not in spite of it.  In the hallway with Blaine, this is Kurt without the facade he usually puts up and even with his defenses down he’s just as strong—no, stronger—than he is when he’s feigning utter invincibility.  

All those moments where Blaine is heart-eyeing and melting into the presence of Kurt—where he’s perfectly content just basking in the comfort of being with the boy he loves—they’re backed up by moments like this.  Where the powerful unguarded openness they share with each other is the most important thing between them. Theirs is a relationship based on mutual respect and support, and the trustworthiness it takes to sustain those qualities.

But here’s the best part.  It comes after all that insecurity and being in that auditorium with that palpable hostility in the air and then that feeling of alone-ness in the pit of Kurt’s stomach when Karofsky runs away from Kurt.  It’s after Kurt has to look around at all these people judging him, and it’s after Blaine shoves his own reservations aside to ask Kurt to dance with him.   It’s after all that focusing on other people and the worrying and fretting.

The best part is when Kurt and Blaine start to dance.  It’s that moment when it’s no longer about the other people, but about them being together.  It’s about Kurt living the fairy tale.  It’s about him being able to have his Prince Charming for once.  And not in some syrupy fantasy cartoon way, but in a real, “this is my boyfriend and I get to dance with him at prom and despite all the other shit that’s happened, this moment right here is what I’ve always wanted” way.

x

Right then it’s only about Kurt and Blaine.  It’s about them being there for each other and understanding each other and Blaine trying to assuage any lingering apprehension.  And then it’s none of that.  Then it’s just  Kurt and Blaine, two people in love having fun and dancing at prom.  And it would be extraordinary if it weren’t so ordinary.  And that’s the most triumphant part of it all.

x

You will never convince me Blaine is not good for Kurt.  Not only is that a look of love and devotion, that is a look of listening.  So many people in Kurt’s life either tune him out or don’t listen to what he’s saying, instead imposing their own meanings on Kurt’s words and actions.  But Blaine, he pays attention to Kurt, he tries to hear and understand everything Kurt says, because Kurt is important.  And even if he doesn’t agree, Blaine is still respectful, still supportive, still there to listen.  This look says it all.

menfenced:

Well, not really unpopular, but it doesn’t seem to be that popular either. 

I don’t think Blaine if filled with doubt and self loathing. I don’t think his attitude is all just an act to cover it up. I mean, granted, there’s got to be SOME self loathing there because A. he’s human and B. he’s a teenager. Moments of low self esteem are just a fact of life, especially at that confusing age. But I’ve been seeing a lot of comments lately about Blaine thinking he’s not worthy of Kurt and hating himself and blah blah blah and I really don’t think it’s true. 

Blaine might think Kurt is too good for him, but if he does, it’s because Blaine is a happy puppy who sees the best in people, ESPECIALLY Kurt. Kurt has always held a special place in Blaine’s world, even before his epiphany in Original Songs. (SLS and BIOTA give Blaine some lines that say pretty much exactly this, but you can see it even before that) It’s not because Blaine hates himself. He has regrets, yeah. He has things he has done and things he does do that he’s not entirely proud of. But don’t we all? 

Just because he has those dark points in his life doesn’t mean he’s some horribly tragic character. He’s just a teenager who has had a lot of shit to deal with. And like all teens, he’s just trying to find his way through it all and find himself in the process. It’s not all sunshine and daisies, but I don’t think he hates himself just because he regrets things in his past. I think he wants to be a better person than he has been, a stronger person, and I think that Kurt inspires him so much to be that person. But I don’t think he hates himself for not being that person in the past. 

I totally get what you’re saying and agree with basically all of it.  But that teenage insecurity you talked about?  I think that hits Blaine hard.  Kurt opened Blaine up in ways he didn’t even realize was possible and Blaine is incredibly happy now.  Probably the happiest he’s ever been.  But I think Blaine also has a lot of conflicting inner dialogue.  The kind where he’s not even aware it’s happening until one day he’s sitting in the quiet by himself and this hard kernel of self-doubt springs forth and he just wonders.  Wonders if this is all too good to be true and one day he’ll wake up and it’ll be gone.

 Blaine is entirely, utterly optimistic about other people.  So he finds Kurt perfect.  Even in Kurt’s impatient, haughty, I-am-above-you moments, Blaine sees more good than bad.  But with himself, I think that perfectly sculpted exterior Blaine creates betrays himself sometimes, and he wonders if he’s good enough for Kurt.  Not when they’re together, wrapped up learning about each other and loving each other and generally being together.  But when he’s left with his own thoughts, away from the bustle of his day-to-day life, sometimes he feels so unsure about his role in Kurt’s life that he presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and tries to shake the insecurities away.  Like what if Kurt’s adoring glance or reciprocations aren’t enough to keep him there?  What if Blaine isn’t enough to satisfy this amazing, wonderful, enigmatic guy he loves?  Does this happen every day to Blaine?  No, of course not.  But it has happened, more than once.  And each time it does, that feeling of dread grows and that kernel of self-doubt and dread grows a little bit more.

Of course, this just means that when Kurt finally does reassure Blaine that yes, all he wants is Blaine, that Blaine is obviously more than enough, it’s going to be so fantastically crey-worthy that all of our Klainer hearts will crack in two from exploding feelings.

/in which I semi-obnoxiously try to make my own headcanon actual canon.

waltzy:

thisisstaelus:

i always think about how happy blaine makes kurt, and how kurt smiled for the first time with blaine 

but i rarely think about how happy kurt makes blaine. imagine blaine without him. he needs kurt. i’m sleepy and not good with words, so have this picture 

;__________; It’s true though, they both need each other. I don’t know how much of a support system Blaine had before Kurt. And the look on Blaine’s face when he’s looking back after SOWK, it breaks my heart every time. 

Honestly, I think Blaine thought he didn’t need much of a support system before Kurt.  Like, he has friends, and he’s accepted, and so what if his parents aren’t always there for him, and so what if he feels an obligation to constantly be “put together”?  He’s lucky to have The Warbler boys and the Dalton walls to make him feel comfortable.  And then Kurt came along and showed Blaine that it’s okay to have feelings, that it’s okay to express oneself.  People won’t push you away for being less-than-perfect.  And Blaine was able to feel that because of Kurt.  Because of this he’ll always feel tied to Kurt in some way, for helping him break the cocoon he had wound so tightly around himself.  And then before Blaine realized it, he couldn’t remember a day without Kurt in it, a day where he wasn’t crazy about Kurt, a day where he didn’t love Kurt.

I imagine after another awkward, stilted, pointless event that his parents made Blaine attend, one where he had to reschedule a date with Kurt, only to have his father “introduce” him to one of his father’s co-worker’s daughters (which, “nice subtlety there, dad,” he thinks, because since when did his father take this much interest in Blaine, let alone some random girl?), and Blaine’s frustrated and upset and wants to turn to Kurt but his insecurities with his father are boiling over into his feelings about Kurt and he’s so unsure of what to do right now, just that he feels awful.  And Blaine will just stand there in the hallway, hiding from the banquet, wallowing, subconsciously afraid of rejection from Kurt, too (which while an unfounded conjecture, an angsty brain isn’t always the most logical), because right now he needs Kurt so much.  And how does he admit that when he’s been rejected all along by the anchors in his life.  When his own father, someone who he should need, someone who should inherently never reject him, just did it again as if it didn’t mean anything at all.

wishyouwould:

charlieshoodie:

I will never understand Santana’s motive when she tries to get Finn to tell everyone they slept together.

And then she tacks on “we’d be free to see each other” after he and Rachel broke up.

I just don’t get it.

She says it’s to make Finn popular again.

But there’s nothing in it for her. She’s “getting naked” with Puck.

I just…I don’t know. I don’t get it.

this was after rachel excluded her from that “girl meeting” to help kurt (via their boyfriends) (of course) (lol fuck you glee), right? i think we were supposed to think she was trying to get back at rachel/was hurt over being left out/maybe deep down part of her longs for that kind of romantic connection with someone? and if she can’t have it would like to destroy everyone else’s happiness because she’s bitter and sad? i think they cut to her sad face during the vows or something too, so idk, that’s what i took from it.

I also think that Santana has always had it out for Rachel because Rachel is so unabashedly herself no matter what, and Santana is jealous of that.  As much as Santana says she “keeps it real,” she’s always hidden parts of herself from the world lest she be judged for her shortcomings (and this goes back before the writers decided to make her a closeted lesbian.  one of her first major character “developments” was getting a boob job because she was insecure and just wanted to be noticed).  Also, Santana tends to think of others not as people to share a connection with but as prizes to be won and “collected.”  She doesn’t put a lot of stock value into feelings because those are things she can’t immediately quantify and understand and that’s too bewildering to think about.  So instead she focuses on concrete qualities and collects people like objects, always going after the most coveted one at the time, using them to “up” her value by association. Sort of like baseball cards: sure that Mickey Mantle rookie card was not that valuable when it first came out, but now it’s worth a fortune and everybody wants one.  The same concept works with Finn or Puck or Sam or whomever: once other people start wanting them their social value goes up and Santana wants them too.  And once she’s had them she not only has bragging rights (which she loudly proclaims at every turn), but she can also make herself seem better by simulteaneously demeaning those who she has already “had” and those who still want her “sloppy seconds.”  It’s a perverted self-esteem boost that she’s perfected over the years.  (There’s also something to be said with how Santana defines herself through her sexuality, both on the “straight” and “lesbian” sides of the coin, but that would take about a million years to go through.)

Bringing this back to the original point, that’s not to say Santana doesn’t have a heart or hates Rachel (in fact, despite finding her annoying, I think Santana actually admires a lot of qualities about Rachel), but Santana has lived her life doing battle with the world and defining her place in it in a certain way and for Rachel Berry to come in and not abide by those same rules Santana has so strictly adhered to is something Santana’s subconscious won’t allow.  So she lashes out in her tried and true way against Rachel.  Rachel just puts everything about her out there for the world to see, unashamed of who she is.  And if she’s going to have the audacity to do that, Santana’s defense mechanism is going to kick in and try and tear her down for that and steal her prized man while she’s at it.

singingtomysoul:

As much as I totally agree with Chris’s move to make Kurt going back into prom his own decision, since this show has a long, bad history of relationships in which one halfof the couple (usually the man, in a straight relationship) dictates what’s best for the other half, the original idea still kind of makes me melt.

Because like Quinn and Santana in that triptych, Kurt is at his lowest.  He’s been beaten down and had his plans and dreams totally overthrown.  He believes nothing is ever going to get better for him.  And one of the most important people in his life reminds him who he is and helps support him and guide him forward.  Says “no, you’re better than that.”

And Blaine, who spent the whole evening wanting to run, who had every chance to not go at all and only did so because he loves Kurt, is told to leave and has an excuse to.  And for the first time, he refuses.  He says “no, we can’t walk out the door, not tonight,” and he finds the courage for Kurt’s sake because Kurt matters.

All of which was better conveyed by him appearing to dance with Kurt at the end of the night, show not tell and all that, but still.  These boys are better together.  And always will be.

I see what you’re saying, but I think Blaine’s silent support did more for Kurt than being told he’s better than that.  At his core, Kurt has always balked immediately at being told what to do so I can’t imagine him being able to be psyched up that easily.   And I can’t help but think it would be regressing their relationship a bit to make Blaine take on that mentor role that he used to take with Kurt.  For Kurt to make this decision himself and for Blaine to support him in what he chooses to do not only shows their growth as a couple but lets Blaine bask in the strength and inner courage that Kurt already has. 

Also, I think it’s a nice contrast in showing Kurt’s character growth over the seasons compared to Quinn and Santana and how they still have a lot to work on within themselves.  Kurt is at the point in his life where he’s embracing exactly who he is, and Quinn and Santana haven’t yet reached the cusp of doing that yet.

And yeah, I really like how Blaine stepped up to dance with Kurt at the end, because Kurt showed his inner courage so prominently and Blaine’s love for Kurt allowed himself to overcome his own insecurities so he could support Kurt in the best way he knew how—by show, not tell.  

daxterdd:

KURT: Don’t you get how stupid we were? We thought that because no one was teasing us or beating us up that no one cared. That some kind of progress had been made, but it’s still the same.

My poor boys.

Look at Blaine’s face, though.  He is so upset for Kurt.  Like, this is exactly what he didn’t want to happen.  Not in a I-told-you-so way, but in a I-never-want-Kurt-to-have-to-go-through-this-kind-of-pain way.  And all he wants to do is fix it and make it all better and he knows he can’t, that this is the shittiest situation possible and there’s nothing he can do about it.  There is probably not a worse feeling for Blaine than to feel so thoroughly helpless to aid someone he loves against feeling so completely terrible.

Which is why later, Blaine beams with so much awe and love and pride and adoration when Kurt resolves to go back into the auditorium.  Because he sees Kurt as incredibly strong and brave he is enormously lucky to have Kurt in his life.

Make You Feel My Love (this isn’t exactly how I would imagine Kurt singing this song, but this was the closest cover that I could find to match his register)

I know everybody wants Blaine to sing this song to Kurt, but I think it would mean more the other way around. I want Kurt to sing this to Blaine. Preferably in public, or at least in front of the glee club.

Blaine is the kind of person who will constantly let Kurt know how much he loves him, how much Kurt means to him, and he’s proven that already with his “I’m crazy about you” and his easy “I love you.” And it’s not that Kurt doesn’t reciprocate those feelings, it’s just that he’s less…personally emotive. By that I don’t mean that Kurt isn’t expressive—he is, but with the exception of IWHYH, he sings more about dreams and aspirations and general feelings, not his own personal relationships. Instead Kurt guards those emotions, keeps them close by, and only lets them out in private moments of tenderness. It’s not that Blaine can’t tell or doesn’t know how much Kurt loves and cares for him, because he can, that connection between them is real. It’s just outside of Kurt’s comfort zone to declare needing someone so passionately and openly, laying his emotions out bare for the everyone to see.

Blaine’s already sung to Kurt, he’s let Kurt and the figurative masses know how he feels about him. For Kurt to draw himself out and reciprocate the action for Blaine is a huge step. Because even though Kurt has professed his desire to be able to do those things, he’s still someone who protects his inner thoughts, not wanting to be vulnerable and laid bare for the world to see and pick apart. Because maybe if they know what he’s really feeling they can get to him, they can tear him down and break him. But singing to Blaine, letting his guard down and publicly vocalizing how he feels about Blaine, that’s putting another level in trust in Blaine, it’s something Blaine wouldn’t request or even expect, but once Kurt did it, it would mean so, SO much to Blaine. It would be like Kurt taking Blaine by the hand and showing him that yes, they will walk through life together. It would be a way of proclaiming that their love for one another is stronger and more powerful than any insecurities Kurt may have.

So I think it would be really beautiful and touching to see Kurt go where Blaine goes so easily, to pull Blaine close and say through song so everyone can hear: I’m here for you and you will not lose me. Please always count on me to be here for you, to care for you, to love you, because I will. That’s a promise.

Not to mention that I think Blaine really needs that kind of support system in his life, and for someone—for Kurt—to express that so genuinely and so overtly: well, how could that not be beautiful?

waltzy:

wishyouwouldnot:

he was so perfect in this episode <3

He really was. He’s so brave in all of these clips: agreeing to go to prom because he knows how much it means to Kurt, supporting Kurt and going back in a hostile crowd to ask him to dance.

Can we take a moment to notice how he purses his lips and looks up, completely taken with how much he loves Kurt?  Like all these moments would be superficially ascribed to Blaine helping Kurt, and yeah, that’s probably true in the moment.  But in the greater sense, these are all moments that help Blaine become stronger.  While Kurt shows his utter strength and self-reliance, Blaine is become a stronger person, a person less timid of showing his own vulnerabilities, because if Kurt can be this strong, Blaine can’t help but emulate that and support him.  And Kurt?  He has Blaine now and it is clear that he doesn’t have to be so self-reliant any more.

smuchshypush:

He’s wanted to kiss those lips for a very long time

I was watching BICO and remembering how their pre-boyfriends relationship was, and this popped in my head.  It’s maybe not-so-relevant now, but it’s what made me fall in love with Klaine:

Blaine keeps his eyes trained on Kurt at all times.  When Blaine enters a room, or looks up or, turns around, or takes a step, or does anything really, his eyes instinctively search for Kurt.  He needs to know where Kurt is to ground himself, to make the moment feel more real.  But the thing is, Kurt doesn’t ground Blaine, not really.  Instead, Kurt intoxicates Blaine, giving life to hundreds of tiny little strings, pulls of the heart that lift him up and make him feel about ten times lighter.  Those moments with Kurt become ten times more exhilarating and ten times more meaningful, and also ten times more precarious at the same time.  Because then Blaine is suddenly tenuously balancing the wire between what they have now and something more.  But that wire is weak and feels like it’s about to snap.  Like they could fall into each other at any second.

When Blaine notices himself automatically seeking Kurt, he tells himself that he’s just looking out for him as a mentor, a protector, a confidante, a friend.  Yes, a friend.  That’s what friends do, right?  Look out for one another?  But Blaine’s eyes, his subconscious, his body all know before he does that he’s completely and totally smitten with Kurt.

And the best part about this?  You could switch the names “Blaine” and “Kurt” in the first paragraph and it would still be completely true.  They are magnets for each other.