#this is one of four more klaines in a row this week enjoy

[klainegifs]

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine Advent Drabble 2020 - “Up in the Air” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Kurt is heartbroken after his plans for a romantic Christmas with Blaine are demolished when he gets locked into a flight he'd been trying to switch. Blaine reassures him that it will be okay, that they'll have their romantic celebration when Kurt's feet are back on the ground. But is Blaine possibly hiding a secret that just might sweep Kurt off his feet? (1638 words)

Notes: Written for the @klaineadvent Drabble Challenge 2020 prompt 'join'.

Read on AO3.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” Kurt grumbles, rushing down the corridor that leads to his gate with his carry-on in tow and his heart pounding, trying to give off the impression that he’s not rushing.

Appearance is everything in the flight attendant game.

He was supposed to get an hour sit before this flight, but the one he was on was late by close to forty-five minutes! He has roughly a minute-and-a-half to reach his destination, covering the distance of two football fields, and that’s not the crappiest part of his day.

“Pick up pick up pick up pick up! Blaine! Ugh!” 

This is the fifth time he’s tried to get a hold of his boyfriend to tell him the bad news. Try his hardest, he couldn’t trade this flight out for one that leaves after the holiday.

His plans to join Blaine for a romantic Christmas have officially been canceled. 

“Pick up pick up pick up pick up,” he chants as he checks in with security and heads for the boarding area. 

“You’re late,” his friend Monica teases.

“I had three seconds to make it here from the complete other side of the airport,” he replies with a forced smile for the waiting passengers. The flight attendants can get away with making snide remarks as long as they keep a smile on their faces.

“At least you did it in flats!"

"Wah wah wah," Kurt teases back, giving Blaine’s number one last try before he'll need to turn off his phone and stow it away for the duration.

He's in for a long night - a soul-crushing series of flights, each one taking him farther and farther away from the man he loves.

Finally, Blaine picks up. 

“Hey! Kurt! I was hoping you’d call!”

He sounds eager, Kurt thinks. Shit! “Hey.”

“Are you okay? It sounds like you've been running.”

“I have.” Kurt stops in the crook of the tunnel, out of sight from both doorways, to catch his breath. He has one precious minute before he has to perform his pre-flight checks with the crew. And here he is, spending it breaking a wonderful man’s heart. “Look …” He squeezes his eyelids tight, on the verge of frustrated tears “… I’m sorry, Blaine. It’s not going to happen.”

A moment of confused silence. Then realization. “Oh, no! Shoot!”

“I warned you there was a four percent chance it actually would. It’s impossible to make plans over the holidays. It would have taken a miracle.”

“Yes, but, Christmas is the time for miracles.”

“I know, I know,” Kurt says in a shaky voice. “Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Blaine says in a soothing voice. “I understand.”

“I know you do.” Kurt sniffles, pulling a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket and dabbing under his eyes before they can get puffy. “It’s just … I know how I am. I’m the clingy, jealous type. I want to see you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don’t want you to resent my work. Or me.”

“Kurt, I could never resent you! I knew what I was getting into. This is one trip you couldn’t switch, and I understand why. This is just a hiccup. That’s all.”

“A hiccup on one of the most important holidays of the year.”

“There will be plenty of time after the holiday rush for us to spend together. I’ll see you soon. We’ll lie in bed together, hold each other in our arms, and it will be better again. You’ll see.”

Kurt nods in response even though Blaine can’t see. “I’m trusting you.”

“I appreciate that.”

Kurt hears footsteps hurry down the ramp, Monica whispering, “Hurry up, Kurt! We have to go!” as she passes. He watches her disappear around the corner and onto the plane. He sighs. “I love you, Blaine.”

“I love you, too. Have a good flight.”

“I will,” Kurt chokes out, blowing a kiss into the phone. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Kurt hangs up and shoves the phone into his pocket. He grabs the handle of his carry-on and continues on his way. Halfway down the ramp, his phone buzzes in his pocket. Before he even takes it out to check it, he knows it’s a message from Blaine.

He should have waited until he got on the plane where there’s a bathroom to duck into because it unravels him more than he is.

I love you, Kurt. And I’m pretty sure I always will.

***

Kurt doesn’t want to be here.

He doesn’t want to be flying over Miami on Christmas Eve. 

Not when he has a sexy man at home waiting to see him again.

Kurt loves his job. He really does. 

He stumbled into it unexpectedly. It was supposed to be a stop-gap while he worked his way to Broadway - something to pad his bank account, keep food in his belly, and a roof over his head while he got to experience life, hone his craft. And even though he's held on to his dreams of Broadway fame, this job stuck. He has never regretted a single flight in his entire career …

… until this one.

God, what he wouldn’t give to be at home right now, watching cheesy movies on Lifetime, snuggled in Blaine’s arms!

Kurt doesn’t pay much attention to the passengers as he maneuvers the beverage service down the aisle, dishing out Diet Cokes and mini bottles of vodka and Crown Royal. He makes eye contact, nods and smiles, but that's it. He can perform this part of his job on autopilot, has perfected the art of appearing engaged while, in his mind, he goes over notes for an audition or takes a stab at writing his memoirs. 

He knows the bare minimum about the passengers on this side of the plane from the things they let slip out of excitement or need - an older lady flying to see her daughter for the first time in ten years, an unaccompanied minor, a row of sorority sisters on a holiday excursion. Everyone is mellow, polite when he stops to ask them what they want from the cart. But there’s always one clown in the bunch.

And Kurt finds his sitting in Row 27, Seat E.

“Soda?” Kurt asks. “Coffee? Tea?”

“A medium drip, please? Or maybe a flat white?”

“A-ha. That's one coffee black for you,” Kurt says, his tone chipper, but sharp around the edges, barely glancing at the man as he hands over his drink. 

"Perfect. Thank you, Kurt."

"You're very welcome." Kurt internally groans when the man uses his name. The airline requires all customer-facing employees to wear a name tag for passenger comfort "in a time of need" (or so says the employee literature). In this age of social media, it's used more by the Karens of the world to flame what they consider 'inappropriate conduct' without impunity. All claims are thoroughly investigated, and require passenger and employee corroboration before disciplinary action is taken. But it's gotten to the point that he doesn't Google his name and the name of his airline in the same sentence anymore. 

It keeps him sane.

Kurt doesn't mind passengers knowing his name.

Just so long as they never use it.

But this man said Kurt's name like he owns it, and that Kurt doesn't appreciate. Not from strangers.

Kurt's eyes flicker up once it hits him.

He knows that voice. 

But how in the hell can it be here?

'I'm projecting,' he thinks. 'I miss my boyfriend, I wish that he was here, but he's not here. No. I'm not going to look at the occupant of this seat and see ...'

“Blaine?” Kurt stares at 27E perplexed. It is him! Unless there's been a gas leak the pilot hasn't told them about yet, Blaine is sitting right there, looking as adorable as ever! Maybe more so, his smile bright and goofy with his master plan revealed. “Blaine!”

“Well, well, well ...” Blaine turns in his seat, attempting a casual recline against the rigid armrest, masking the pain on his face when its sharp edge digs into his back. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I didn’t know you’d be …! Wha---when did you even get a ticket?”

“A few days ago. Your friend Monica helped me with the details. I had to grease a lot of wheels, seeing as most holiday flights were already packed, but I’m on every one of your connections. I figured we can spend your layover together.”

“And what if I had managed to get the time off?”

“I would probably be out close to a few thousand bucks, but it was a chance I was willing to take.” Blaine tilts his head down so he can look coyly up at Kurt through long, thick lashes. “Are you surprised?”

“Yes! I … I don’t know what to say!”

“Say that you love me," Blaine says sincerely. "Say that you’ll have a little more faith in me.”

“I do have faith in you. It’s just sometimes … I don’t have all that much faith in myself. In my overall appeal.”

“Well, your overall appeal is so strong, I spent a small fortune to take this journey with you.” Blaine chuckles when he notices they’ve garnered attention from other passengers, wondering what happened to the drink cart but watching quietly to see the drama unfold. “So why don’t we enjoy the journey? See where it takes us?”

Kurt grins, his cheeks burning when the sorority sisters occupying the seats behind Blaine awww, and the older woman claps.

Kurt rolls his eyes when other passengers join in. 

Only at Christmas, he thinks.

Then again, isn't this what he wanted?

His cheesy Lifetime movie?

His improbable Christmas miracle?

Kurt smiles. “That sounds like a plan.”

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

The Great ATOG Reread part 5

I - finished. I feel dead inside.

Also, hi @cinnamon-t

Chapter 24

And we’re still in the recovery period, but meanwhile, Draxie is low key not so low key breaking down, which worries BB and Ghostly.

Who isn’t low key breaking down? Who is high key breaking down? BLAINE DEVON. He’s recovering in his own way. He is slowly realising he’s capable of killing other people without thinking. Now, this is ATOG, so they talk it out and blah blah ‘PHALANX SIGHTING FUCK YEAH OMFG’, but this will always be important for his character arc. His humanity and it sometimes blinds him, is dangerous. Grey delves right into that.

(You remember that message we got a couple of weeks back, from someone who said they were Phalanx and they needed help … ?)

Ash

MIKE FUCKING CHANG.

The building behind him burns like the apocalypse, and the firefighter holds the oxygen up for him, his whole body sagging too needily to that mask. 8 Die In Arson Attack, the headline states. NY’s New Hero Saves 12.

This is how Mike and Tina got so involved. This also shows fuck much they love the Ghost. And also, for the first time, Mike doesn’t regret chosing this career.

Chapter 25

Kurt is so fucking bored, he starts watching The Wire, and wow, Blaine isn’t the only fanboy anymore. Unfortunately, I don’t think Kurt can handle the blogs, otherwise he could’ve made one and followed Blaine.

Speaking of fangirls, BB and Ghostly know what Draxie has done. And so does Kurt. 

(Why must they? They’re not me, they’re decent people. And it’s not stupid and small and childish. You think it’s stupid and small and childish for Blackbindings? It keeps her *sane*, it keeps her *alive* and we both know it. And Draxie, what you write isn’t childish. The feeling in it is real. Your fic actually does come from your heart and people can tell that when they read it.)

Of course, Kurt isn’t happy, but after skimming through Draxie’s blog, he warms up to her. He doesn’t know she still has this low key breakdown. This is where Ghostly, the bitchy voice of reason, comes in.

Draxie got her reality check. She’s always known they were real, and she hasn’t really been disrespectul towards them through her fiction (compared to those fucking idiots who wrotie NC-17 Ghostzilla non-con what the fuck), but it hurts. These people are real. And oh wow, they love each other.

Ghostly is right. It’s time to write again, but this time with her new knowlegde.

Chapter 26

And so it begins.

The vigil. Phalanx attending it. RACHEL BEIGNNG AND IDIOTPC PEIECE OF SHIT???? Character wise, Rachel is well written and kind of amazing in the fic, but do I like her? Shit son. I don’t know. Rachel is a terrible friend, she’s a bigot, she’s judgemental, and she puts her bitterness and pettiness over her ability to think rationally. That’s the main problem. She can’t handle any kind of rejection, so she turns crazy.

At least one good thing comes out of this chapter:

All the Other Ghosts, ghostlanx, R for the kind of violence and threat you could actually expect while superheroing. Because the city is so dark on a night, and what ‘hero’ means to the Ghost can’t just be what he does. 

Chapter 27

(the Ghost wants to smack himself in the forehead, she might as well be waving a sign that says Please mug me!)

This is what I mean.

Rachel’s naitvety and innocence can get her killed jesus fucking christ. Honestly, innocence isn’t the main problem, but her reluctance to listen to someone who’s at least a bit sensible is very frustrating.

But Rachel isn’t the only one with a change of heart (I mean, she kinda has to change her opinions after she finds out the one man she hates the most is actually her best friend and roommate). Sam has his too. I don’t blame Sam for being desperate, although yes, he could’ve thought it through.

And oh- the Ghost realises he is going to die and he only has one person on his mind.

Falling in love was like being the first person to walk on the moon, virgin ground, nothing but his footprints and so many stars. No-one had ever said that this existed. Like no-one had ever been here before, this was so new, so sudden, so unforeseen, so delicate, like it was too much to last. Too pristine, too perfect, so bright the light fractured into tears … nothing so perfect can last in this life. Blaine. More joy than he knew there was in the world, Blaine, and his throat closes. He had so much. He was so rich with love. Maybe too much over too soon is better than a bare trickle paid out through the parched length of a life. Maybe …

Chapter 28

BB has the package, but not for long. (oh, and Blaine totally fanboying about her fic gives me life)

Back to the action. When I first read it, I almost lost my shit when I realised the ‘doc’ is Mr. Schue. It quite fits if I may say so. This entire ordeal also focuses on one of the main problems in the world: how people look past humanity.

Every time something shit happens in history, it’s because people look past humanity. 

The Team makes its first appearance. To this day, I still don’t know how to feel about that team. Sure, they helped them out and by the time Grey ended, the Ghost and Phalanx could rely on them and call them their friends, but a lot of ugly had to happen for that to succeed.

And this is what he’s bringing to save the Ghost’s life, an ill-assorted gang of people Phalanx just met, half of whom have tried to kill him previously while the other half seem more interested in arresting the government traitor than saving his life - and himself, and Finn, too scared to think straight - he has to save his life and this is the best he can do?

Chapter 29

“Because it’s so hard being you. It’s so hard being different and special and you get away with anything you want, you get to rescue people and the rest of us are just here to be rescued, we’re just cattle, aren’t we? You’re the one with the powers, you’re the one who put on the costume, you don’t get to whine about how hard it is being you when all along you’ve been acting like you get to be special and everybody else -”

Wow, I am not like the Ghost. I am all for killing this dude. What is it with people who think they know the Ghost? What is it with people who think superpowers are a gift? Do they honestly think it’s a privilege? Oh for fuck’s sake.

And the Ghost has a full blown panic attack, Phalanx isn’t there, but he knows the Ghost must be going crazy. They both know what those powers mean to the Ghost, and the moment Schuester grabbed the Ghost’s face, he lost it. Gosh. The Ghost. So helpless.

Yet, Blaine is the one who makes him breathe again.

Schuester isn’t the only one who completely misunderstands having powers. It’s not cool. It’s not a great thing. Sure, it can be, but it depends on what you do with it, but it’s not a gift. Sugar finds out. Just like Rachel, her naivety almost kills her. Jesus fucking Christ Sugar.

Chapter 30

I just read seven months worth of fiction in four days or so?

This ending is perfect and filled with happy endings. 

Kurt’s back home and his dad is on his way.

Phalanx is still out there.

Kurt gets a huge promotion- hooray!

Draxie gets the gift, which happens to be the belt of her dreams. Therefor, all the money she was going to spend can be used for other things, which saves her quite some stress.

Rachel’s final rapport.

KLAINE AND TIKE DINNER WOO! (oh and Kurt low key realising the team could be something)

Happy day in fandom.

Kurt recovering and Ghostly verbally bitch slapping everyone.

DRAXIE AND MR. DRAXIE FUCK YEAH!!

And of course

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK NO YES shit. Oh shit, I’m not breathing properly. It’s him? It’s *him*?? i actually just cant (GHOSTLY GHOSTLY GET ONLINE GHOSTLY) (BB!!!!!!!) (ONE OG YOU FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!!) Draxie have you seen the pics yet??? crying too hard to type can’t. can’t.

The last part was so wonderful. It felt so fitting to end this story at Pride and with the Ghost and Phalanx finally being able to take a fucking bow. This story ended on such a high note, you almost forget Grey exists.

But that’s one fucking wrap.

Speaking of Grey, I will read it. Grey is my favourite and it’s the only fanfic I straight-up call literature (and because of that, also the only piece of literature I actually like). But… it;s heavy. It took me a year to start rereading ATOG because I know it’s heavy. This was heavy. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of the crazy, but I’m not lying when I tell you I cried myself to sleep three nights in a row. At some points, this fic became too much. I actually considered taking a break after that awfully heavy chapter (NUCLEAR BOMB, THREE DEAD, BABY’S BODY), but I couldn’t.

Now I could. Now I can. Now I will. 

Knowing myself, I will start reading before the end of the week, but I need to take some time off. ATOG was heavy, but I know Grey is, like, 10 times worse.

But that is Grey. This is ATOG and wow fuck, I love this.