Author's Note: Yes, I know it's been more than a month since I last updated Weave Your Magic, sorry! But this idea hit me and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down... I'm dedicating this story to LostInFictionalWorlds. Enjoy, sweetie!
A Shoulder to Lean On
by lilyvandersteen
Blaine installed himself in his window seat with a happy sigh. He was exhausted and his head throbbed painfully, so he wanted nothing more than to sleep until they reached Ohio. He folded his sweatshirt into a makeshift pillow, laid his head against it and drifted off at once.
He woke up to loud voices, and winced.
"No respect for celebrities these days," a woman whined. "A window seat, that's all I ask! But no… 'Wait until everyone is seated, ma'am. Then we'll see if there's a window seat left for you.' Ugh!"
"Rachel, you're blocking the aisle. Come, let's sit down in our seats, and you can swap afterwards."
The second voice was high and clear, and Blaine appreciated the no-nonsense tone. He felt the both of them sit down next to him, and hoped they'd stay quiet now. No such luck.
"Look, that guy is sleeping anyway. He doesn't NEED a window seat! He could swap with me! I'm going to ask him!"
"Rachel!" the second voice hissed. "The man is asleep. Don't you dare wake him up!"
Blaine sat up, glared at the woman sitting next to him, and drawled, "Too late for that, I'm afraid!"
Rachel, unperturbed by his glare, smiled at Blaine winningly. "Hi, I'm Rachel Berry. Yes, the Broadway star. And there's been a bit of a mix-up with my plane ticket. I was promised a window seat, and now I turn out to have a middle seat, which is simply not acceptable. So if you'd do me a favour and swap with me, I'll sign anything you want me to. I'll even throw in a selfie, how's that?"
Blaine stared at Rachel in disbelief. And he'd thought his brother was self-absorbed… Well, apparently, Cooper wasn't the worst by far.
Rachel' chipper expression didn't falter, though she sounded snippy when she asked "Well?" a minute later, when Blaine still hadn't reacted.
"Well, Rachel, that means this man is appalled by your lack of common courtesy and isn't planning on swapping seats with you," the second voice piped up again.
Blaine looked in that direction, and oh! It was a man! And he was gorgeous!
The man nodded at him with a slight smile. "I can only apologise for Rachel's behaviour. Since she's snagged a lead role on Broadway, she's become even more of a diva than she was before, and that's saying something."
"Hey!"
"It's true. You're obnoxious. Now shut up and let the man sleep."
"My name's Blaine," Blaine said. "And if I weren't so tired, I wouldn't mind giving your friend my window seat. But I can't keep my eyes open, so it's safer that I stay here where I can lean my head against the window. If I nod off in another seat, I'm going to end up with my head on some stranger's shoulder, and then they'll take offense and give me a black eye or something."
The man nodded again, and his smile grew.
Rachel, however, wasn't giving up so soon.
"Well, if you need a shoulder to sleep on, I'm sure Kurt wouldn't mind you leaning on him. You're exactly his type."
"Rachel!" Kurt hissed, his eyes flashing.
"What? I saw you check him out! Oh… You think he plays for my team, is that it?"
Blaine stifled a snigger. Kurt now looked as if he could explode any second, while Rachel didn't seem to realise she'd put her foot in it whatsoever.
"I'm gay," Blaine clarified.
"See?" Rachel crowed in triumph. "Kurt, tell him he can snuggle up to you as much as he likes, and let's swap seats."
Kurt face-palmed and looked ready to sink through the floor.
Blaine reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. "Hey… No need to be embarrassed."
Kurt peeked from between his fingers, let out a deep sigh and straightened up. "Oh yes, there is need! Rachel woke you up and harassed you, and now, because she has no filter whatsoever, you're going to think that I'm just as bad, creepily staring at you while you were asleep. Aah, could someone just kill me already?"
Kurt slumped back into his seat, a picture of despondency.
Blaine laughed. "I never mind being checked out by gorgeous men."
That got Kurt to look up again, eyes wide with disbelief.
In for a penny, in for a pound…
"And if you're okay with it, I'd love to sleep with my head on your shoulder," Blaine pressed on. "It's a win-win for everyone: Rachel gets her window seat, I get a more comfortable pillow, and you get to stare at me for as long as you like."
Rachel squealed and clapped her hands. Kurt groaned.
"Go on, say yes," Rachel urged him.
"All right, all right, fine!" Kurt grumbled.
Moments later, Rachel sat in the window seat, with Kurt next to her, and Blaine had Kurt's aisle seat. Blaine didn't quite dare encroach on Kurt's personal space yet, though. Kurt's posture was stiff, his jaw set, and he radiated discomfort and aggravation.
So Blaine paid very close attention to the safety instructions given by a flight attendant and then tried to keep himself awake by counting the freckles of a little girl asleep on her mother's lap two rows away.
He woke up to someone cooing loudly. "Aww, this is just too adorable!"
He blinked his eyes open and found that he was lying with his head half on Kurt's shoulder, half on his chest, his hand over Kurt's heart. Kurt's head was resting on his, and his arm was slung around Blaine, enveloping him snugly. Blaine felt so comfortable he never wanted to move again, and snuggled in a little closer still with a happy sigh.
That made Rachel coo again, and this time, she woke up Kurt, who lifted his head with a groggy "Huh? Wha?" and then did a double-take that catapulted Blaine onto the floor, bruising his ass and banging his head against the seat in front of his.
Blaine, now wide awake, assessed the damage and then got up and gingerly sat down in his seat again, careful not to touch Kurt.
"I'm so sorry," Kurt breathed. "I really am. I know I promised… But I fell asleep too… And I was just… Startled. Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay. I feel terrible."
Blaine smiled. "I'll survive. My ass and my head have had it worse."
That made Kurt blush and avert his eyes. "Sorry."
"You looked pretty cosy there," Rachel sing-songed. "Look!"
She held her phone out for them to see, and Blaine sucked in a startled breath. Cosy was an understatement. They looked like lovers. The picture could easily have graced the cover of a romance novel. Though they were fully clothed, the position they were in was so intimate and sensual that Blaine's throat went dry and he instantly longed to be back in Kurt's arms.
Next to him, Kurt swallowed, but didn't say anything.
"I'm going to hold on to this picture," Rachel continued. "I'll need it for my speech at your wedding rehearsal dinner."
Kurt spluttered indignantly, and Blaine bit back a smile.
Rachel sat back down and took a gossip magazine out of her purse, muttering under her breath about the celebrities photographed and discussed.
"So…" Blaine let the word trail off.
"So?"
"We're not in Ohio yet. And I'm not sleepy anymore. So tell me about yourself, future husband."
Kurt groaned and clapped his hands over his eyes again. "Please don't listen to Rachel. She's delusional!"
Blaine pouted. "Now I'm hurt. How can you so cruelly deny our love?"
Kurt snorted. "Dork!"
He lowered his hands and looked at Blaine, eyes widening when he saw Blaine's expression. "Okay… Now that is really unfair. Stop pouting. You're making me feel like you're a puppy I just kicked."
Blaine dropped the pout and grinned at Kurt instead. "So can we talk?"
"Still a puppy," Kurt commented. "But okay. Yes. We can talk."
By the time they landed in Ohio, Blaine's initial attraction to Kurt had developed into a full-blown crush. Kurt wasn't only gorgeous, he was also witty and interesting, and Blaine wished that this plane ride could somehow have taken five times as long so that they wouldn't have to stop talking.
But now Kurt was taking his and Rachel's carry-on luggage out of the overhead containers and putting on his coat again and… and walking away!
Blaine hastened to catch up with him. "Hey… Kurt! Can I… Could I have your phone number?"
Rachel squealed happily, pinched Kurt's arm and then skipped away before he could retaliate, yelling over her shoulder. "I'll be at the baggage claim, Kurt!"
"She's a menace, I swear," Kurt grumbled, but he got his phone out and exchanged it for Blaine's for them to put in their contact information.
Blaine smiled at Kurt as he put his phone back into his pocket. "I had a nice time talking to you. Maybe we could meet up again while we're both in Ohio? I'm here until the day after New Year."
"Me too. Yeah. Yes, that would be… I'd like that."
They walked to the baggage claim together in silence, sneaking a quick look when they thought the other wasn't looking and then grinning when they got caught.
At the baggage claim, Rachel was talking a mile a minute to a tall bald man, and Kurt muffled a curse next to him and then sped up, walking too fast for Blaine to follow.
Blaine decided not to try and catch up, and looked for his suitcase on the luggage carrousel.
"That pink one is mine. Could you be a sweetie and take it down for me?"
Blaine smiled at Rachel and took her suitcase off the carrousel. "There you go."
"Thank you SO much! Also for giving me your window seat. I hope I'll be seeing you again soon."
Seeing Blaine's mystified look, Rachel added, "Kurt and I are roomies in New York."
"Oh."
"I'm going to hug you now," Rachel announced, and suddenly, Blaine had his arms full and was surrounded by a cloud of strong perfume that tickled his nose.
"Bye, Blaine!"
"Bye, Rachel!"
Rachel click-clacked off in the direction of the taxi stand, and Blaine chuckled. That girl was quite something.
He focussed on the luggage carrousel again, and had just spotted his suitcase when he saw Kurt next to him reaching for his own.
"That everything, son?" the tall bald man asked.
"There's one more bag, Dad," Kurt said.
"Why do you always need so much just for a one week vacation? And don't tell me you need room for Christmas presents, 'cause last year you gave us all gift certificates and I'll bet we'll be getting those again this year."
"Daaaad…"
"Just saying…"
Blaine, his suitcase retrieved, chuckled under his breath and turned towards the taxi stand. A hand on his arm stopped him after just two steps in that direction.
"Hey, aren't you the kid Rachel was talking about?"
Startled, Blaine looked at the man, not knowing what to say.
"Dad! Don't listen to Rachel, you know she always makes up stuff in her head. Blaine sat next to us on the plane, and Rachel badgered him into switching seats with her. That's all."
Kurt's dad gave Blaine a piercing look. "Hmm. Blaine, huh?"
"Blaine Anderson," Blaine introduced himself, holding his hand out to shake. "Nice to meet you."
The man shook Blaine's hand firmly. "Burt Hummel. Likewise. So I heard you're gonna marry my son?"
"Dad, stop it!" Kurt hissed.
Burt grinned and winked at Blaine. "Hey, the kid's polite. You could do worse."
Blaine, fortified by that wink, played along. "Let me get back to you on that, sir, but I'm not ruling out the possibility."
Kurt glared at Blaine. "Oh, for Pete's sake, are you all mental? Dad, I'll be at the car when you're done making fun of me."
Kurt stalked off with his suitcase, leaving the other bag for Burt to carry.
"Touchy, ain't he?" Burt said. "Don't worry, kid, he'll get over it. Still best friends with Rachel, ain't he, though she gets his back up more often than not. Well, see you around!"
And Burt walked away with a cheery wave before Blaine could think of a suitable reply.
Blaine shrugged, chuckling, and made his way to the taxi stand.
K&B
That evening, Cooper was talking about his new role as a stupid but loveable policeman in an obscure TV series Blaine had never heard of.
Their mother was hanging on Coop's every word, telling him he'd always been SO talented, and encouraging him to talk about his co-stars. "Did you meet anyone special? It's about time you settle down and give us some grandkids, sweetie-pie!"
Blaine disguised his snort as a cough and helped himself to some more pie.
Suddenly, his cell phone chimed loudly with a message, and then another one, and he reached for it without thinking.
His mother tutted. "No electronic devices at dinner. Hands above the table."
Blaine obeyed, and didn't think of the message again until he turned in for the night and emptied his pockets.
It proved to be from Kurt.
From: Kurt Hummel
Hey… Sorry I was so rude this afternoon. It's not your fault that my best friend and my dad have no boundaries, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you.
From: Kurt Hummel
Are we still on for a coffee date this week?
Blaine grinned from ear to ear.
To: Kurt Hummel
Absolutely! Tomorrow, 2 p.m., Lima Bean?
He didn't have long to wait for an answer. Barely five minutes later, his phone chimed.
From: Kurt Hummel
It's a date :-)
Blaine star-fished on his bed and grinned inanely at the ceiling.
K&B
Two coffee dates later, Kurt called Blaine to tell him he was invited to the Hudmel Friday Dinner.
"Fair warning, my dad still thinks we're going to end up married, and he says he wants to get to know his son-in-law. I hope that doesn't scare you off."
Blaine laughed. "It doesn't. I'll be there."
The Hudmels were nice and laid-back, and Blaine thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Kurt and his dad, the football conversation he had with Burt and Kurt's stepbrother Finn, and the discussion about soufflés that sprung up between him and Carole.
When he left, all four members of the Hudmel family hugged him goodbye, and he got a standing invitation for the Friday Dinners, which made him very happy.
On New Year's Eve, he accompanied Kurt to a party thrown by none other than Rachel Berry, who greeted him as an old friend and instantly demanded a duet.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "At least let Blaine have a drink first!"
He sang with Rachel, and later on, he sang with Kurt too, enchanted by his voice, and ever more enraptured by him with every new facet he discovered.
Kurt's friends were a crazy and nosy bunch, but Blaine fielded their questions valiantly and was finally rescued by Kurt, who tugged him along to a room with a hideous pink décor.
"Sorry about that…" Kurt apologised. "I've never brought a date to one of Rachel's parties before, so they're all very…"
"Enthusiastic?" Blaine supplied.
Kurt sighed. "Sure, we'll go with that. Look, I swiped a bottle of champagne from downstairs. It's nearly New Year, and I'd like to toast it with just you, if you don't mind."
Blaine smiled. "Not at all."
Kurt poured champagne into their solo cups, and they nudged them together before drinking. "Cheers!"
They heard a loud chant coming from downstairs. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!"
Blaine took Kurt's cup and put it on the night stand, along with his own. Then he drew Kurt in closer, and when the cheering started, his lips found Kurt's.
They didn't stop kissing until Rachel barged in and screeched, "Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, if you're having sex on my bed right now, so help me God!"
She took one look at them, fully clothed and not touching below the waist, and went from furious to beaming with happiness in two seconds flat. "Oh, you're just kissing. Carry on, then! I was never here!"
The door slammed closed behind her, and Kurt grimaced at Blaine. "Yep, date me and that will happen often. No boundaries, remember?"
Blaine just laughed and kissed Kurt again.
K&B
Three years later, they did marry. Rachel did use the picture, and her speech during the rehearsal dinner was one big I told you so. For once, though, Kurt didn't glower. He sat next to Blaine, beaming and playing with his engagement ring, and sneaking in little neck kisses when he thought no-one was looking.
Blaine drew him in for a real kiss, and Rachel aww'ed and ended her speech with, "Well, congratulations to the soon-to-be Mr and Mr Anderson-Hummel. I hope you'll live happily ever after."
And they did.
THE END