A/N These are drabbles about various phobias that people suffer and deal with on a daily basis. These are in no way mocking or ridiculing those who do experience them. Phobias are a serious, and often life altering, experience and they should be treated in such a way. My idea is to show how one is able to control their own fear, especially with the help and support of those around them. They'll range from light-heartened instances to more serious encounters.

I'm also using them as a device to get back into the habit of writing (for school). Prompts are welcome!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Pteronophobia (fear of being tickled by feathers)

Kurt never understood why people liked feathers. They were itchy, and carried diseases (especially the kind that little children picked up from the ground in the park and pranced around with), and felt disgustingly weird running up and down your skin. So, in short, Kurt really didn't like feathers.

He didn't mind being ticked though. Or, well, it depended on who was doing the tickling. With Mercedes it was okay (she only ever gave him a few pokes in the ribs when she was trying to get his attention); with Finn it was fine (it was Finn's way of being brotherly and Kurt always enjoyed the chance to spend brotherly-bonding time with his new step-brother); with Quinn is was fun (she would grab his waist and squeeze his sides whenever they finished a hug; he knew it was her way of showing affection); with Wes and David it was surprisingly enjoyable (it made him feel included when he became a Warbler—they went around the halls, daily, tickling only their closest friends—, and they even continued doing it when Kurt transferred back to McKinley); with Carol and his dad it was comforting (it made him feel loved whenever they gently pushed their fingers into his sensitive sides); with Puck and Sam is was weird, but accepted (it involved a lot of football-style tackling whenever he happened to get lucky and beat them at one of the video games they often came over to play; it also made him feel more included amongst the group of Glee guys); with Brittany is was adorable (she would paw at him like a cat and nudge her nose into his cheek, meowing; he would pet her head and braid her hair, smoothing out the blonde pieces into a perfect pleat).

With Blaine, however, it was orgasmic. The first time Blaine tickled him was during their first make-out session sans overly stiff white button-ups. Blaine's fingers ghosted gently over his waist, the calloused pads from guitar-playing catching on the fine hairs of Kurt's stomach. Kurt's breathy sigh encouraged Blaine to tickle him more often, and in more than one place. He found Kurt's neck to be especially sensitive to his fingers, and took advantage of generously running his hands down his boyfriends neck whenever possible (while watching a movie in one of their respective houses, while studying for exams, while helping Kurt cook a salt-less dinner for his father).

It was only when their sessions got more intense that Blaine decided to try something new. He began by kissing his way down Kurt's back, the pale skin soft beneath his lips, his hands gently pressing into Kurt's sides, and slipping just beneath the band of his jeans. He heard Kurt sign into his pillow, his back rising gently from the bed only to lower back to the surface of the comforter. Blaine paused, reaching over the side of the bed towards his bag. Kurt could only hear the zipper open before he felt Blaine relax back on top of him, the weight a comfort on his back. But it was the first fine brushes against his skin that made him jump and twist himself around, staring at his boyfriend with wide-eyes, searching for the offending instrument in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Kurt whispered, his chest heaving.

Blaine blinked. He hadn't expected such a reaction. "I, uhm, just wanted to try something."

"A feather." Kurt continued starting at the soft, white specimen between Blaine's fingertips.

"Yes?" The word came out more as a question than intended. "I don't have to. I just thought you'd like the feel of it." Blaine's eyebrows rose high on his forehead. He continued watching Kurt carefully, tensed waiting to see what he would do.

But Kurt didn't do anything; he didn't even move. His eyes were still and trained on the feather.

"C'mon," Blaine said gently, gesturing for Kurt to lay down again. "It'll feel good. I'll show you." His eyes were tender and there was a small smile on his lips.

Kurt swallowed and nodded, slowly. He turned back around and lowered himself into his previous position on the bed.

"Just breathe," Blaine whispered into his ear. Kurt could feel hot breath ghost over his cheek.

Kurt breathed in, deeply, and then he shivered. Blaine had run the feather carefully over the base of Kurt's neck, floating it back and forth between his shoulder blades, before dragging it—ever—so—slowly—down his spine till it reached the space between his skin and the band of his jeans. Goosebumps spread rapidly over Kurt's skin, small shivers of delight racking through his body. Kurt moaned, quietly, into the pillow at his face.

"See?" Blaine whispered, breathe once more covering his boyfriend's ear. Kurt could hear the smile in his voice. "It feels good, doesn't it?"