Inspired by my own personal headcanon re: Kurt and heartbeats.
Kurt loved curling up with Bruce on nights when Blaine had to work late and couldn't be there to cuddle him to sleep, but Bruce did lack one key characteristic of a perfect snuggle: a heartbeat. Sure, his chest was perfectly plush and he didn't complain about being squeezed too tight like Blaine tried to occasionally, but nothing could beat the soothing sound of a heartbeat to really help lull Kurt to sleep.
That night, however, Kurt just had to suck it up and grab Bruce from his case, because Blaine had pulled a double at the diner and wouldn't be home til nearly one.
"Sweet dreams, Bruce," Kurt muttered, fluffing Bruce to perfection before fitting his head into the crook between Bruce's torso and arm. The smell of the cologne he'd stolen from Blaine was strongest there.
It took a few moments, but Kurt slowly stopped rolling and fidgeting in the too-empty bed and succumbed to sleep. Unfortunately, his dreams were less than pleasant. He could only remember flashes of them every time he woke up sweating and gasping, but the sensations of drowning and choking seemed to be present in every snippet that stayed with him when he regained consciousness. He had just fallen back into yet another uneasy slumber when a dip in the mattress and the feeling of something trailing down his spine woke him again and caused him to let out a yell and bat wildly at the intrusion.
"Oh my God!" Blaine's voice broke through his haze. "Kurt, Kurt, baby, it's just me, oh my God!"
"Blaine?" Kurt asked sleepily. He flailed his way out of Bruce's grasp, still a bit mixed up from his jolt into wakefulness, and rolled until he could butt up against Blaine's thigh. "You're home. Hi."
"Hi, sweetheart," Blaine said, petting through Kurt's hair. "Bad dreams?"
"Nothing concrete. I think all my work- and school-related stress is finally catching up with me," Kurt said, letting out a low hum as Blaine's hands worked down to his scalp. "Bruce is terrible at keeping nightmares away, too."
"That's why he's your second choice for nighttime companionship," Blaine said, laughing lightly. "I am much better at staving off nightmares than a lifeless boyfriend pillow."
"I think you need to put your money where your mouth is," Kurt teased. He pushed away, creating an open space that he could smack while saying, "Work your magic, Anderson."
"Was that a proposition?" Blaine asked, moonlight glinting off his smirk. "Ow!"
"I'll kick you out and bring Bruce back," Kurt said warningly.
"Doubtful," Blaine said. He reached over and pulled Kurt closer to him, arranging Kurt so his head was on Blaine's chest and his ear was directly over Blaine's heart. "Still gonna make me leave?"
"You are much warmer than Bruce is," Kurt said, stifling a yawn mid-sentence.
"And I have the added bonus of being a real human being with a heartbeat. Bruce's soundless torso can't compete with that," Blaine said, dropping his head on Kurt's hair.
"I guess I'll keep you around for now," Kurt said, slurring a bit in his exhaustion. "At least until the technology's available to make boyfriend pillows with heartbeats."
"But can a boyfriend pillow also make you breakfast in bed in the mornings?"
"Alright, alright, you win," Kurt said. "Now sleep."
Blaine's teasing "Yes, dear," was the last thing Kurt heard before drifting back to sleep. This time, he didn't wake up til it was morning, the smell of pancakes and syrup the best greeting he'd ever received.