This is my entree for grlnxtdr29's Klaine Christmas Eve Writing Challenge! The themes I was given to work with were Burnt Cookies and Tree Topper.
This was the first writing challenge I have been asked to participate in on FanFiction, and was really excited when I received the invite! I had a lot of fun coming up with the story to go along with my themes, so I hope you enjoy this.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think!
A Very Messy Christmas
The snow outside their third-story loft was coming down hard, so thick that it almost obscured the view through their kitchen window completely. Since Rachel moved out to LA a couple months ago to start her movie career, and both Kurt and Blaine's extended families were stuck back in Ohio due to the storm, this was going to be the first Christmas the small family was going to be spending by themselves.
With the heat turned up to fight off the chill of the storm, and the use of Christmas music to help drown out the howls of the wind, Kurt and Blaine kept themselves busy in their small apartment with their three-year-old daughter, Maia, preparing a few last minute adjustments to the holiday decorations.
Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things but deck the halls again now
For we need a little Christmas right this very minute
Candles in the window, carols at the spinet
Yes we need a little Christmas right this very minute
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry
Little Maia sat on the edge of the counter, kicking her bare feet playfully making soft thumps against the drawers below her, while licking cookie dough off of the wooden spoon Kurt had recently finished with. Humming softly to the holiday playlist that his husband had set up on his iPhone, Kurt used a steel scooper to place rows of dough onto a cookie sheet as Blaine sang softly along to the music from the other side of the room, adding a few more ornaments to the pine tree.
Climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruit cake
It's time we've hung some tinsel on the evergreen bough
For I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder, grown a little older
And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now
For we need a little music, need a little laughter,
need a little singing ringing through the rafter
and we need a little snappy, happy ever after
We need a little Christmas now!
"How are the cookies coming along?" Blaine called over his shoulder as he slid the ribbon of a reindeer ornament over a branch.
"We're making chocolate chip!" Maia cried out excitedly, waving her wooden spoon in the air.
"And gingerbread cookies for Santa," Kurt reminded his daughter before calling over to Blaine. "They're almost ready to put in the oven."
"Santa's coming!" Maia beamed, bouncing on her bottom happily.
"Tonight, honey," Blaine agreed as the last notes of We Need a Little Christmas drifted off. "Do you want to help me put the angel on top?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the couch where the tree topper sat waiting.
With a joyful squeal from the little girl, Kurt gently took the spoon out of her hand before lifting his daughter off the counter and placing her on the floor. Her black curls bounced softly on top of her head as she hurried over to retrieve the angel.
The angel; which Blaine and Kurt had picked out at the store together, had blonde, almost white hair, and wore a long white dress that came down to cover her feet, with long flared sleeves. Gold trim laced the bottom of the dress along with around the angel's waist. The figure's hands were placed over her chest, just below her neck, and had big glass wings that were covered with white glitter. Maia had seemed almost mesmerized by the ornament when she first laid eyes on it a few weeks ago and had insisted that the topper hang out in her room with her dolls the last couple of days.
As Kurt slid the tray of unbaked cookies into the oven, the theme song to Mr. Grinch began to play through the speakers.
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!
Hearing her daddy singing, Maia turned around with the angel hugged against her chest to find the dirty blonde man slowly creeping towards her with his hands out in front of him shaped like claws. A giggle bubbled out of the girl's throat as he drew close enough to tickle her under her chin.
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch
Your heart's an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders, you've got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch
You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch
Given a choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile!
With a smirk plastered on his face, Blaine reached for Kurt's hands and pulled him close. Together, they began to perform some crazy, modern dance routine that consisted with a combination of sharp turns, jumps, and jazz walks that surprising worked with the song that was playing.
Hopping up and down, Maia sent another bright smile in the direction of her parents before starting to spin around in a circle in an attempt to mimic some of her dads' dance moves that were taking place just a few feet away while she held the angel out in front of her body, her small fingers clutching the fabric of the ornament's dress.
You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch
You're a nasty-wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote
"Stink, stank, stunk!"
Maia was starting to feel lightheaded and unsteady, the way she always did when she was getting dizzy. With her head in a fog, she didn't realize until it was too late that she was losing her grip on the angel's white dress. Slipping out of her hands, the tree topper flew across the room. With a loud bang, it crashed against the wall before landing with a quieter thump on the carpeted floor.
Kurt and Blaine spun around at the sound of the impact and paused at the sight of the angel resting on their floral designed rug. One of the ornament's glass wings had broken off and was lying just a couple inches away from the rest of the angel.
You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch
You're the king of sinful sots
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful
Assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots!
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch
With a nauseous super "naus"!
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch
You're a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!
Seeing the broken figurine lying on the ground, the three-year-old suddenly burst into tears. The muscles in her little chin trembled with the emotion that was escalating on her features.
Hearing the distraught sobs coming from his daughter, Kurt hurried over to Maia and brought her into his arms. Hugging her close, he did his best to comfort the child while assuring her that she wasn't going to be in trouble for the accident.
With You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch drifting to its end, Blaine clicked off the music before making his way over to check out the damage of the angel, placing a hand on his husband's shoulder as he passed them. Picking up the pieces, he studied the clean break of the wing.
"It doesn't look that bad," the gelled haired man explained turning around to face his family and took the couple steps necessary to stand right in front of them. "We can probably hot glue the wing back on. It will be as good as new!" he added, ruffling the girl's dark curls.
With a small sniffle, Maia allowed her daddy to hand her over to her papa so Kurt could take the tree topper and dig through his fashion design kit for his hot glue gun. While Kurt got to work at his crafts table with the angel, Blaine set Maia up in front of the TV with her favorite Christmas movie, Annabelle's Wish.
Cuddling into her papa's side, Maia sniffled softly as her slightly red eyes gazed at the moving images on the screen. Billy's Aunt Agnes had just arrived at his Grandpa's farm Christmas morning when the smell of something burning reached her nose.
Raising her head from Blaine's side, the little girl wiggled her nose at the rancid smell. "Papa? What is that?"
Just then, the shrilling siren of the fire alarm went off. Covering her hands over her ears, Maia curled up farther against the back of the couch in fear. "Papa!?"
"The cookies!" Kurt cried from his craft table and moved to stand up, but Blaine was already up and running towards the stove. Instead, Kurt turned in the direction of their linen closet to grab a towel to wave under the kitchen alarm. Turning off the heat, Blaine grabbed the oven mitt that was lying on the counter and dove to pull out the ruined cookies.
Seconds later, Kurt was able to get the alarm to shut off and Blaine turned to open the window a few inches to help ventilate the smell, as well as try to prevent too much of the snow from coming inside and making a mess on the floor.
"Santa's cookies!" Maia cried walking slowly into the kitchen side of the open floor plan as the realization of what was happening hit her. Fresh tears began to roll down her pale cheeks. "You ruined Santa's cookies!"
Before Kurt or Blaine could think of anything to say in order to comfort the distraught toddler, the howl of the wind outside their loft suddenly picked up and the lights started to flicker until finally turning off entirely. Even though it was still quite early in the afternoon, the sun had already set below the horizon leaving the young family in complete darkness and Maia let out a terrified cry.
"Hold on! I'll find a flashlight," Blaine spoke up above the crying child.
"There should be one in the drawer to your left," Kurt noted as he attempted to make his way blindly in the direction that he had last seen their daughter.
Through the couple's blind attempts to return some form of peace to the loft, they could hear Maia's quiet sobs and the soft sound of the little girl's bare feet slowly stumbling her way towards Rachel's old room that had been redecorated for the child as soon as their friend had moved out. By the time Blaine had found the flashlight and had switched it on, they were just able to make out the back of the child as she slipped through the curtain that substituted for a door in their apartment.
Kurt let out a heavy sigh before turning to face his husband. "This night could have gone better."
Not bothering to turn around, Blaine shrugged his shoulders. "She'll feel better in the morning." Setting the flashlight on the counter so the light was reflected towards the center of the room, the dark haired man turned back to close the window again and latched it close. "Can you find some more flashlights or candles?"
Nodding his head, Kurt turned to make his way towards the storage unit they had standing against the wall by their front door. "It's Christmas Eve, Blaine. Maia is supposed to be going to bed tonight feeling excited about Santa coming. Not depressed that she broke the angel for the tree or that Santa's cookies got ruined."
Kurt turned back in time to see Blaine gesture in the direction of where their first batch of cookies; Maia's chocolate chips, sat cooling on a plate. "We still have those. I'm sure once Maia's had a chance to calm down some, she wouldn't mind sharing her cookies with Santa."
Setting the candles he had pulled out down on their kitchen table, Kurt stepped closer to his husband who handed him a box of matches that he retrieved from a cabinet over his head.
"Still," Kurt moaned, glancing towards the room the little girl had disappeared through.
Blaine stepped around his husband to set the tray of burnt cookies in the sink and turned on the hot water to let the pan soak. After a moment of silence he said, "Do you remember, back in high school, when all we had to do was sing a song to each other and all of our problems would seem to just disappear?"
Kurt paused in his mission of sporadically placing the lit candles around the room, and turned to glance in the direction of the curtain that Maia was hidden behind before sending Blaine a knowing smile. Even without the background music to back them up, they knew each other well enough to know instantly what song they should sing to help bring a smile back to their daughter's face.
"I really can't stay – " Kurt started, jumping into the acapella version of the very first duet he had ever sung with his husband.
"But baby, it's cold outside," Blaine chimed in, a grin growing on his face and his eyes lit up as his gaze met Kurt's
"I've got to go away – "
"But baby, it's cold outside."
Blaine started to walk over towards Kurt as they continued to sing and the countertenor took a couple steps forward.
"This evening has been – "
"Been hoping that you'd drop in."
"So very nice – "
"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice." At these words, Blaine took Kurt's hands in his, but the taller one dropped the hold and took a couple steps past his husband as he continued with the next line.
"My mother will start to worry – "
"Beautiful, what's your hurry?" Blaine called, and Kurt knew that he had turned back to look at him.
"My father will be pacing the floor – " he sang, clasping his hands behind his back as he quickened his steps turning back around to face his husband.
"Listen to the fireplace roar." The gelled haired man smirked as he gestured towards a nearby candle.
"So really I'd better scurry – " Kurt raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly to one side.
"Beautiful, please don't hurry." Blaine acted along with the lyrics and stepped closer to Kurt again.
"Well, maybe just a half a drink more – "
"Put some records on while I pour." The slightly shorter one spun past Kurt as he sang.
"The neighbors might think – "
"Baby, it's bad out there."
"Say, what's in this drink?"
"No cabs to be had out there."
"I wish I knew how – "
Kurt caught something move out of the corner of his eye and turned back to find the curtain to Maia's bedroom had been brushed aside slightly, a little hand gripping the edge of the fabric. He turned away again as Blaine proceeded with the song.
"Your eyes are like starlight now."
"To break this spell – "
"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell."
"I ought to say no, no, no sir – " Kurt shook his head slightly and smirked at Blaine as the man drew closer once again.
"Mind if I move in closer?" Blaine moved up to brush his shoulder against Kurt's before turning to place one hand on his husband's waist and took his hand in the other. With a cheeky grin, Kurt complied by resting his free hand on the man's shoulder and they started to spin around the candlelit room.
"At least I'm gonna say that I tried – "
"What's the sense in hurting my pride?"
"I really can't stay – "
"Oh, baby don't hold out."
"Ahh, but it's cold outside."
Their voices chorused together, the perfect compliments to each other. Blaine removed the hand that was laying on Kurt's waist just long enough to spin him around twice before pulling him back into his warm embrace. In the process, the dark haired man glanced in the direction of his daughter's room and took note of the little head picking out from behind the curtain.
"I simply must go – " Kurt pulled back slightly in the embrace as he acted along to the song.
"But baby, it's cold outside."
"The answer is no – "
"But baby, it's cold outside."
"This welcome has been – "
"How lucky that you dropped in."
"So nice and warm – "
"Look out the window at that storm." Blaine sang nodding in the direction of the kitchen window where the snow was still pouring down, with a slight smirk and raised an eyebrow at his husband.
"My sister will be suspicious – "
"Gosh, your lips look delicious."
Kurt nearly melted right then and there when Blaine said the word 'delicious', but he kept his composure enough to keep singing.
"My brother will be there at the door – "
"Waves upon a tropical shore."
"My maiden aunt's mind is vicious – "
"Ooh, your lips are delicious." Blaine brought his hand up to Kurt's cheek as he sang those words, lightly tracing the edge of Kurt's bottom lip. Kurt shuddered at the feel of Blaine's calloused thumb against his soft lips.
"Well, maybe just a cigarette more – "
"Never such a blizzard before." Blaine shrugged slightly and gave another small gesture towards the window.
"I've gotta get home – "
Kurt finally pulled out of his husband's embrace and turned around in time to find Maia taking a step out of her room.
"But baby, you'll freeze out there."
Blaine stepped up behind Kurt, also noting their daughter's presence, but ignored her for the moment to finish the song.
"Say, lend me your coat – " The countertenor sang, glancing over his shoulder at his husband.
"It's up to your knees out there."
"You've really been grand – "
Turning away, Kurt gave a small skip into the living room.
"I'm thrilled when you touch my hair."
"But don't you see – "
"How can you do this thing to me?" Blaine did a little spin before following behind Kurt.
"There's bound to be talk tomorrow – "
"Think of my lifelong sorrow."
"At least there will be plenty implied – "
"If you got pneumonia and died."
Blaine walked back up to Kurt and tapped him lightly on the nose. The dirty blonde let out a small giggle as he continued with his next line.
"I really can't stay – "
"Get over that holdout!"
"Ahh, but it's cold outside," Kurt sang as Blaine harmonized with, "Ohh, baby it's cold outside," and they both fell back against the living room couch, staring at each other with goofy grins on their faces.
It wasn't long before they heard laughter behind them, and the couple turned as one to find little Maia giggling with a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the noise.
"Feeling better, munchkin?" Blaine asked after a moment, tilting his head in order to make eye contact with the child around Kurt's body.
With a small smile and a hiccup, the girl nodded slowly and wiped away the few remaining tears on her cheeks.
"The glue should be dry on the angel by now," Kurt noted. "Do you still want to help papa put it on the tree?"
At the memory of what happened, the girl's facial expression fell for a moment, but she nodded shyly.
With a small smile of encouragement, Kurt got up to retrieve the tree topper and handed the ornament over to her before Blaine picked her up under her armpits and lifted her up so she could reach the top of the tree, sliding the angel into its rightful place.