The boy who flew

Franmorris said "If you are still taking prompts for this verse I would love a story of a family on board with a small boy (maybe 5 years old) and he tells Kurt that he loves planes and wants to be a pilot when he grows up. Kurt is so smitten with him and introduces him to Captain Anderson."

A/N- Thanks for this prompt, sweetie. I kind of took some liberties and added an underlining plot bunny in here too. I hope you like!

It all starts (the curiosity and wondering) with the elderly couple down the block, proudly parading up and down the street with a blue bundle of blankets and fabric cradled in their arms. "This is our new grandson. Just one week old" they'd chirp, happily showing and telling to any neighbour who would stay still long enough to look and listen.

Kurt notes the unfamiliar but very warm and bright spark in Blaine's eyes when they're stopped mid-morning stroll to coo at the baby, and Blaine reaches out one finger towards the baby and in reaction the little boy grasps onto Blaine so tightly with his whole tiny hand.

It continues through walks in the park, smiling and waving at small children who approach them. In café's and restaurants when there is a wailing child nearby and Kurt and Blaine are just about the only patrons who are not covering their ears and scrunching up their noses in distaste. During shopping trips, when they'll somehow find themselves in the middle of the kids section; idly perusing taggy-blankets and tiny pacifier, potty training chairs and decorative wall stickers.

It ends during a short-haul flight from New York to Boston one weekday morning in September; just a normal day in the office for Kurt and Blaine.

The passenger cabin is quiet with a lot of seats unsold, meaning that there are only four crew members needed on board today; Kurt and Jeff and Blaine and Nick in the cockpit. There's hardly any chatter with most of their passengers being business men and women; glued to their phones using the in-flight Wifi package. With such short flights, Kurt doesn't need to offer any refreshments so he can sit happily in his seat upfront and just relax for the next 60 minutes or so—unless he's needed of course.

He's smiling, happily daydreaming to himself when a small ruckus from the middle of the aisle has him standing up to see what's going on. The skies are bright and clear and the seatbelt lights have been switched off—and there is a small boy, no older than five or six taking advantage of it by gliding up and down the aisle with his arms out-stretched by his sides, making airplane noises with his mouth.

Kurt chuckles, glancing over to whom he assumes to be the boy's mother or his guardian; who is trying to get him to sit down but with no avail. Kurt plucks a lollipop from the jar he keeps —for exactly these situations— and heads down towards the mini airplane 'who' has just spun around and is heading back the other way.

"I think you're the fastest airplane I've ever seen…and I've seen a lot" Kurt says, handing the lollipop to the boy when he halts and turns around with wide eyes.

"I'm so sorry" the lady beside him says, leaning over the armrest to try and grab on to the excited child and reign him in. "It's his first flight, he's just excited."

"Yeah, I love airplanes" the kid exclaims, nodding frantically. He's cute with brown shaggy hair falling passed his ears and freckles dotted over his nose and cheeks. "And I don't get to go to school today" he adds happily. The lady shakes her head fondly and Kurt grins harder.

"We're visiting his mom—my sister. She-she's had surgery recently at a special clinic in Boston." She tells Kurt softly, looking between him and the boy. "I don't like to keep him from school if he's not sick but I had to- it's- there's no one else." She stops talking and even the little boy has quieted down and there's a distinct look that mists over in her eyes, a look that clearly reads "I don't want him to be sad anymore."

Something cinches in Kurt's chest. Kurt nods at her empathetically. He kneels down so that he's at the boy's height, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Charlie" the boy responds brightly.

"I'm Kurt. Nice to meet you, Charlie. And you are?" He asks his aunt, looking at her with a hand held-out in greeting.

"I'm Francesca" she tells him, accepting his handshake with a grin.

"Well, I'd personally like to wish you both a very warm welcome aboard our flight today." Kurt says, exuding charm and professionalism. Charlie beams while Francesca blushes a little.

"This airplane's pilot sure is good" Charlie exclaims, "there's no bumps or anything and I'm not even scared. Flying's not scary, I want to fly airplanes when I grow up," he gets out all at once, jumping up down on the spot.

"Is that right?" Kurt grins at him, eyes shining fondly. He doesn't think he's ever met a child so charming and charismatic, energetic and enthusiastic but not in a too much kind of way. In fact, Charlie very much reminds Kurt of what a very younger Blaine would have been like. He could just imagine his husband aboard his first flight, harassing his parents and charming the pants off of the cabin crew with his bright eyes and wide toothy smile that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners.

"We got him one of those remote controlled airplanes for his birthday," Francesca tells Kurt, "he loves it, but soon decided that it just wasn't big enough, not even to fit his little toe." She laughs and Charlie giggles and Kurt ends up chuckling with them.

"Have you ever seen a pilot before?" Kurt asks Charlie who shakes his head sombrely in response.

"We tried looking for one at the airport, but with no luck." Francesca adds, looking at Charlie sympathetically.

Kurt winks at her before looking back at Charlie and says "Don't worry, bud. You might see one when we land at Boston." He leans in towards the small boy and cups his mouth. "But, you wanna know a secret?"

Charlie takes the cue and leans in too, nodding with a palm curved around his ear, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I think that when you're old enough and ready, you'll be the best pilot of them all" Kurt whispers to him. "Did you know that we call them Captains too? Captain Charlie" Kurt adds in a showy voice, even saluting to the little boy.

Charlie gasps comically loud. "Oh, wow. You mean it? I could be even better than the captain of this airplane?" He shrieks.

"Maybe" Kurt shrugs a shoulder, grinning mischievously. "Maybe you'll get the chance to talk to a real pilot one day and ask him to give you some tips."

"Oh, yeah. That would be totally cool and awesome" Charlie exclaims. "Do you think an airplane pilot would do that?"

"Oh, I'm fairly certain you'll meet one who's nice and special enough one day to do just that. He may even let you look around the cockpit and see how all the controls work and stuff. Maybe even let you try on his hat" Kurt says and when he glances over at Francesca to share a knowing look, he notices her eyes welling with unshed tears.

She blinks her eyes closed a couple times and mouths a silent thank you to Kurt before chuckling at the awe-struck expression on Charlie's face.

There's a dinging sound and then Captain Anderson's voice crackles over the in-flight intercom, announcing a smooth landing in roughly 20 minutes. Charlie jolts to attention, a smile on his voice when he hears the Captain's voice.

"Well, could you do as the Captain says, Charlie, and sit back in your seat and buckle up for landing?" Kurt asks him, but before he's even mid sentence Charlie is already scrambling over Francesca's lap to get back in his seat.

"Good job" Kurt tells him. He stands to return to his seat for landing, bidding the two a polite farewell over his shoulder, but quickly disappears into the cockpit before getting back to his own seat.

"I don't think I've ever seen a cuter kid. He was so excited and happy. Polite too," Blaine gushes, leaning back in his pilot's seat, shifting and adjusting as Kurt makes himself comfortable in his lap.

The flight landed safely and smoothly around a half hour ago and all of the passengers vacated happily. All except for two passengers.

Jeff has already taken care of the cabin clean up and he and Nick are now in the staff lounge in the airport waiting for their next flight—leaving Kurt and Blaine to finish up their managerial duties on board. Or so they thought.

"Mmm" Kurt replies, grinning as Blaine's arms tighten around his waist. "Thank you for meeting him and doing all that, I'm pretty sure you made his day. Probably his whole year, actually."

Blaine sighs heavily; Kurt had already told him what he had assumed to be Charlie's tragic story about his family. His heart squeezes in his chest and Kurt's hands find his and rest them together, fingers tangled over his stomach.

They are hearing so very many familiar stories these days, about children with broken homes. Sick families, parents who can't afford to care for them or those who simply don't want to.

"Hey," Kurt whispers into the comfortable silence that has grown between them. "We could really help. We could make a difference to kid's lives, kids like Charlie. At least he's lucky enough to have his aunt, but some of them have nobody." His voice trembles and Blaine holds him tighter.

"You're right, babe. I think it's time." Blaine says softly. "This weekend we'll make the call to the Adoption Center. I can't wait to have children with you, Kurt."

And just like that a new adventure, in the air or on the ground has begun.