Love in the Air
AN: So remember how I said it was summer and I'd have more time to write? Well that was before my laptop broke, so until it gets fixed updates are going to probably be once a week. :( I know I say this all the time but I love every single review you guys leave for me, so thank you!
Good news is that I think you'll really like this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. It is also the longest chapter yet! Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Modern Family, American Airlines, or anything else that looks familiar.
Chapter 21:
July 2nd 2019:
"You really don't like this being a secret do you?" Blaine chanced a quick glance over at Kurt who rolled his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat. "I guess that would be a 'yes'." Blaine chuckled under his breath.
The rest of the drive was silent aside from Blaine singing along to the radio. It was clear though that Kurt wasn't as pissed as he showed because every now and then the traces of a smile would appear on his face or he would begin to quietly singing along before catching himself and falling silent.
This went on for a while until Blaine noticed that Kurt had been quiet for at least fifteen minutes. He looked over and smiled when he saw him fast asleep. His head lolled back against the headrest and his soft lips were parted as his chest slowly rose and fell.
Kurt was still asleep when Blaine drove through two wire gates and stopped at the small checkpoint. He showed his I.D. to the attendant and once cleared, Blaine drove through and down the familiar road. He passed several large buildings resembling warehouses before parking in front of one a few hundred feet down the road.
Blaine unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned across the center console of the car, "Kurt," he said softly, brushing a few locks of hair from Kurt's face and cupping his cheek, "it's time to wake up sweetheart."
Kurt groaned and shifted in the seat before his eyes slowly opened, blinking against the light, "are we there?" he mumbled raising his hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"Not yet, we just need to switch our mode of transportation." Blaine explained. He leaned over and kissed Kurt's cheek then unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. While Blaine got their suitcases from the trunk, Kurt took a moment to ponder over Blaine's words. Change mode of transportation, what did that even mean, he wondered. Unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car, Kurt grabbed his sunglasses and looked around hoping for a hint towards deciphering what Blaine meant.
"You ready sleepyhead?" Blaine asked appearing by Kurt's side.
"What- yeah. I'm ready… though I have no idea what for." Kurt gave Blaine a small smile and grabbed his own suitcase before following Blaine around the side of the big grey building.
On the other side was a huge field with a strip of pavement running through the middle and that was when Kurt realized where they were; an airport. Not a big international airport but a small private air field.
Blaine walked down towards the end of the building where a small airplane was parked on a huge slab of concrete that extended from the building out towards the runway.
Kurt stopped a few feet from the wing of the plane, his eyes following Blaine's movements as he walked forward and stopped by the side and turned around to face Kurt with a huge grin on his face. If it wasn't clear before, Blaine truly loved flying and this plane meant a lot to him. "Blaine is that…" Kurt trailed off.
"My plane? Yes it is." Blaine set his bag down and placed his hand on the cool metal of his plane, "Kurt, I'd like for you to meet Katy."
A huge smile spread across Kurt's face as he cleared the distance between him and Blaine, "Wow Blaine." He said in awe. The plane was white with red wings and two red and black stripes extending from the nose to the tail. The two tail fins were red and black as well.
Kurt reached out and traced his fingers over the letters 'K.A.T.Y.' painted on the side in red. He looked up when Blaine's warm hand covered his own. "So this is our next mode of transportation?"
Blaine laughed, the sound ringing off the metal body of the plane, and nodded his head, "It is. Our take off time is in ten minutes so we should probably get in."
"Okay." Kurt took Blaine's hand and followed him over to the left side of the plane. Blaine unlocked the door and helped Kurt into his seat before stowing their bags back behind the seats. He then double-checked that Kurt's door was securely shut before going over to his own side of the plane.
Once Blaine had settled in his seat he reached over and handed Kurt a head headset, "this is so we can hear each other over the sound of the engine," Blaine explained as he helped Kurt adjust the headset. Kurt pressed a quick kiss to Blaine's lips in thanks before he moved back so Blaine could put his own.
Turning the key in the ignition the plane engine roared to life and the propeller began to turn, slowly gaining speed. Blaine checked over the controls and flipped a few switches while Kurt watched on with amazement and pride clear on his face.
"Ready?" Blaine asked as he released the brake and the plane began to move forward. He had just gotten the approval for take off from the air traffic tower and within a few minutes they would be airborne and heading towards their secret destination.
"Ready." Kurt replied, his eyes meeting Blaine's for a split second before the plane pulled onto the runway and Blaine began to direct the plane forward.
"Blaine this is incredible!"
They had been flying for a little over and hour and half. The whole time Kurt had been torn between watching Blaine fly, which Kurt found incredibly sexy, or staring out the window at the countryside beneath them.
Blaine chuckled at Kurt's enthusiasm, loving the way his face was alight with excitement.
Ten minutes later Blaine broke the easy silence that had fallen between them. "Kurt, see that big mansion straight ahead?"
Kurt looked out the front window and sure enough there on top of a small hill surrounded by what appeared to be acres of grapes was a huge house. "Yeah, what about it?"
"Now look to the right of it ... see the smaller house?"
Kurt did as Blaine said and he quickly saw that small house that Blaine was talking about. There was a small dirt road that winded between the two houses and though it looked small from up in the air it had to be a few miles long. At one point the road spilt and Kurt followed it with his eyes seeing that is lead to an open field with an airstrip in the middle of it. "Is that where we are going?"
Glancing over Blaine nodded, "it is indeed."
Not sure what else to say, Kurt stayed silent as the plane began to slow and Blaine adjusted more controls and the plane flew lower and lower until it was hovering over the ground. The cabin jostled around when the wheels touched down and with a huge whoosh of air the plane slowed to stop.
"Where are we exactly?" Kurt asked once the plane was completely stopped and Blaine had turned off the engine.
Blaine leaned over and took off his headset, "Ask again, I couldn't hear you."
Kurt looped his arms around Blaine's neck and pulled him close so their lips were brushing, "I asked where we are," he said softly before kissing Blaine.
It was Blaine who pulled away first and Kurt reluctantly removed his arms, "Do you want me to tell you or do you just want to make out in my airplane all day?"
Holding back a laugh Kurt playfully hit Blaine's shoulder and opened the door before jumping out of the plane. Kurt took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet country air that already felt lighter than the thick smog that often covered LA.
In a way it almost reminded him of Ohio. The sky was clear with a few puffy clouds floating by, he could hear the birds chirping as they flew between the patches of trees and there was a soft whistle as the wind blew through the rows of grapes.
He leaned back against the body of the plane and closed his eyes just taking everything in. He heard Blaine walking towards him but didn't open his eyes until he felt Blaine's calloused hand caress his cheek, "I still don't know where we are but this place is amazing."
Humming in agreement Blaine dropped his hand so he could open the door and get out their bags, "This is Duval Vineyards in Napa valley."
"Wait, Duval…isn't that Nick's last name?"
Blaine closed the door and placed the keys to the plane in his pocket. He and Kurt both grabbed their own bags and interlocked their hands, "This place is owned by his parents. They built an airstrip so Jeff and Nick could fly to visit them rather than driving. We usually spend Christmas here since Jeff and I aren't really on speaking terms with our families, except for Eric of course. I asked them we could borrow the guesthouse this weekend and Phil and Sally were more than happy to let us. They have always been more like parents to me than my actual ones have."
Kurt tightened his grip on Blaine's hand as they walked. He knew all about Blaine's family and Jeff's. It was something that the four of them had talked about on the first weekend that Kurt was in LA.
"Anyways," Blaine continued stopping in front of an old pick-up truck that was parked next to the airstrip, "this is the super secret location of our vacation."
Once they had gotten to the guesthouse, Kurt had taken his time wandering through the rooms. He already decided that the master bedroom was his favorite. The far wall was made completely of glass and looked out over the entire valley.
While Kurt was distracted, Blaine took the ring box from his suitcase. He opened the top and took out the ring and placed it into his pocket before hiding the box again. He had just finished zipping his suitcase closed when Kurt walked into the room.
"So now what?" He asked, leaning against the doorjamb.
Blaine stood up and brushed off his shorts before looking into the eyes of his boyfriend, "Well, I was thinking that we could go on a walk and then eat dinner."
Kurt quickly agreed and together they left the house. Blaine led them along a trail that meandered through the vineyards and past the stables where Blaine pointed out the horse that Nick had had since high school when Blaine first met him.
The entire walk was serene and occasionally one of them would stop to just pause and look around. There was even a small creek that followed through a patch of trees and they stopped to sit on a log that was placed along the shore.
"What are you doing?" Kurt wondered aloud when Blaine got up from the log and came back with a flat stone in his hands.
"Skipping rocks. See," Blaine held out the rock for Kurt to look at, "the rock has to be flat and smooth on both sides or else it won't work."
"Okay…" Kurt reached out and flipped over the rock in Blaine's palm. "But I don't understand how you skip a rock, what does that even mean?"
Blaine stared at Kurt for a few seconds, "you don't know how to skip rocks?" he asked in disbelief. Surely ever kid grew up skipping rocks, well any kid that lived where there was water and rocks.
Kurt shook his head a blush rising to his cheek because apparently this was something he should have learned in his childhood.
"Alright, up you go." Blaine stood up and grabbed Kurt's hand pulling him up off the log as well.
"What are you doing?" Kurt asked cautiously.
Blaine leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth, "I'm going to teach you how to skip rocks. It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks right?"
"First," Kurt held up one finger slipping easily into diva mode, "you just called me a dog, and second I am not old. I'm pretty sure that you are a year older so don't even go there."
Blaine laughed and pulled Kurt into a bone-crushing hug, "I love you."
"I love you too, now teach me how to flip, skip whatever it is you do with these rocks."
"Okay, okay. First you stand like this." Blaine stood behind Kurt and helped him stand so he was balanced on the rocky shoreline, "now you hold the stone in your hand like this."
Blaine took Kurt's hand and placed the rock in between his thumb and pointer finger. "Now pull your arm back like this," Blaine brought Kurt's hand back, "and then bring your arm forward, keeping the rock parallel to the ground and flick your wrist."
With his hand over Kurt's, Blaine went through the motion before pulling Kurt's hand back again, "now this time, flick your wrist and let go of the rock."
Kurt nodded silently and Blaine pressed a lingering kiss to his neck before taking a step back. After taking a deep breath, Kurt brought his arm forward like Blaine had shown him and in one smooth motion the rock left his fingers and skipped out across the surface of the creek three times before disappearing into the water.
"Oh my god I did it!" Kurt jumped up excitedly before turning around and launching himself into Blaine's arms. It was probably silly for an adult to be excited about skipping a rock but Kurt honestly didn't care.
"You did! See isn't it fun?"
Kurt pulled away and kissed Blaine right on the mouth. Blaine responded immediately and tugged Kurt closer so there was no distance between them.
Blaine puled back and held Kurt at arms length, his heart was pounding in his chest and a million thoughts ran through his mind. He had tried to plan everything out in his mind, what he would say, how he would say it, but now in the moment, none of that seemed to matter.
"Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt asked, concern thick in his voice as he reached up and ran his fingers through Blaine's curls, trying to sooth him though he wasn't sure why Blaine had frozen on the spot.
"Wha-what? Oh yeah I'm fine. Are you ready to go back to the house and eat?" Blaine quickly snapped back to the present and plastered a smile on his face, trying to pretend like nothing had happened.
"Um, sure." Kurt narrowed his eyes at Blaine's sudden change; he could still see the nervousness in Blaine's eyes despite the smile on his face. He let Blaine take his hand and they walked back up towards the house.
"That was seriously some of the best food I've ever had." Kurt set his plate down and leaned back against Blaine's chest.
When they returned to the house, Blaine had grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and a picnic basket from the refrigerator. They had set up a small picnic outside underneath an old oak tree in the back yard. Behind them was the glass wall of the bedroom and in front was the whole valley, bathed in colors of red and orange from the setting sun.
"I'm glad." Blaine's arms were wrapped around Kurt's middle and their hands were intertwined in Kurt's lap.
"You know what this reminds me off?" Kurt turned slightly in Blaine's arms so he could look over his shoulder at his boyfriend, "this reminds me of Christmas, when you took me to the look out and we had Champagne and chocolate cake. It's like you have a thing for recreating our dates, first in LA with the kiss under the street lamp and now the picnic looking out over the valley."
Blaine took a deep breath, inhaling the pure smell of Kurt and kissed Kurt's temple. "I just want to remember the memories we've had while we create new ones."
"Speaking off new memories…I'm just curious, but why did you bring me here… to a vineyard for our vacation? Not that I don't love it, because I do this has been perfect Blaine." Kurt turned even more in Blaine's arms so he could fully look Blaine in the eyes, "I'm just curious."
Blaine moved his arms from around Kurt's waist so he could sit down in front of him. Kurt seemed to sense a shift and adjusted his body so he was now facing Blaine. Their knees were touching and Blaine reached out to take Kurt's hands in his own before looking up.
"On our first date, I guess you could call it that… in Chicago over coffee at the airport ... we were joking around and you started listing off all the things that you want someday. A two story house with a garage, two kids, girl and a boy, two cats and a beagle named Gordon after Joseph Gordon-Levitt, not the race car driver."
"You remember that?" Kurt's eyes were locked on Blaine's and his heart beat wildly in his chest wondering where exactly Blaine was going with this.
"Of course I remember." Blaine said earnestly, squeezing Kurt's hands. "I also remember that you said you wanted to get married at a winery or in Central Park."
Kurt inhaled, biting down on his lip, he had no idea what was going on around him, he was only aware of Blaine. The feeling of Blaine's hands on his own, his smell, the sound of his voice, "Blaine" Kurt said quietly, not moving his eyes from his boyfriend's face.
"Kurt, I'm in love with you…and I honestly think that I have been since the moment that I met you on that flight from Seattle to Chicago. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would meet someone like you. Someone who makes me smile everyday, someone that probably knows me better than I know myself." Blaine chuckled nervously before his hazel eyes met Kurt's, "someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with… I want to spend the rest of my life with you Kurt, whether that is in LA, or New York I don't care. I just need you."
Blaine's eyes never left Kurt's as he moved forward so he was kneeling, they didn't leave Kurt's as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple gold wedding band, and they didn't leave Kurt's as he finally said the five words he had been wanting to say for the past six weeks.
"Will you marry me Kurt?"
There was no hesitation as Kurt let out the breath he had been holding in and threw himself into Blaine's arms, "Yes! Yes yes, oh god yes I'll marry you."
Blaine let out a laugh in relief and kissed Kurt with as much love as he could. They finally pulled away breathlessly and Blaine took Kurt's left hand in his own and placed the gold band on his ring finger. He kissed the ring and looked up into Kurt's eyes, "do you know why the ring goes on your ring finger on your left hand?"
Kurt shook his head and cupped Blaine's face with his left hand, loving the way it looked against Blaine's tan skin.
"It's because your ring finger on your left hand is the only finger that has a vein that leads directly to your heart."
Kurt laughed, "that is incredibly cheesy, but also really romantic."
Blaine shrugged and moved forward to kiss his new fiancé again but Kurt held up a hand stopping him.
"I'll kiss you in a second, but you never answered my question, why here?"
"Because you said that you wanted to get married at a winery or in Central Park, and I know how important New York is to you, so I figured we could get married there and engaged at a winery, that way both of your dreams can come true."
If Kurt wasn't already hopelessly in love with Blaine, that alone would have made him love the man even more than he already did, "I love you."
"I love you too." Blaine reached out and took Kurt's hand in his own before kissing him again.
I'd really love to hear what you thought about this chapter so please review and let me know :) Next chapter Kurt and Blaine have a lot of people to tell about their new engagement.
Pictures of Blaine's plane, Napa Valley, the guest house and Kurt's ring are posted on my tumblr, url: reidbetweentheelines.
Thoughts? :)