It had all started when Blaine insisted on teaching their two children, Cooper ("Coop") and , Elizabeth ("Lizzie"), about Santa Claus. This all had begun when Coop was very small, when he was only about four, before Lizzie was even in the picture. Kurt had taken this in stride, they had agreed to compromise on these sorts of things, and Kurt could remember a time when his own father, Burt, had done the same with him.
So Blaine had insisted on dragging him from store to unfashionable store, looking for the perfect Santa costume.
By the time they were done, curled into a booth together in their favorite coffee shop and cradling their coffees as warmly as they did each other, the fashion-diva and shopping-enthusiast that Kurt was by nature had declared it the second-worst shopping trip he'd ever experienced. Second only to the time, several years ago, when his father insisted on dragging him off to buy new socket wrenches for the shop. They'd spent two-and-a-half hours deciding on certain types. Kurt had been waiting so long that he was debating on sacrificing the Say Yes to the Dress marathon on TLC to hand wash his new Marc Jacobs sweater if it meant he could sit down, albeit on the grease-and-dirt-covered floor.
All in all, Blaine hadn't let Kurt see him in the jolly red man's costume. Every Christmas after, Kurt would fall asleep early, and wouldn't wake up until Coop ran into his room to tug on his arm, begging him to get up so she could open his presents. Years later, it was Lizzie who'd tug on his arm, Coop had favored Blaine's arm instead.
The Christmas Eve that Lizzie turned six, however, changed quite a lot.
Kurt, like every year before, was asleep in the bed he shared with Blaine. Lizzie and Coop were tucked into their beds, sound asleep, so Blaine snuck out to perform the Christmas ritual he'd perfected.
Blaine stumbled in from the direction of the fireplace, a sack filled with toys slung over his shoulder. Placing it by the base of the tree, he sat down in the big, high-backed chair. Slipping the fake white beard down, he nibbled away at the Christmas cookies and finished them off with a wash of milk.
Kurt's sleepy eyes fluttered open. For some sudden reason, he had a strong craving for eggnog. Forgetting completely what day it was, he crawled out of bed, and yawning, he stumbled out of the bedroom to where the kitchen opened up to the living room.
Opening the cupboard door, he pulled out a mug. Closing the cabinet door, he crossed to the fridge to pull out the eggnog. Pouring himself a glass, he put the carton back in the fridge.
Carrying the mug with him, he leaned against the pass-through to watch, sipping it slowly, smirking as he drank, watching Blaine as he darted around merrily, Kurt's eyes dancing knowingly as he watched.
Then Blaine turned from where he'd placed the presents under the tree. Upon seeing the sleepy-eyed man, he tsked, saying, "Now, don't you know better than to be awake when Santa's here? I might have to rethink your "Nice" status and leave you nothing but coal, young man."
Gulping down the rest of the eggnog, Kurt set the glass aside. Striding over to him, he wrapped his arms around Blaine, pulling the beard down from his face to kiss the shorter man's lips.
"You know, Santa Claus," Kurt murmured through kisses, "I wouldn't mind getting coal for Christmas if it means I can be naughty with you."
Smiling, Blain leaned into the kiss as he looked up at the mistletoe.
From the hallway behind them, two pairs of eyes peeked out, going unnoticed.
Lizzie tugged gently on her older brother's nightshirt. "Coop, what's Daddy doing with Santa?" She whispered, hugging her stuffed hippo to her chest.
"I-I think they're kissing." He made a face to emphasize the point.
Lizzie frowned. "But what about Papa? Wouldn't he get mad if he knew?" She asked as Coop guided her back to her room.
He shook his head. "Didn't you see that plant hanging above them, Lizzie? That's mistletoe. Everyone knows if you're under mistletoe you gotta kiss. Papa would understand."
Her questions answered, Lizzie smiled softly and curled into bed. "Okay." She said quietly, and allowed herself to give in to the tendrils of sleep beckoning to her.
Coop made his way to his own bed, but not before stopping to smile back at the two men in the living room. He was old enough to understand that they kept up the Santa act for Lizzie. He already knew that it was his Papa under the Santa disguise. Stifling a small chuckle, he slid sleepily into his room, accidentally pressing play on the long-paused CD-radio in the hallway.
Kurt and Blaine looked up, startled, as the last few notes sang out of the player from the previous song. Then a new one began to play.
Smiling, Kurt let his head fall on his husband's shoulder, humming to the tune and singing along to the words, not realizing how relevant they were.
"I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
He didn't see me creep
down the stairs to have a peep;
He thought that I was tucked
up in my bedroom fast asleep.
Then, I saw Daddy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Papa had only seen
Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night."
Blaine's eyes were shining, and he kissed Kurt softly on the nose. "The presents are all laid out, Kurt. Why don't we go back to bed?"
The CD-radio turned off with a slow click.
So they walked hand-in-hand to the bedroom, kissing each other goodnight.
Kurt had never been so happy about craving eggnog before.