Title: Kurt's Safety Blanket

Length: ~750

Rating: PG

Genre: After season one, pre-slash, pre-romance

Summary: For boohyuu: Kurt never liked thunderstorms.

Warnings: Language, unbeta'd, also I might be insinuating that Finn owns a lighter... *shrugs*

-x-

"This would be slightly more tolerable if I had my Broadway divas mix to listen to."

Finn looked up as Kurt paced around the room, flinching every time lightning flickered outside their dinky basement window. They could hear the gales rattling the screen door upstairs on the porch and the rain spattering against the mulch right outside.

"Get your iPod out."

"I can't, Finn, because it's not charged." Kurt sneered at Finn, who gripped his Sports Illustrated and grimaced at the death glare currently pointed in his direction.

"Boys! The satellite is getting funky so prepare for a—"

The lights went out.

"—power outage," Burt finished lamely from the living room. "I'll bring you guys some candles."

"Shit!" Kurt hissed, barely stopping himself from stomping his feet like a child mid-tantrum. Instead he grabbed a throw blanket from the sofa and wrapped it around himself, flopping down on the rug in the middle of the room.

"Uhh…" Finn said.

"There are flashlights in the cabinet upstairs. Dad'll bring them down," Kurt mumbled, flipping the blanket over his head.

"Kurt, are you okay? I mean..." Finn slipped off the bed and stood awkwardly, hovering by Kurt's hunched form in the middle of the room. Lightning lit up the room and then, a couple seconds later the thunder came.

"He'll be fine," Burt said, boots clomping down the stairs. He held a fat flashlight in his hand and waved it over the lump of blanket that was Kurt before handing Finn several candles and a lighter.

"That's alright, I have…"

Burt quirked an eyebrow at Finn.

Finn smiled with gritted teeth. "Sure, I'll take that."

They placed candles around the room, all the while the thunder rumbling and the wind racing and the rain streaking against the window. Burt patted his son on the head then went back upstairs, claiming Carole needed more candles in the bathroom or something.

Finn stood at his dresser watching Kurt and decided, fuck it, why not help him out a bit. He was acting kind of like a weirdo, but if he was actually afraid…

"I used to be scared of bus stops," Finn offered.

Kurt flipped the blanket back over his head to give Finn a look that said something along the lines of 'thanks for the fucking input' before curling back into his blankety cave.

"C'mon, man," Finn said, sitting cross-legged before Kurt on the rug and poking at what he assumed was his shoulder.

"I've never liked thunderstorms. My mom…"

Finn waited.

"My mom used to hold me to help me get over it," Kurt finished, his muffled voice a little snuffly even for the circumstances. "She sometimes sang."

They sat quietly while the downpour continued outside. Finn played with the fray of his jeans for a moment before muttering, a blush thankfully hidden by the darkness.

"This is kind of… I dunno. Weird. But, if it would help, do you want to—"

Kurt quickly uncovered himself to peer incredulously at Finn. "Cuddle?"

"Well, uh. I wouldn't call it that—"

"Yes," Kurt said firmly and practically jumped on Finn, toppling them both over on their backs. "Oops."

Finn laughed. "C'mere."

There were a few adjustments and a bit of awkwardness before they got comfortable, but soon Kurt was nestled snugly in Finn's arms, safe from the storm.

"Sorry I snapped at you."

"Dude, it's fine. It's not like you aren't a bitch all the time. I mean. Fuck…"

"How unflattering," Kurt laughed. "But, true."

"Sorry."

Kurt curled into Finn's chest, smiling. "S'okay."

The thunder roiled again, and Finn, sensing Kurt's distress pulled the throw blanket over both of them, wrapping his arms around Kurt in a comforting embrace.

"This is kinda comfy," Finn said, stirring the hair near Kurt's ear. "I could get use to this."

"Don't let Rachel hear you say that," Kurt muttered, fisting a hand in Finn's sweatshirt.

Finn punched Kurt's arm half-heartedly, but couldn't help smiling, all the same.

They lay there for what seemed like hours and, eventually, they fell asleep, curled up on the floor in each other's arms.

That is, until the power came on at two in the morning, waking Finn up.

As the thunder rolled away in the distance, Finn picked Kurt off the floor and deposited him on his fluffy bed. He tucked the blanket around him before blowing out all the candles and turning off the lights.

He fell asleep to the sounds of Kurt's even breathing.

-x-