Strangers In Love

Chapter 5

The sound of birds singing their cheerful tune accompanied rays of sunlight beating into the room and waking Blaine the next morning. He stretched out and rolled over, only to fall flat on his back on the ground.

Ouch. He had forgotten his ploy to steal the couch from Kurt while he was brushing his teeth last night. There was no way Blaine was going to take the bed while Kurt slept on the couch, but Kurt had insisted, so Blaine resorted to setting up camp there while Kurt was otherwise occupied. Kurt had given up his fight upon seeing Blaine's contented smile, unwilling to be the one to wipe that smile off his face.

A laugh came from the other side of the room, and Blaine sat up to see Kurt giggling at Blaine's mishap behind his hand.

"I thought you were 'hands down a morning person.'" Blaine scrambled to his feet, detangling himself from the blanket around his legs and straightening out his pajamas. His hands flew to his hair in a hopeless attempt to smooth down the unruly curls.

Across the room, Kurt's usually upright hair flopped lazily and he blinked sleep from his eyes, but he somehow still managed to look amazing. How unfair.

"I am. Good morning."

"It's hardly morning," Kurt scoffed.

Blaine looked at the time on his phone and let out an exclamation of surprise. He needed to shower and dress for the day and do something with his out-of-control hair. His hands unconsciously went back to trying to tame it.

"Don't do that," Kurt said, looking up at Blaine through his eyelashes. "You look adorable."

Did Kurt just say...Wait. Was Kurt flirting with him? Blaine would never be able to talk to him now. Even if Blaine could come up with exciting things to say, he had less than zero idea how to flirt. He wanted to tell Kurt how amazing he looked (now and always), but it would surely sound stupid coming from his mouth. Instead, he just blushed profusely and ducked his head.

"We have to be ready to leave for our helicopter tour at noon. You can have the bathroom first. I'll order brunch. What do you want?" Kurt asked.

Something about Kurt offering to order breakfast to him felt so domestic and natural. Flashbacks of every fantasy he'd ever had for the future came to him at once, and it hurt, knowing that he'd never have the gall to even talk to Kurt freely, let alone share the future with him.

"Oh, um...whatever you're having is fine, thanks." He pardoned himself and backed into the bathroom with his suitcase, glad to have an excuse to take a moment to collect himself.

Kurt was so kind and perfect that had Blaine not been a bumbling idiot, it would have been extraordinarily simple to form a solid friendship with Kurt, and potentially even a romantic relationship, if somehow, the fates could be impossibly swayed in his favor. Not for the first time, Blaine hated how introverted he was. If only he could just be outgoing like his brother or Sam or his father or Kurt, maybe something good would happen to him for once.

Don't fuck this up, Sam's words played back in his head.

I don't see how, Blaine thought hopelessly. I don't see how.

They both finished their morning routines right on time, Kurt emerging from the bathroom looking like a god just as their butler knocked at the door with trays of food in tow.

"Shall we eat outside?" Kurt offered, motioning to the door that led to their patio.

Blaine nodded and held the door open for Kurt and the butler, sitting down in the little outdoor dining area as their butler left.

"I ordered waffles and yogurt and fruit and granola. I hope that's okay," Kurt told him.

"Mhmm," Blaine mumbled, mouth already full of food.

Kurt eyed him carefully, poking at his food but not eating it. "So what do you think of Hawaii so far?" He tried.

"It's nice," was all Blaine could think of to say. He loved everything about it, from the weather to the gorgeous flowers everywhere to the fresh pineapple juice that was always readily available. He wouldn't ever have chosen Hawaii as a vacation destination on his own, but he was so glad he had ended up there anyway. Of course, he couldn't tell Kurt any of that, because it would result in inane rambling and what would Kurt care about what went on inside his head, anyway?

Tropical bird songs drowned out the silence between them, mingling with the occasional sound of their dishes clinking.

"Why don't you like me?" Kurt's question came out of nowhere.

Blaine dropped his fork and the crash of metal on ceramic cut obtrusively through the air.

"Why don't I - what?!" He knew his mouth was hanging open, but didn't know how to make it shut.

Kurt, for the first time since they had met, looked sheepish and sad.

"You don't want to talk to me, and when I start conversations, you always give short answers like you're brushing me off. You don't have to like me, but I guess I'm just wondering what I did wrong. I thought we had a connection yesterday morning…" he trailed off and worried at his bottom lip.

Blaine's heart dropped. Kurt thought he didn't like him. How had this gone so terribly wrong? He took a deep, calming breath and gathered his courage, shooting an earnest look into Kurt's eyes and cringing at the uncertainty and vulnerability he found.

"Nothing. You haven't done anything wrong. I don't dislike you. It's - it's quite...quite the contrary actually." His breathing was quick. He had just told Kurt he liked him in not as many words. Breathe. Courage. Kurt waited for him to continue. "Kurt, I - I'm extremely introverted. That's all. It's not you, I promise."

Kurt had yet to look relieved, though. "But you shut me out when we're alone, and then as soon as a camera appears, you're talking and laughing like everything is great. You become an entirely different person. You don't...you don't have to pretend this is going well just because of the cameras. We can call the whole thing off, you know. I would hate for you to be stuck here with me all week just for the sake of the viewers at home."

The look in Kurt's eyes told Blaine that he had been hurt before. He wanted so badly to reach out and put a comforting hand in Kurt's.

"I'm a performer, Kurt. When I'm in front of the cameras, my shyness doesn't matter because I'm acting. That's why you noticed a difference in my behavior. I'm not that brave, confident person when I'm just being me. It takes a while for me to get to know someone well enough to truly open up to them."

Kurt's eyes locked with his. Blaine's heart gave out a little.

"Then act."

"What?" Blaine wasn't sure what Kurt was saying. It may have been the fact that his brain was clouded with visions of the ocean-like depths of Kurt's eyes.

Kurt clarified. "It doesn't take a camera to act. When you're with me, I want you to act like you know me and you feel comfortable around me. So act it."

"It's that simple?"

"Try it."

Blaine closed his eyes for a split second to draw on his character. His shoulders straightened, and an excited buzz filled his body as he felt the rush of the alternate persona taking over. When he opened his eyes, he knew it had worked.

"It's that simple." Blaine returned to the conversation about Hawaii. "It's nice here, and I'm glad they sent us, because Hawaii wouldn't have even been in my top 3 destinations."

Kurt looked astounded at the difference in Blaine. He was also a seasoned actor, though, and he quickly rearranged his features and jumped right into the conversation. "Me either. But you're right. It's perfect here. What would your top 3 have been?"

While they ate, they fell into an easy discussion of travel where they realized a mutual appreciation for Europe, where all six of their top destinations were located.

Partway through Blaine raving about a falafel restaurant in Paris that was "to die for," Blaine interrupted himself when he noticed the funny look on Kurt's face.

"What? Do I have strawberry seeds stuck in my teeth?"

"No, your teeth are...perfect, actually…" Kurt blushed. "I just...this is nice. Isn't it?"

Blaine smiled softly at him. "It's really nice." After a moment's pause with both boys lost in their own thoughts, he resumed his ranking of falafels, and things carried on from there.

With each piece of information exchanged, Blaine felt more comfortable with Kurt, piecing together his date one tidbit of information at a time. At the same time, with every flirty comment or stunning smile Kurt threw his way, Blaine grew more intimidated by him.

The conversation flowed effortlessly as the boys finished their breakfasts, hopped in the car, and rode over to the helicopter site, covering topics from their majors and degrees to which season of the Bachelorette was the best (Blaine said three, Kurt maintained that ten could not be beaten).

By the time they arrived at the helicopter pad, they were laughing freely and Blaine couldn't help but to think how brilliant Kurt's suggestion had been. He liked Kurt even more now than he had thought possible. His wit and intellect were infectious, and every time one of his jokes made Kurt laugh, Blaine wanted to jump out of the car and run a victory lap. Acting like he knew Kurt well enough to talk to him and joke around with him was surprisingly easy. Blaine suspected he would be able to drop the pretense of acting in no time, if it was not for Kurt's flirting game, which was strong. Blaine blushed just thinking about it.

"Aloha!" A woman in a pilot's outfit greeted them.

Seeing the helicopter right in front of him, reality sunk in for Blaine. What a unique experience he had been given to see the island from above. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement, Kurt chuckling at how eager he was, and when Kekoa, their pilot and tour guide, fitted them with their headsets and strapped into her seat, Blaine was buzzing with anticipation.

He glanced over at Kurt to share how much he was looking forward to the tour, but the smile fell right off his face seeing how sick Kurt looked.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked worriedly.

Kurt closed his eyes and admitted, "I'm afraid of heights."

"Uh oh. Do you want to cancel? There's still time. We can let them know we changed our minds."

Kurt gave Blaine a baffled look. "You would do that for me? You're so excited about this."

"Of course. There are plenty of other cool things we can do instead. You shouldn't have to sit through a two hour helicopter tour where you're uncomfortable the whole time. Should we let them know?"

After a short pause, Kurt shook his head resolutely. "No, I want to do this."

"Here we go!" Kekoa warned them as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

Kurt let out a pained sound and threw his head back against his seat.

"You sure?" Blaine asked. "It's not too late."

Kurt focused on his breathing, hands gripping his pants. "No, I just need…" But he couldn't articulate what he needed.

Blaine, in a leap of faith, slipped his hand across the gap to Kurt, who gratefully latched on.

For a moment, Blaine forgot everything. He forgot the role he was playing, he forgot his insecurities, he forgot everything except for how amazing it felt to be holding hands with Kurt, who seemed to relax as the helicopter rose higher.

Blaine looked down at the rapidly shrinking town below him. Suddenly, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He groaned and put his head between his knees.

Hands still clasped together, Kurt checked in to see what was going on.

Without lifting his head, Blaine explained. "I have really bad motion sickness and I forgot to take my Dramamine earlier. It's in my pocket. Can you reach it? If I move, I'll vomit."

Kurt, pushing aside all embarrassment at reaching into Blaine's pocket (whatever you do, do not think about how close you are to touching his dick, Kurt!), handed over the small pill to Blaine, who swallowed it down.

A few minutes later, when Blaine tentatively peeked his head up, he saw Kurt giggling. He sent him a questioning look.

"We're the two worst helicopter tourists ever. I'm afraid of heights, you're motion sick..."

"At least we're not both at the same time. That would be a deadly combination!" Blaine laughed along with Kurt, feeling infinitely better.

Kekoa's voice rang through their headsets. "We are now approaching the Kilauea Volcano, which has been erupting continuously for the past 35 years."

Gripping Blaine's had a little tighter, Kurt leaned forward slightly to see the volcano in all its glory.

"It's gorgeous," Blaine said emphatically.

They flew over lava badlands, a magnificent waterfall, sea cliffs, everything. Kurt did not release his grip on Blaine's hand until it was time to unbuckle from their restraints, and when he did, Blaine immediately started plotting other ways to take Kurt up high again just for another excuse to hold his hand.

By the time they returned to their villa, both boys were still in awe of what they had seen, and could not stop talking about their favorite parts of the tour.

"So are you glad you went through with it?" Blaine asked, nudging Kurt's shoulder as they stood around the bar in their room, sipping on drinks that Kurt had mixed up.

"Absolutely. Blaine..." Kurt took one last sip, draining his drink and set the glass back down on the counter gently. "Thank you. I don't think I could have done it without you today. You make me feel...comfortable." In a way nobody else ever has, he refrained from adding, because the admission even scared Kurt.

"You're welcome. It was a great experience and I'm so happy I could share it with you. Thank you for keeping me from puking all over the place. That would have really put a damper on the whole trip."

Kurt grinned. "Just to be clear, if you ever vomit on my clothes, this friendship is over."

"You mean you wouldn't rub my back and nurse me to health?" Blaine jested.

"I'm not saying that. I'm just pointing out that even in the throes of illness, your aim better be spot on." Kurt laughed, pushing off from the counter. "I'm going to change for dinner. We're supposed to be on the pier in 30 minutes, right?"

Blaine confirmed, and they took turns cleaning up. Thirty minutes later, they were boarding a private catamaran for a dinner cruise.

The boat set sail across the water with the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting an array of colors across the horizon. Wind breezed through their hair and ruffling their shirts as Kurt and Blaine sat on the deck of the boat, waiting for their dinner to be served, and the boys felt more carefree and relaxed than they haD been since they arrived in Hawaii.

Kurt was having an amazing day. Being with Blaine was such a breath of fresh air. Kurt felt like he could so easily give himself over to Blaine, and while he loved the feeling, it was frightening. Especially because he knew Blaine was acting. If Blaine wasn't giving his true self, or only part of his true self, Kurt couldn't bear the thought of finding out after the fact that the real Blaine didn't like him. Kurt was not in the business of getting hurt again. He had to protect his heart.

But he just couldn't help himself when the chemistry between them (him and whichever version of Blaine it was he was seeing) was undeniable.

"How do you feel about petty theft?" Kurt asked, a smile creeping across his lips.

"I feel like that could be a setup. Are you asking me to steal something?" Blaine joked.

Kurt shook his head. "The thieving is already complete."

"What did you take, and from whom?"

Kurt laughed. "I love that you know the proper use of who and whom."

"Ah, yes. My nerdy qualities are what draw in the droves of men that are interested in me." He rolled his eyes.

"I don't doubt that."

"You should. It's a joke. No men are interested in me, and there are definitely not droves of them. But that's beside the point. Tell me what you stole!"

Kurt looked like he wanted to argue Blaine's statement, but gave up and reached into the bag he had brought with him, pulling out the bowl of icebreaker questions from the previous evening.

Blaine gasped. "That is official GMA property, Kurt. I am appalled!"

"As if you've never stolen anything before. I have it on good authority that you've been stowing away the soap and shampoo bottles from our bathroom since we've arrived."

"I won't tell if you don't tell," Blaine held out his pinky.

Kurt hooked his little finger through Blaine's. "Deal."

They didn't disengage their fingers from each other for a long time, and when they did, Kurt wrapped his hand around Blaine's atop the table.

Blaine looked down at their joined hands and back up at Kurt, who smiled at him, heart expanding.

"I thought we could try again with the questions, now that it's easy for you to talk to me," he suggested.

"I'll start," Blaine reached into the bowl. "What is your favorite-" He cut off, spitting as he choked on the words, eyes bugging out of his head and tearing his hand out of Kurt's to clap it over his mouth in horror.

"What does it say?" Kurt was curious. He leaned over to where Blaine held out the strip of paper for him to see.

What is your favorite sex position?

Kurt's reaction mimicked Blaine's. "I swear I did not put that question in there!" He squawked.

Blaine seemed to have recovered somewhat. "I know you didn't. This is totally Sam's fault."

"Your roommate?" Kurt recalled the name from an earlier conversation.

"The one and only. I just knew when he was chatting it up with the camera guy that he was up to something. Meddling little bastard shouldn't ever be left alone."

Kurt's hand reached out for Blaine again with an amused smile. Something about Blaine's touch was irresistible. "Sam sounds funny."

"He sure thinks he is, anyway. No, Sam is a great guy. He's my best friend. But he has made it his mission the last few years to dictate my love life. He's obviously terrible at it since even with his help, it's completely nonexistent."

Kurt stored that knowledge away eagerly.

"Rachel is a meddler too. But with her, it's mostly about my education or career. Not sure if that's better or worse. She's had a run on Broadway already, so she considers herself the resident expert. I know she means well, though."

"Why do the people we love so much have to be so irritating?"

Kurt shrugged. "Clearly because we want to punish ourselves."

"That's the only reasonable explanation."

Silence fell for a moment before Blaine spoke again. "So. What's your favorite sex position?"