Kurt can hear the music coming down the hall, the distinct cheery jingle ringing through all of the apartment. His wake up call for the past month has been those damn bells and Mariah Carey proclaiming she doesn't want a lot for Christmas.

"Neither do I," he mumbled. "Just for this music to stop."

Since Jane's first Christmas last year, which was full of hesitant acceptance and reluctant celebration, she'd seemed to have fully embraced the holiday this year. He'd come home the day after Thanksgiving to find that Santa's workshop had taken up residence in their home. He'd never seen so much glitter and ribbon in one place before, let alone where he was subjected to spend his free time, breathing in the cheer on the daily.

Having not remembered what traditions she'd participated in, she'd seemed to have adopted them all. They went to the tree lighting, where she'd jumped up and down like a small child, claiming she wished she could've hit the big button to turn it on. Her face aglow with wonder.

She had a Christmas tree or a small replica in every room, it seemed. Stars and angels alternating, between white and colored twinkling lights. Candles with every scent of baked goods aligned the counters and shelves. Their whole apartment smelled of a sugared forest.

Their office Christmas party, she'd worn a goofy elf hat, which had actually made him laugh more than anything. It was like watching Buddy the female Elf, spreading joy to everyone with a bright smile, and an enthusiasm that was unmatched.

(And he knew this, because she'd made him watch the movie. Several times. Because he never could deny her anything.).

Everything was like she was experiencing it for the first time…and she was.

Sleepily, he makes his way into the kitchen, determined to turn off that incessant noise. As soon as he reaches the kitchen, he stops short.

Standing before him is Jane, wearing that goofy hate again, this time adorning a matching onesie, dancing around with pancake batter absolutely everywhere. She had somehow managed to smear that goo on every inch of counter space, dry clumps were dangling in her hair like earrings, and he was pretty sure some was falling from the ceiling, though how she'd managed that, he couldn't imagine.

Upon seeing him approach, her face lights up, "Merry Christmas Eve Eve!"

He saddles up behind her, wrapping his arms around her lithe frame.

"I don't think that's actually a thing, Jane," he mumbles into her neck, his stubble tickling her with the reverberations of his voice.

"It definitely is. I saw it on TV," she reasons.

"Well, if you saw it on TV," he jokes back, squeezing her a little tighter. "So umm, what exactly is going on here?"

"I'm making breakfast," she matter of factly states, turning around in his arms so she's facing him. Her smile beaming at his own. The color in her elf hat accentuating her eyes to reflect evergreen.

A glob of batter rests on her nose, making her look like a white-nosed Rudolph. He reaches up, sliding his finger down the freckled bridge of her nose, before wiping the dollop off with a grin. His lips replacing the batter, before leaning his forehead against her's.

"Thank you," she whispers with sincerity.

"Hmm," he hums against her.

"I know I kind went overboard…"

His breathy laugh flutters across her face. "It hasn't been…that bad." His grinch-y ways dissipating at the sight of her smile.

"Well you're very sweet, either way," she says, sheltering herself in his embrace, her ear pressed firmly to his chest, the flittering of his heart steady against her.

He lifts his head, breaking the moment. "What's that smell?" he questions.

"Oh no!" she panics, twisting around to an absolutely charred pancake, blackened to the shade of coal.

She quickly turns off the burner, grabbing a towel to fan the smoke, as Kurt laughs behind her.

He sobers quickly when she turns with a pout, the sight of the saddest elf, having him snickering, while simultaneously pulling her pout back into his chest, covering her blushing face in kisses.

"I just want…to do something…nice," she muffles into his shirt.

"Maybe you should leave the cooking to me," he laughs. "You stick to being the Christmas cheer."

She nods into him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her bare fingers, clasping in the back.

The music lights plays, a softer song this time, and he sways them back and forth, slowly. The tinkling of her bells keeping time with their movements. This is the kind of holiday he could get behind. The two of them, stuck in their own snow globe, free from the rest of the world.

Because for as much as she had planned for the perfect holiday, he'd been planning his own surprise, one that resided in the bottom drawer of his dresser. One that would give her one more glittering addition to their own winer wonderland, and hopefully the promise of many Christmases to come.

xxxxx

AN: This was written as my secret santa gift, accompanied by some edits to go along with it. It's somewhat of a companion piece to Don't Open That, or at least in the same universe as that one. Clearly, I'm really on top of things as I'm just now posting a Christmas fic.