Author's Note: This is just a short one-shot that I wrote during a storm a few nights back. I was stuck waiting up so I could listen to tornado alerts on the radio since we can't hear the sirens from my house, and I ended up writing this in order to keep myself awake. So… this is the end result. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Glee and it's characters belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox. I don't own, so don't sue.
A Place of Safety
Kurt's eyes widened as the radio cut out, a shrill siren blaring through the speakers of the kitchen radio and echoing throughout the empty house.
"….The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the following counties…"
"Blaine?" He called, voice a bit shrill as he dropped the mixing spoon he'd been holding into the sink. He hurriedly wiped his hands on a nearby towel and moved from the kitchen in an effort to locate his boyfriend.
Blaine came down the hall, scrutinizing the handful of DVDs he'd grabbed from Kurt's room. He glanced up when he realized Kurt was moving to meet him.
"What do you think?" He asked offhandedly, "Sleepless in Seattle or Dead Poet's Society?"
Kurt ignored the question, closing the distance between them and snatching the movies from Blaine's hands and setting them on the nearest surface. "We're under a tornado watch."
Blaine's eyes widened slightly, though it was probably more in alarm at his boyfriend's panicked tone. "What?" He frowned, grabbing Kurt's hand in his and pulling him back towards the kitchen and the still buzzing radio.
"The alerts came on a few minutes ago." Kurt replied a bit dazedly, his voice an octave higher in unease. He watched as Blaine's hazel eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened to the alerts being repeated by the station's weatherman.
"… radar located a storm cell capable of producing a tornado southeast of Lima, moving north at 30mph. This is a dangerous storm with strong level rotation… A tornado is occurring or could occur at any time. Counties in the path of this storm include…Allen County…"
Kurt was all but bouncing on his feet with nervous energy, his eyes flicking towards the windows every few seconds as if expecting to spot a tornado with each erratic flash of lightning.
Blaine straightened and glanced at Kurt, noticing his boyfriend's unease immediately. He reached out and reclaimed Kurt's hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. "C'mon. Let's head down to the basement."
Kurt just nodded dazedly and allowed Blaine to lead him downstairs.
Blaine released Kurt's hand only once they were in the basement. He turned his eyes towards the ceiling when a particular loud crash of thunder shook the house, his mouth pulled into a grim line. He turned his gaze to sweep around the room, moving to locate candles and anything else they might need should the weather take a turn for the worst.
He'd just finished making a sort of nest beneath the stairs when he noticed that Kurt hadn't moved since they came downstairs. His eyes softened when he took in his boyfriend's terrified expression.
"Hey," He bade gently, straightening and moving towards Kurt and ducking his head slightly in order to catch the brunette's lowered gaze. "C'mon. It's going to be fine."
Kurt shiftily raised his eyes to meet Blaine's, but his expression was far from assured. "It doesn't sound like it."
Even from the basement, the string of alerts pouring over the radio could faintly be heard.
Blaine shook his head and pulled Kurt towards him, wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders in a comforting hug. After a moment, Kurt's arms wound tightly around Blaine's waist in response. Blaine squeezed him lightly.
"C'mon," He pulled back just enough to catch Kurt's eyes again. "Go get settled- I'll bring the radio down here."
Kurt's eyes widened slightly. "You're going back up there?"
It was all Blaine could do not to laugh at the horror in his boyfriend's voice- of course he managed, though. He wasn't about to laugh at Kurt when he was so obviously scared to death.
He smiled gently. "The storm's not quite here yet, Kurt. I'll be right back."
He kissed Kurt lightly as if to seal the promise. It seemed to appease the smaller boy.
"Fine. Just hurry up." Kurt snipped, his chin lifting slightly as he moved towards the nest Blaine had fashioned out of the blankets and pillows he'd scrounged up.
Blaine's lips quirked wryly, but he made quick work of snatching the radio from the kitchen regardless. When he returned to the basement he found Kurt curled up in the blankets, the numerous candles Blaine had gathered were scattered around him and lit.
Despite himself, Blaine felt the tug of arousal low in his stomach as he took in the scene.
Kurt didn't seem to notice the darkening of his boyfriend's eyes. "There's an outlet over there." He offered glumly, gesturing towards a nearby wall as he snuggled deeper in the covers he'd pulled over him.
Blaine watched Kurt pull the covers tight under his chin and all but forgot his wandering thoughts as the need to comfort his boyfriend won out. He made quick work of plugging the radio in and balancing it on an old box labeled "Baby Stuff" before he moved towards the pallet of blankets and pillows. He paused long enough to kick off his shoes before he sank down next to Kurt, lifting the blanket just long enough to slide beneath it.
The radio station had switched to an obnoxiously upbeat, random song for the moment, but it seemed to do little to quell Kurt's nerves. He didn't even glance at Blaine until the other boy was settled next to him on the blankets. However, he went willingly when Blaine pulled him into his arms.
After a bit of maneuvering the two boys settled down, Blaine laying on his back with Kurt all but pulled on top of him. The younger boy was curled tightly against Blaine's body and had his face tucked into the crook of the raven's neck. Blaine tilted his cheek against Kurt's temple and punched out a sigh.
The radio had begun to blare the shrill siren again- another weather bulletin was coming in.
Blaine felt Kurt tense in his arms.
"The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for the following counties…"
The two boys listened to the list of affected counties with baited breath. Blaine's hold on Kurt tightened slightly as he pressed a kiss against the younger teen's temple.
"The following towns should take cover immediately… Lima.." Kurt tucked his face tighter against Blaine's neck and fisted one hand in the boy's shirt. "Take shelter now. Avoid windows and move to the center room of the lowest floor of your house. I repeat-"
"I should call Dad."
Blaine glanced down at Kurt as he spoke, his heart clenching at the way the brunette's voice wobbled. He shifted his hold on Kurt in an attempt to see the boy's face. Kurt, however, refused to cooperate. He clung tighter to Blaine's shirt as if afraid the other boy was going to disappear.
"I already did." Blaine offered, attempting to keep his voice light. "When I was upstairs- he and Carole are both safe. And Finn is at the school, so he's probably already in the tornado shelter with the rest of the team."
Kurt nodded.
Blaine fought a sigh and pressed another kiss to Kurt's hair, stroking a hand over the smaller boy's back soothingly. He closed his eyes and listened to the weather alerts being repeated time and time again, waiting for news of any changes.
The minutes drug by.
At one point Blaine was certain that Kurt had drifted off to sleep. The teen's breathing had evened out and his grip on Blaine's shirt had relaxed just slightly, but he remained tightly tucked against Blaine's side. It was only when a report came in declaring that a tornado had touched down just east of Allen county that Kurt suddenly tensed, alerting Blaine to the fact that the other was in fact quite awake.
"Hey," He bade gently, squeezing Kurt lightly and pressing his cheek against the other boy's hair in reassurance, "I've got you."
He felt more than heart Kurt's weak laugh against his neck. The brunette's arms wound fully around Blaine as Kurt pulled himself completely on top of the older boy until they were laying chest to chest. Only then did Kurt lean back enough to actually look at Blaine.
"I know." He responded with a confidence that took Blaine by surprise. Kurt allowed a gentle smile that seemed equally out of place given how shaken the boy clearly was.
Blaine wasn't allowed to pursue that particular train of thought much longer as the boy in his arms chose that moment to lean down and lightly kiss him.
The radio alerts drifted off unnoticed, dissolving into the cheerful melody of a Top 40 hit.
R-2-F