#para 1

Everything changed when one day, his personal assistant came knocking on his door with a letter in hand that possessed an emblem he never thought he’d see again. A red, intricate ‘D’ in the top left corner, and an Ohio zipcode next to the return address. He’d almost thrown it away. Left that chapter of his life behind once and for all, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. A week later, he was on a plane back to Westerville with a suitcase of clothes and other essentials, and another full of case files he needed to review for an impending trial. He’d considered staying with his dad, but he hadn’t gotten much more tolerable over the years, so instead Sebastian decided to reserve a room at the same hotel the reunion was being held at for the month. That’s how he ended up here, at a hotel bar with some painfully Heterosexual men around, watching a football game that Sebastian was only really half paying attention to.

It’s been almost five years since Blaine moved to New York, the city of his dreams. Graduation came at McKinley, and he never looked back, packing up his bags and making his way north to the City that Never Sleeps. He went to NYU, got his bachelors in music education. Now he’s working on his masters and living in a hole-in-the-wall apartment with his (on again/off again) boyfriend of seven years. He is rushing toward everything he has ever wished for.

His life should feel magical, that’s what Blaine tries to tell himself every day. However, as he sits on the subway on a Friday afternoon, taking the train back to his and Kurt’s place in Brooklyn, Blaine can’t help but feel like something is missing.

He just wishes he knew what.

Seated with his satchel in his lap, Blaine looks around the subway car, taking in the various people the world has connected him with today. Directly across from him sits a woman reading a book and a little boy, assumedly her son, playing with a toy car. The seat directly beside Blaine is empty, but two seats down sits an older woman, who appears to be knitting a scarf.

All around Blaine, people are living their own lives, oblivious to the others’ surrounding them, unknowing of who’s life they will connect with next and whether it will be for the good or the bad. With a ping of his phone, Blaine unlocks the screen to find a text from Kurt, a poor apology for the fight they had that morning. Closing the screen, he decides to hold off responding.

The subway stops then, still two stops away from Blaine’s neighborhood, doors opening to filter out old passengers and in new ones. More strangers, more connections, more lives passing by his.

Sometimes Blaine wonders which of the connections he’s made in his life were for the good. Sometimes he wonders if he has held onto the right ones.

Right now, mind on an unanswered text as he watches new passengers board the train, he’s not so sure.

Riley has had a long fucking week and he doesn’t often go to the bar to let off steam but Spencer has dragged him out of his apartment (literally has grabbed his shirt and refused to let go) so here he is, leaning against the bar counter as he waits for another beer. 

“You gotta leave your apartment more than you do, dude,” Spencer tells him, “You’re gonna become that old cat lady with plants.” 

Riley shrugs, “I practically am an old cat lady with plants.” 

His friend snorts. “That’s my point.” 

Riley rolls his eyes and tips the bartender before taking a slow sip of his beet. At least he can let himself unwind and not have to worry about getting fucking wasted, especially with Spencer there. He does have his eye on a few people in the bar though, just in case he wants to have a good time with no strings. There’s this blonde dude near the other end of the bar and a pretty brunette with a soft smile and...he tilts his head. She did have a soft smile until there’s this guy that doesn’t seem to want to take no for an answer. 

He purses his lips, deciding to ignore the situation for a few moments because it’s not his business and he talks to Spencer about ordering a plate of nachos. But this girl keeps steering his attention until he has to do something about this dickhead encroaching on her space. 

“Give me a sec,” He tells Spencer before disappearing down the bar line and slides right in-between this girl and dick, giving her a smile.

“Babe, hey, sorry the bathroom line was ridiculous.” He slides an arm around her waist, hoping he doesn’t get punched in the face before he gives this guy a look. “Hey why don’t you fuck off?” 

Making his way to the bar, he hops onto a stool and smiles when Jake sees him even though he doesn’t attempt to order from him yet. The bar is busy for a Monday night. Running a hand through his curls, he raises an eyebrow when Jake puts down a beer in front of him. 

“What if I wanted a cosmo instead?” 

Jake rolls his eyes, “You don’t get to curtail free drinks.” 

Blaine shakes his head and sips from the bottle, turning his attention towards the crowd that’s gathering as the bar continues to fill up. 

His eyes scanned the surrounding area until they locked onto something familiar. Not something. Someone. Maisie? He blinked to try and focus his vision a bit, but she was there. Jack got a little bit closer, but far enough to be unseen if he wanted to. Just enough to see if that was actually her. Until she somehow locked eyes with him. Ah fuck. He thought, before giving her a soft smile and raising his hand to wave. 

Small towns weren’t really James’ thing. He could appreciate the quaintness from a distance, even admire the charm of everyone knowing everyone, but if he was being honest (and he’d been doing a lot of that lately) he couldn’t imagine himself living in a small town. Yet here he was. 

It was all a matter of circumstances really, and he believed that God wouldn’t have aligned everything just so, had he not intended for James to be here, in the middle of Alabama, on a balmy day, moving into his new Parish. 

Everything that came before this moment: birth, childhood, heartbreak, study, more heartbreak, falling in love with Him, a Masters of Divinity, and a long cross country train trip.

He’d just completed his seminary training, been ordained at a lavish ceremony when Auburn Church’s Priest had retired, and the position subsequently opened. The church’s community was small, and the expectations as the leader were introductory, as opposed to a bigger city, a bigger church. James had become a candidate almost immediately. He was told this was an amazing opportunity for a first assignment, far more responsibility than other order members in his position. 

Who was he, to defy God’s wishes?

There was nothing more nervewracking than representing Him for the first time, out in the world, among his community. Before his first Sunday service, and after he’d rehearsed his sermon a dozen times, James had prayed. He’d asked for strength, as always, but that he would find his purpose in this town with ease, with an open heart. 

James sucked in a deep breath. He was itching for a cigarette, but he’d quit almost a year ago, when he knew he was about to commit himself to God for good, and he wasn’t about to take up any vices right now. He greeted each and every Parish member, shaking hands and comforting those who needed extra guidance. The demographic was mostly families - the elderly, and middle-aged parents with young children - but one woman stood out. Her hair was a golden honey blonde, and while others fanned themselves in the stuffy church hall, she seemed to be completely at ease, glowing almost. 

James' eyes lingering to hers throughout his service, like a beacon to calm his nerves. He stumbled over his words and found himself less nervous the moment he made eye contact with the woman. Her eyes were smiling. He smiled back. 

Not even a week into starting at her new school and Clarke is already getting assigned with a partner for a group project. On one hand, no one at her new school knows much about her, not even her name really, so the fact the she was top of her class at her other school goes unnoticed. She always hated being paired up with a jock who just wanted to use her because she did her work, or a know it all who thought they were smarter than her. On the other hand, no one here knows her name. She’s sure that whoever she gets paired with will make some sort of comment about her being new and all eyes will be on her and that’s the last thing she wanted. Clarke just wants to lay low, get a feel of things, be herself and go unnoticed. She’s never been a fan of being in the center of attention. But unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Trying hard to make herself invisible, Clarke focuses on writing in her notebook, just waiting to hear her name called. Only when it comes does she look up.

“Clarke Griffin and Lexa Woods”