Author's Note: Here is where the story deviates from Josh and Michelle's. Like, 100%. xo

Strangers In Love

Chapter 4

It turned out that Blaine's fears about not having anything to say to Kurt would be pushed aside for a moment, because there was very little time for the boys to speak to each other at all.

They sat through two more interviews where they repeated the same answers to generic questions and one awkward goodbye where they weren't sure if they should hug or shake hands (they settled on waving), and then they were headed home to pack for their vacation. A car would retrieve each of them separately to bring them to the airport only a few hours later. By the end of the day, they would be in Hawaii. Everything felt so surreal.

Sitting through the interviews with Kurt was such an unexpected experience. They were constantly locked in a sort of dance where they would drift together unknowingly as if their bodies couldn't help but be near each other, then one or both of them would realize, back up to put some space between them, and the cycle would start all over again. It was exhilarating for Blaine to be physically attracted to someone who seemed to return the feeling, but it was so very intimidating. He could act well enough in front of the cameras, but his extremely introverted personality took over whenever it was just him and Kurt, leaving him a quiet, fumbling mess. Blaine tried to come up with a way he could feel comfortable talking with Kurt, but even just thinking about him turned Blaine into a puddle of giddy nerves.

Kurt was everything Blaine had not expected him to be; he was beautiful and sweet and interesting and just his type.

One part of his brain wondered why Kurt couldn't have just been ugly and boring.

The other part of his rainy was really, really glad he wasn't.

After saying goodbye to Blaine, which had been an awkward affair (why did everything have to be so awkward suddenly?), Kurt's mind immediately began planning his packing lists. He would only have two hours at home to pack. He simply couldn't work with such an outrageous deadline.

When he was reunited with Rachel in the car, she was bursting with excitement.

"This is the best day ever!" She screeched at a supersonic frequency.

"Why?" Kurt asked dryly, massaging his ears.

"You were on television, you're being sent on a free vacation for a week, and if I'm not mistaken, you owe a certain man a fighting chance, because I was right, wasn't I?"

"I was actually asking why you must be a banshee..."

She ignored him. "Wasn't I right?"

Kurt shook his head, refusing to admit it to Rachel and risk further inflation of her ego. Even as he denied her claim, thoughts of the compact, handsome man he had just met infiltrated his head.

"I wasn't? So Blaine didn't surprise you? Not his good looks? Not how well-dressed he was? Not his voice that I can tell would sound gorgeous in a duet with yours?"

Was he that transparent? Did Rachel know he had been imagining the two of them singing songs from his favorite musicals all day? "Ugh. Fine. But don't let it go to your head."

"Say the words," she teased.

He rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "You're not off to a good start."

"Just say it."

Kurt pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes as if it physically pained him to say so. "You were right."

He wanted to knock the smug look right off Rachel's face.

"That doesn't mean anything, though," he warned her. "Just because I'm going to give him a chance doesn't mean we're going to end up dating."

Rachel took Kurt's hand. "I know you've been hurt before. But not all guys are going to be Adam or Alex. Blaine could like you for exactly who you are. He could be exactly what you've been searching for. You will never know until you try. It hurts sometimes, but you won't find the earth shattering love you are looking for if you don't take that risk."

He looked at her, a mixture of love and reluctance in his eyes. "When did you get so wise?"

"I've always been this wise, you just don't always listen."

He playfully smacked her arm as the car approached their apartment building. "Shut up and come help me pack."

"Dude. You look like you're going to pee yourself. Calm down," Sam advised Blaine as they rode in the car on the way to the airport so that Sam could send Blaine off on his vacation date.

"I can't. I'm about to go on a trip for an entire week with a guy who is beyond perfect, but whom I know nothing about! What if he doesn't even like me? Every time I try to speak to him, I freeze up. I might actually pee."

"Stop being so dramatic." As he spoke, Sam's phone slipped through his fingers and onto the floor of the car, leaving him shrieking and flailing his arms in a mad scramble to find the small object.

"Uh huh." Blaine raised an eyebrow, watching Sam straighten up and attempt to recompose himself.

"Sorry. So why can't you talk to him? It's no big deal."

"Social anxiety is a real thing. Don't minimize it."

Sam held his hands up defensively. "Not minimizing. Just trying to help."

"Then help," Blaine said shortly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You talk to me."

It wasn't a question, so Blaine waited for more.

"I'm a guy. An attractive guy, I'm pretty sure, even though you've never shown any interest in me, for some unfathomable reason."

"We've talked about this, Sam. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm attracted to every good-looking guy in the world. What's your point?"

"Why can you talk to me but not him?"

"Easy. Because I know you."

"So get to know him," Sam said it so plainly, it almost made Blaine feel stupid.

"It's hard to get to know him when I can't talk to him, and it's hard to talk to him when I don't know him."

Sam's face contorted in concentration while he attempted to process what Blaine had just said. "Okay, you didn't talk to me much when we first met, how did you get to know me?"

Blaine stared at him. "You kind of flung yourself at me. There was Sam everywhere I turned. It was impossible not to know you. And anyway, you did most of the talking."

Sam looked pleased with himself. "I do tend to do that, don't I? Well, maybe you can't talk to him yet, but you're a great listener. Just show him with your body language that you are warm and welcoming, and you'll invite him to come to you."

"That's...actually a good idea."

"It's been known to happen."

The shiny metal and glass of Laguardia caught Blaine's eye as they neared the domestic departures drop off.

"Wow. Okay. We're here. This is really happening."

The car pulled up to the door marked United, and Sam helped him unload his luggage.

"I can't believe you think you can get by with just this and your carry on," Sam said, motioning to the small suitcase he hauled out of the trunk.

"Says the guy who insisted I wouldn't need to pack any clothes, because I would spend every day...how did you put it? 'Waggling in the wind?'"

Sam shrugged. "I just thought two guys, young and attractive, in a romantic place together...there's a high likelihood that some going down will be going down, if you know what I mean." He winked exaggeratedly.

"I really wish I didn't."

Sam laughed and shoved Blaine playfully. "All right, man. This is where I leave you. Forget about your fears and inhibitions and let loose and have some fun for me, eh?" He pulled Blaine into a hug, his tone growing more serious. "I'm only a phone call away. You know that, right?"

Blaine smiled appreciatively, holding tight to his best friend for an extra moment of comfort before stepping into the complete unknown. He knew that behind Sam's jokes and ridiculousness was a man who truly cared for and would do anything for Blaine. "I do."

They said their goodbyes and Blaine checked in, making it through security with almost an hour to spare. He didn't spot Kurt anywhere at the gate, so he settled in to wait. The boarding pass he had been given sat atop Blaine's carry on, displaying the first class seat number.

Blaine had never flown first class before. It felt unnecessary, but exciting all the same.

Eyeing the people rushing by, he watched for Kurt as he waited, but didn't catch a glimpse of his fate. The hour ticked by, and ten minutes to boarding, Kurt had still not yet arrived.

Blaine had just started to entertain the fact that he might be stood up before he spotted the tall figure rushing toward the gate. Even in a hurry he moved gracefully. How unfair. How dreamy. Blaine sighed.

Kurt saw him then, and Blaine gave a timid smile before dropping his eyes to his lap.

"Hi Blaine," Kurt wheeled his carry on behind him. Blaine's heart leapt at hearing Kurt say his name so easily, like he'd been saying it all his life. "I don't know how they expected me to pack for a whole week in only two hours…"

A voice overhead announced that their section was now boarding.

"Nothing like being just in time!" Kurt flashed a smile that made Blaine's knees weak.

He wanted to say something back, he really did, but he couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't make him sound stupid. So he just gave a weak "yeah," and rolled his suitcase toward the worker who would scan his boarding pass.

Blaine found his seat easily, marveling at the space afforded to first class passengers.

Kurt was right behind him. "Do you want the window seat?" Kurt asked him.

Blaine shook his head. Looking out the window during takeoff and landing kicked his motion sickness into overdrive. "No thank you." He held out his hand for Kurt's bag, offering to store it in the overhead compartment for him.

Looking pleasantly surprised, Kurt handed it over with a "thanks," and climbed into his seat.

Blaine worked on shoving the luggage in the too-small storage space above them. As he arranged and rearranged the bags, he tried to think of things to say to Kurt. Kurt was just so beautiful and well put together that Blaine felt like he would sound like an idiot no matter what he said. He decided on asking him how the ride over had been, and tried working up the courage to spit out the words.

By the time Blaine had his carry on situated and slid back into his seat, though, Kurt was already asleep in the chair next to him, and oh my, how adorable was he when he was sleeping?

Slightly relieved that he didn't have to speak now, Blaine settled in, pulling out the magazine from the back of the seat in front of him and began to read. Sort of. It was very difficult to focus on reading when the cutest boy he'd ever laid eyes on was squished into an airplane seat right next to him. When that boy's mouth fell open just a sliver, letting out a puff of breath. When that boy wiggled around cutely to find a more comfortable position. When that boy's sleeping head rolled to a rest right on Blaine's shoulder. Oh, forget the magazine. Kurt was sleeping. ON HIS SHOULDER.

Part of him wanted to jump up, run up and down the aisles, and shout that look, a cute boy is using me as a pillow, but that would have been a little counterproductive.

That may have been an extreme reaction, but Blaine was the type of person who just wasn't happy without physical affection. Unfortunately, being as painfully shy as he was, Blaine often did not receive the hugs and touches he craved from others. His parents, naturally, had always been that source of affection for him growing up, but with the distance between them and their strained relationship, they obviously did not provide that comfort anymore.

Sam, poor, loyal Sam, was the only person Blaine was really close to these days. And bless his heart, over the past three years as Blaine's roommate, he had willingly volunteered himself as Blaine's snuggle buddy (with limitations, of course) when Blaine was having a particularly rough day.

But as much as Blaine appreciated him, Sam was Sam. His cuddles were comforting, but they didn't make his blood race through his veins. Sam was good-looking, but he didn't make Blaine's heart jump into his throat (not to mention Sam's utter straightness). Sam was a boy, but he wasn't a boy.

Kurt was a boy. He definitely was. And Blaine's yearning for physical closeness was more satisfied simply by Kurt's head resting on his shoulder than it had been in a long time. It was funny how the prospect of speaking to the guy was so terrifying, but touching him wasn't. Blaine shrugged one shoulder (the one Kurt was not leaning on), knowing his mind worked in mysterious ways.

Strangely at ease as he hadn't been while Kurt was awake, and exhausted from the busy day spent running on little to no sleep, Blaine leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Kurt awoke many hours later with a terrible cramp in his neck. He took inventory of his surroundings, quickly recalling that he was, after an insane string of events, on an airplane traveling to Hawaii. His head seemed to be wedged between two hard yet oddly comforting surfaces. Not wanting to move yet, despite the pain in his neck, Kurt breathed in the scent around him and his brain immediately matched it to one he had smelled only once, but could never forget. He must have fallen asleep on Blaine's shoulder, and it appeared that Blaine, in turn, had fallen asleep on him.

Blaine, who was cute and chivalrous and a total surprise. Blaine, who was such an enigma to him so far. In the short time since they had met, Blaine had gone from a polite, excited boy who spoke enthusiastically to all of America about meeting Kurt, to a quiet, reserved, boy who did not say much of anything. What could have caused the drastic change in Blaine's behavior? Maybe he just needed time to adjust to the situation they'd been thrown into. Or maybe he was trying to deal with the physical pull that was such a strong presence between them. Kurt definitely was.

He needed to stretch his neck, but didn't want to disturb the boy next to him. He placed a hand lightly on Blaine's forearm that rested between them, deciding he would give himself a little more time to try to figure Blaine out. He had promised Rachel he would try, but even more than that, Blaine seemed like a really nice guy, and Kurt owed it to himself to try.

The captain's voice blaring overhead caused Kurt to jump. It announced that they were about to land, reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts and ensure their tray tables were stored away.

Kurt gave Blaine's arm a small squeeze, and Blaine blinked his eyes open blearily.

He saw the exact moment Blaine realized they had been sleeping on each other. His eyes grew round and his mouth fell into a small 'o' as he straightened out, putting as much space as he could between them.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to - I mean - I'm sorry I-"

"It's okay, Blaine. I'm pretty sure I invaded your personal space first. The blame is all mine. Plus, I didn't exactly mind," Kurt flirted.

Where the hell did that come from? Kurt hadn't meant to say anything like that, and judging by the terrified look on the other man's face, it hadn't been the right thing to say either. He just seemed to be unable to help himself around the dapper gentleman next to him. If only he could get a handle on Blaine to know how he was feeling.

A blush rose up Blaine's face. "Sorry," he said again, lamely.

Kurt watched him for a while, trying to figure him out, before deciding it was a lost cause at the moment, and turned his attention to the in-flight movie playing on the screen in front of him.

Before he knew it, the plane landed and they disembarked, Blaine retrieving his and Kurt's luggage like the polite man he was proving to be.

Through the terminal and past baggage claim (where Blaine appeared shocked at Kurt's abundance of suitcases), they were loaded into a car and taken to their resort.

The car ride over was spent in silent wonder, watching the beautiful sights that passed by through the window. Neither boy had been to Hawaii before, and they were astounded by the scenery around them.

A short while later, the car pulled up to a gorgeous gated property. Kurt had previously had no interest in visiting Hawaii, since lounging on a beach all day wasn't exactly his idea of fun. He had to admit, though, The Big Island was beyond anything he had ever seen. It was beautiful.

He watched in amazement as the car came to a stop in front of a small, elegant villa. They were let out in front, a butler appearing to assist them in unloading their baggage.

"Fancy," he mouthed to Blaine, impressed.

"Right this way," the butler showed them inside.

They were led through the doors to a spacious, open multipurpose room. A fully stocked bar lined one wall, aside a television and opposite a couch. Behind all of that was a large, plush bed with a towel folded into a pineapple resting on top.

Another door led to the sleekest bathroom Kurt had ever seen. There was a jacuzzi tub in front of a full glass wall that revealed an outdoor shower area.

Back in the main room, a final door opened up to the outdoor lounging area and a private pool, which led straight to the outdoor shower, all just feet from the beach.

This place truly was paradise.

It was only when the butler left the room that Kurt even remembered that Blaine was there, too.

He froze upon seeing Blaine's face. He looked sick.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, feeling like he should reach out to comfort the other boy. "I think everything is gorgeous. Do you hate it?"

Blaine opened and closed his mouth once before answering. "There's only one bed."

Kurt wanted to laugh and also to hit himself upside the head at the same time. How could he have been so insensitive to that? Blaine was still looking sickly and pale at the prospect, and Kurt realized that Blaine might be even more embarrassed about intimacy than he was. Or maybe Blaine was just terribly shy? That would explain how he had been acting...

He reached out to touch Blaine's shoulder, but thought better of it and his hand flopped down by his side.

"It'll be alright, Blaine," he told the petrified man who still stood, mid-step, in the middle of the room. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

Blaine visibly relaxed. "Thank you," he uttered, looking much more at ease. Yet he still didn't say anything else.

Kurt was starting to become frustrated with his silence. He was starting to think that perhaps Blaine didn't care for him much. That would also explain how he had been acting.

Atop the bar counter sat an itinerary for the two of them.

"No rest for the wicked," Kurt smirked, waving the sheet in the air for Blaine to see. "We're booked."

They were scheduled for a dinner that night where they would be filmed asking icebreaker questions to each other. The rest of the week they had a helicopter tour of the island (filmed), more dinners on the beach, hikes (filmed), water activities (filmed), a luau, and plenty of beach time.

He supposed GMA was planning to compile moments from their date to air on their show as a follow-up to their story.

Kurt thought about discussing it with Blaine, but Blaine did not seem particularly inclined to carry on a conversation (in fact, he looked downright uncomfortable), so Kurt headed toward where the butler had stowed his luggage. "I'm going to freshen up and get ready for dinner," he announced before disappearing into the bathroom, hoping a shower could wash away his doubts about how Blaine was responding to him.

The shower worked to calm his nerves, and by the time he left the bathroom, Kurt planned to give Blaine another chance without allowing any previous interactions to influence the future of their relationship.

Blaine quietly took Kurt's place in the bathroom to prepare for dinner, and in twenty minutes, they were standing, dressed to impress, staring at each other.

"You look really great," Kurt tried.

Blaine mumbled his thanks. His hands fidgeted by his sides. Kurt sighed, plopping onto the couch, humming random notes under his breath.

Luckily their butler saved them from their awkwardness with his knock on their door.

"Hello Mr. Kurt and Mr. Blaine. I will take you down to the beach for your dinner."

They followed him on a short walk to where a table was set up with lights and cameras all around.

A sign was perched on their table.

Reserved

Anderson

Hummel

A completely unexpected thrill ran through Kurt upon seeing their names written like that. He shook off what that might mean as one of the cameramen they had become familiar with over the past day came up to them.

"Hi guys. We want some footage of you on your first date. We have a bowl full of icebreaker questions on the table and we will record you asking each other a few questions before your dinner arrives. We will start rolling as soon as you sit down."

Blaine and Kurt walked the last few feet to the table. The wait staff that greeted them there pulled out their chairs for them to sit.

The second they sat and the recording lights turned on the cameras, Blaine's entire posture shifted. He sat taller, made eye contact with Kurt, and a smile spread across his face, though it didn't touch his eyes.

What the hell? Kurt wanted to eye him suspiciously, but the cameras were on, so he just smiled pleasantly. He dragged the glass bowl with strips of paper in it toward him and chose one from the pile.

"Are you a morning or a night person?" Kurt asked. He wasn't sure how he expected Blaine to answer after how little he had said so far today, but whatever he was expecting, Blaine's response was surprising.

"Morning person, hands down. Early to bed, early to rise!" He flashed a winning grin.

Who was this person, and what had he done with the Blaine that Kurt had spent the day with?

"What about you?" Blaine asked him in return.

"Night person. I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the mornings."

Blaine laughed knowingly. "My roommate Sam is the same way. I have to drag him out of the house when he has classes before noon." He reached for the bowl of questions. "My turn. Where did you grow up?"

"The small town of Lima, Ohio. Most people have never heard of it before."

"I have," Blaine replied with bright eyes. "I grew up in Westerville."

"Westerville, Ohio?!"

Blaine nodded in confirmation.

"What a small world!" Visions of the two of them visiting home together plagued Kurt. His eyes darted to the Anderson Hummel sign again. He picked out another question. "What's your favorite smell?"

Blaine breathed in deeply and sighed, as though he could smell it right then. "Freshly ground coffee beans."

Kurt chuckled. "I love that smell as well. My favorite is my mother's perfume, like lilacs and summertime. It reminds me of my childhood." He made himself stop talking before he could become emotional.

They continued on for a few more turns, Kurt thoroughly enjoying himself and finally feeling like he and Blaine were falling into the familiarity that felt so natural between them. But then the cameras shut off and the crew said their goodbyes, and Blaine changed back like a switch had been flipped.

The waitstaff approached then, bringing the first course. Over appetizers, Kurt asked if they should continue the game, uncertainty nagging at him.

Blaine agreed, but after the first two questions, Kurt cut it off. Blaine was giving quiet, one-word answers, a completely different person than he had been a few minutes earlier.

So they ate in relative silence, Kurt turning over thoughts in his head. Everything was clear to him now. Blaine obviously had a problem with him, but wanted to keep up appearances for the camera. What had Kurt done to turn him off? Should they call off the entire thing and go home? Kurt wasn't sure he could handle an entire week of being given the cold shoulder by someone who obviously despised him.

He had given Blaine his second chance. He was not about to allow his heart to be jerked around again. Tomorrow, he would confront him.