When The Ship Docks

Chapter 6: Hold on to Hope

It was the middle of the night when Blaine had made his way back to his suite. Kurt had chosen to stay with his father despite Blaine's protests. Rachel hadn't been in bed when he'd returned, he didn't mind though. After forming their plan he had a pretty good idea of whom she might be with, but again he didn't mind.

He quickly got into bed and let the night take him away.

A small thud caused Kurt to jolt out of his sleeping state, he had been trying to find a way to stay awake when he'd started reading a book. Guessing by the open book by his feet and his sudden awakening, it hadn't worked. He sighed and shuffled closer to his father's bed. He lay his head on the bed next to his father's upper arm and cupped his still hand between his own, the position was uncomfortable and awkward but he just wanted to be close to him.

His throat constricted and ached as though he was about to cry but no tears came. For the first time nothing came. The pain made the hours seem longer and when the sun finally rose his eyes and head ached as well. He heard the door creak open a few hours after sunrise and didn't have to look up to know who it was.

Blaine wordlessly pulled a seat over to the bed and sat next to Kurt. He passed the younger man a small bowl of fruit he'd managed to get from one of the kitchen staff. Kurt nibbled on the food but didn't make much progress. Since hearing about his father, he'd found that he had little to no appetite.

Finn came to check up on Burt too but he had to work, or that's what he claimed, so the visit was brief.

Though the pit in his stomach and the need to cry would say otherwise, he had a good feeling about today.

Blazing sun unleashed its beams upon the deck, an unusually warm breeze swept the upper class deck of the ship. Baby blue skies looked upon Rachel. Her eyes were closed as the gentle wind blew her hair behind her.

She couldn't wait to arrive in America where her big dreams awaited her. She had a feeling her parents weren't as supportive of them as they said. They often compared her to Cooper's soon to be wife as if suggesting she should start trying to be more like her. She had to admit that she was a little jealous of Lucy Fabray's golden locks and pretty hazel eyes but she could tell the woman beneath was cold even if no one else saw it. Maybe it was the jealousy speaking but she truly believed it wasn't, after all Rachel wasn't short of self esteem. In fact some might say she had too much of it.

Foot steps began to approach where she stood but she didn't open her eyes. She assumed it would be a stranger but when a sickly sweet voice began to speak she was forced to hide her disdain and unscrew her eyes.

"Rachel what a surprise! If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here all on your lonesome," she asked innocently.

Rachel took a deep, calming breath, choosing to ignore the condescension in the other young ladies voice, "I could ask you the same question Luciana."

"Oh, stop being so formal. I think we're good enough friends for you to start calling me Quinn."

Rachel raised an eyebrow but Quinn didn't acknowledge the expression that gave away how the brunette was feeling. 'Friends? Since when were they friends?' Rachel thought to herself. "Okay, Quinn," she spoke, trying out the name on her tongue but not thinking much of it.

Quinn smiled pleasantly at the dark haired girl before turning to look out onto the sea. "Isn't it beautiful, sometimes I just wish it was summer and that I could swim in it on. Of course, it's deathly cold but in theory the idea is nice."

Rachel hummed in agreement. They both stood staring out over the long spanse of sapphire water ahead. The breeze began to pick up and Rachel shivered a little.

"Gosh, it's getting rather cold. Would you like to accompany me for a cup of tea?" Quinn asked, once again turning to face the brunette.

Rachel didn't want to seem hesitant so she had to think quick. She'd arranged to meet Finn but if she was to stay here Quinn might become suspicious as Blaine had informed his family and their company that he'd be busy today. Making a quick decision, she nodded and said "I'd love to."

The two young women went to Rachel and Blaine's suite since afternoon tea wasn't being served yet. A maid brung them an elegant tea set and poured their drinks as Rachel instructed her how to make it in the way she liked it. Only the sounds of the hot liquid falling from the spout and into the tea cups filled the room. The maid bowed slightly once she'd finished pouring their drinks and left the suite to give them some privacy.

She sipped then hot drink to test the temperature before placing it back on the saucer which she held in her hand. "How's Blaine been?" Quinn asked, "It's just, he's been so very quiet and reserved while he's been on the ship. I may not have known him before but according to Cooper he's quite the opposite of the man I've seen."

Rachel hummed, not wanting to make Quinn anymore suspicious than she already seemed to be. "He's quite a people's man usually, I'm sure your confidence just makes him anxious. You know how men are," she chuckled, but Blaine wasn't like that at all and she knew it. Since they had been children Blaine had never been intimidated or frightened of a powerful woman, she would know. While all the other boys had avoided a much younger but equally as boisterous Rachel, Blaine had actually gone out of his way to be her friend. She just hoped her acting had been convincing enough to play off Blaine's sadness as nerves.

"Ugh, tell me about it. They act all tough but as soon as a confident young lady appears their fragile masculinity shatters and they lash out, it's ridiculous!" She rolled her eyes and let out a laugh at the absurdity. "That's why I liked Cooper so much, he isn't like that," She said almost dreamily as she stirred her tea, "Yes, he's a little eccentric and goofy but he respects me and loves me, it's as if our souls are connected. That's all you can really ask for, right?"

Rachel nodded, taking a sip from her tea cup. "I hope for something like that one day," she mumbled wistfully. It was only when she saw the look of pure rage of Quinn's face did she realise that she had slipped up but before she could fix it she found herself under an interrogating stare.

"Does Blaine not treat you with respect? If he is Rachel you have to tell me, you could be put in danger-"

"No, no I didn't mean it like that!" Rachel reassured the blonde. "Blaine's an honest gentleman, possibly one of the most genuine I've ever met. I just meant I can't wait to feel that connection you feel when you truly fall in love with someone. It'll come with time, I'm sure," Rachel smiled.

Quinn hummed. "I thought you were childhood sweethearts?"

'Shit' Rachel thought, not caring about her foul language as long as it stayed in her head. "Childhood friends would be a more accurate description to apply to our relationship growing up but I guarantee our budding romance will be a love story for the ages." Rachel sighed internally and the little cartoon image of herself in her head wiped the sweat from its brow in relief.

"I see," Quinn didn't seem to entirely believe what Rachel had said but didn't bother to push her further on the subject. Awkward silence consumed them after that, only interrupted by the sipping of tea and the rhythmic ticking of the clock, until a knock at the door broke it completely.

Rachel almost hopped out of her seat with an 'I'll get that'. She opened the door a crack to see Finn on the other side, a look of betrayal on his face. The brunette turned to Quinn, to check she hadn't seen before slipping out of the door.

"What happened to meeting on the deck?" Finn asked, with an angry look on his face, "I know we have to be careful but you just left me clueless."

"I'm sorry, Lucy Fabray found me and invited me to have tea. If I had denied her invite she would have been suspicious," Rachel hurried to explain.

As Rachel explained, Finn's expression became more understanding. "I see, I should have realised. I'm sorry for getting so angry."

Rachel shook her head, dismissing Finn's apology. "No, I understand how it must have seemed when I didn't arrive."

"So, M'lady will I be seeing you later?" Finn asked with a little smirk and a raised brow.

Rachel's cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink and she chuckled. "Of course, good sir. Same place at nine o'clock?"

Finn quickly checked no one was around before taking Rachel's hand and kissing the back of it. "I'll see you then, dearest," he bowed jokingly and quickly left before someone could come around the corner and spot them together.

Rachel smiled as she watching him go, doing a little happy dance when he was out of view. She slipped back into the room and joined Quinn on the sofa.

"Who was there?"

"Hmm?" Rachel almost spat out the tea she'd sipped having been caught off guard by Quinn with no excuse to supply. "Just my maid asking if we wanted anymore tea," she quickly threw together an excuse.

Again she saw the glint of doubt in Quinn's eye but she nodded anyway and accepted Rachel's reply.

In the quiet infirmary where nobody seemed to pass by or be present Blaine held the younger man in his arms. They sat in silence, watching the unmoving figure of Burt Hummel as anxiety racked their bodies.

Shaky breathing gave away how truly worried Blaine's lover was, he didn't need to look into those blue eyes to know they had become glassy with tears. Even though Kurt had said earlier that he had a good feeling about today, Blaine wasn't so sure. He didn't want Kurt to get his hopes up, especially with the limited resources available on the ship and how much Burt's chance of survival would drop as each day passed because of it.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the negative thoughts he was beginning to think. "Can you tell me about him?" He asks Kurt, hoping that it will take both of their minds off of their worries.

Kurt tries to discretely wipe the tears that had began to overflow before lifting his head to look at Blaine. "What do you want to hear?"

"Anything you want to tell me about him, perhaps a happy memory from your childhood?" Blaine suggests with the thought of not wanting to limit what Kurt feels he should say.

Kurt sniffles a little and takes out a handkerchief Blaine had given him earlier when his had been thoroughly soaked with tears. He takes a deep breath - that's still a little shaky - and begins recounting a memory for Blaine. "When I was a boy he'd agree to sit with me at my tiny table in the garden and humour me while I lectured him about the importance of proper table etiquette, which, now I think about it, was ridiculous because I didn't know any better than he did," Kurt Unwilling let out a small chuckle. "He always tried to give me everything I wanted no matter how outrageous it must have seemed to him, thankfully I learned to not be a very needy child or I might have ran him into the ground with debts, most of the time I was happy with my tea set and the sensible heals I'd borrow from my mother."

"Did you really borrow your mother's heels?" Blaine asked with amusement gracing his features.

Kurt laughed with a nod of his head, "Yes I did, though they were very small and could barely be called a heel," he said, showing Blaine roughly how big they were by measuring the size between his fingers.

"Are there any other shenanigans young Kurt got up to that I should know about?"

Kurt strokes his chin, embracing his flare for the dramatic. "I wasn't too adventurous growing up so I'm afraid I don't have many amusing stories. Could you tell me what your childhood was like instead? I'm sure you must have some interesting stories with someone like Cooper as a brother, I have only been in his company for a few hours and those few hours are enough to last me a lifetime."

"He can be quite tiring, I must admit, but you're right. He turned what had the potential to be a dull, tedious childhood into chaos."

Kurt couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "You can't just say that, now you have to tell me at least one story."

Blaine stroked his chin, mimicking the action Kurt had done earlier. Kurt laughed and soon Blaine had joined him in his amusement. "Cooper and I used to spend hours exploring the land on our family's estate, as you can imagine this got us in trouble numerous times. This time I was reluctant to go because of the many tongue-lashings we'd gotten the previous time when Cooper had insisted on dance lessons in a bog and I ended up sinking in the mud like it was quick sand but Cooper can be quite persuasive, shocking, I know. I followed Cooper to the stable where he helped me onto a horse and lead us to a small lake near the edge of the estate. I was three, maybe four, and was still learning to ride a horse so when Cooper thoughtlessly let go of the horse reins and the horse went haywire - for a reason we have yet to find - I had no idea how to regain control and she was too fast for Cooper to save me. Then she bucked... and I went flying head first into the lake, I should also mention I also had yet to master the art of swimming..."

"Oh no, what happened?" Kurt asked through the intakes of breath between his fits of giggles.

"I have no memory of what happened next because I lost consciousnesses in the water but when Cooper recounted the story he said he had heroically dove in after me and carried me back to the house. My father, however, says I had a lot of scratches as if Cooper had tried to pull me back to shore with a branch," Blaine finished the story with a disbelieving smile on his face. He might have known Cooper all his life but the hero complex, which resulted in his lack of humbleness and the exaggeration of his stories, still amazed him.

Kurt seemed just as baffled by Cooper's hero complex once he'd calmed down from his renewed fit of hysterical laughter after hearing the conclusion to the story.

With nothing left to say, the atmosphere once again became heavy, the only difference being that Kurt was no longer holding back violent sobs. Blaine pulled Kurt closer like they had been before and let him rest his head on the older's shoulder where he was forced into a dreamless sleep by his exhaustion.

Darkening blue skies and the charcoal clouds bobbed over head, the sun had began to dip below the horizon just over an hour and a half ago.

Eager to meet Rachel, Finn had rushed through his small dinner that all the third class passengers were allowed before rushing to their designated meeting spot. So what if this meant he'd arrived two hours early?

His shoes had become worn, even more so than before, until he'd forced himself to take a seat, though his worry still showed through his tiredness as his knee bounced. The shabby watch, which was around the wrist of the hand his head rested against, ticked as the seconds passed.

It was then that he heard the tap of heals running, or almost running, across the deck towards him.

"Oh dear, how long have you been here Finn? You look freezing! Put on my jacket and come with me," Rachel commanded in her usual authoritative tone as she draped over Finn the soft, fur coat that brushed the floor as she walked but only just reached Finn's knee.

She lead him back to their suite, knowing nobody would be there because Blaine was with Kurt and she'd made it clear staff weren't allowed in the suite without her or Blaine present, no matter how much this effected their ability to do their job.

She ushered him towards the sofa after locking the door behind them and rushed towards where extra quilts were kept to wrap Finn up.

"I think you may be overreacting a little," he observed through shattering teeth as she bundled him up.

"I am doing no such thing," she replied with a scolding look.

Once she felt Finn had enough blankets around him, leaving him looking like a swaddled baby, she sat in the arm chair across from him as she had blocked off his peripheral vision so had she sat next to him, he wouldn't have been able to see her.

"I'm sorry for ruining our time together, I wasn't thinking and I was just so excited-"

"Ruined? What do you mean ruined?" Rachel interrupted the beginnings of his panicked rambling.

"I just meant that... I can't take you to those proper parties that you fancy rich people go on and I'm no match for them really but I wanted to make tonight special, memorable for you so that when you abandon me for high society you at least remember me fondly," Finn says, carefully watching Rachel's expression turn from confusion to outraged horror, making him think maybe he could have explained his thought process more delicately.

"I am not so shallow, though I can appreciate good bone structure, good dental hygiene - because it's a sign of good self esteem - and fashionably expensive gown-" Rachel shakes her head, realising she isn't exactly proving her point and Finn seems to be curling in on himself, "- But that's irrelevant! anytime I spend with you is time well spent," Rachel tries to reassure the man baby in front of her but upon seeing his swaddled face was still wrecked with worry she continued. "I say that once we reach land I will prove that you have underestimated me."

"How?" Finn frowned, even though Rachel would have doubted that his face could scrunch up anymore than it already had.

Rachel got up from her chair and sat cross legged on the floor in front of him. She took his hands in hers and spoke, "I would like to stay with you after the boat docks. Why would I choose a a life of loveless wealth when I could be happy?"

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{26/05/20}

[A/N]: Hahahahaha I apologise for my absence, it was really hard to get through this chapter because I had a long lasting case of writer's block. I'm also sorry that this chapter is a bit on the short side but I felt like I would have been dragging it out had it continued for much longer.

Thank you to those who beta read for me!

Word Count: 3264

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