A/N - Surprise! Loyal readers of I Never Said I Was A Victim Of Circumstance, do I have a treat for you. It's Christmas for our boys and their crazy extended family. It's a one-shot, but, you never know, if you like it enough (and tell me so) I might consider writing more for this little 'verse of mine.
Welcome new readers! Do you need to read the epic story before this? Nah. Basically what you need to know is that I am a clucky biatch and I might have saddled Blaine with a kid. He got kicked out of home, moved in with Puck (who was already head over heels with him, not that he knew it) and they eventually sorted out their feelings and got together in a happy ending. This is the story of that first Christmas together. You'll pick up anything else you need to know as you read, I'm sure.
And as per usual, not that any of you will be at all surprised, the incomparable Loki Firefox played a huge role in the writing of this fic. Chances are, if it's awesome, it's because of him. ;)
So, Happy Holidays everyone!
After Thanksgiving, Christmas seemed to arrive in no time at all, and the Puckerman brood, plus Cooper, once again found themselves all dressed up for a large family dinner at the Berry house. Blaine had tried to convince both sets of his adoptive families not to go all out -they were Jewish and it didn't seem fair for them to put on such a spectacle for a holiday they didn't normally celebrate- but neither lot had listened.
"Happy Christmannukah!" Rachel squealed as she flung open the front door, revealing the gorgeous dress her Daddy had given her as a gift earlier that day, "Come in! Come in! It's freezing out there."
"Happy holidays, Rach," Blaine greeted, crossing the threshold first and pecking her on the cheek.
"Lookin' good, Berry," Puck added, kissing the other cheek.
She beamed and spun around, showing off the outfit. "Thank you, Noah. Daddy bought it for me for just this occasion." She turned her attention to Cooper who was holding Emily against his chest. "Hello, Cooper," she said, advancing on him, her arms outstretched. "Pass me my niece, please."
The actor frowned and held on just a little tighter to the baby, who was fast asleep and seemed none the wiser. "She's my niece, too," he protested.
"And I believe you've had the last two days to cuddle her. I only flew in last night, and I've not seen her since Thanksgiving," the petite brunette persisted, "So hand over the baby and nobody gets hurt."
He shook his head, using his height as an advantage, and she scowled. "Alright, then, I didn't want to have to do this, but..." She made her eyes go wide and teary, her lower lip quivering just as Hiram and Leroy entered the room to greet their guests, Brody right behind them, "Daddy," Rachel sniffled convincingly, "Cooper won't let me hold Emily."
"Oh, sure," Cooper rolled his eyes, "Put on the waterworks. You're forgetting that I'm an actor, too. Your crocodile tears don't faze me."
Leroy approached, having greeted Ruth and Bekah, and arched an eyebrow at the older Anderson boy, "What about her father's wrath? Does that faze you?"
Cooper considered his options for a moment before sighing dramatically and carefully pushing Emily from his chest, only to blink rapidly when Leroy -not Rachel- snatched her away first, poking his tongue out at his daughter's scandalised expression. "You're both forgetting," he told the pair, "That if I hadn't become an architect, I would have made a fine actor."
Blaine smiled at the squabbling over Emily and turned to Puck to comment, but frowned slightly when he saw that his boyfriend was clearly anxious, staring towards the front door, his knee bouncing rapidly. "They'll be here soon," Blaine assured the older boy gently, placing his hand on Puck's thigh to steady him.
Puck nodded, but kept his gaze glued towards the entranceway anyway.
Blaine smothered a sigh, wishing he could do more to calm Noah before Shelby and Beth's arrival. This would be the first time since the beginning of summer, before Shelby moved away, that Puck would see his daughter in the flesh, and the closer the moment loomed, the more frazzled Noah became. Not that Blaine blamed him: if the tables were turned, and it was him waiting on Emily he'd be a wreck.
As it was, Blaine had his own concerns about Shelby's imminent arrival. Noah was an amazing Dad to Emily, forming a bond that, for all intents and purposes, would lead almost anyone to believe that he was her biological father. And Blaine adored that about his boyfriend. It filled him with indescribable warmth every time Noah did or said something paternal with the baby (which was all the time, really). But now Noah's biological daughter was about to walk through the door and Blaine worried.
Rachel had initially asked him (when the topic of including her birth mother in their holiday celebrations had first been raised) if he was worried that Noah would forget his attachment to Emily once he had "the real thing" in his arms, but Blaine had brushed those concerns aside easily. No, he knew that Noah worshipped Emily; those bonds were safe.
Instead, Blaine worried about himself. He worried that he was going to meet Noah's daughter and not feel anything towards her. He worried that the toddler would take one look at him and hate him on the spot. He worried that this was some sort of demented compatibility test that Noah had dreamed up over Thanksgiving: a test that he was doomed to fail.
He loved Noah. He was in love with Noah. Together, with Emily, they made a perfect family unit. To Blaine, everything had been perfect. And then Noah had told him that he wanted Beth involved in their lives. Of course Blaine had supported the idea with enthusiasm. Why wouldn't he want to return the loving gestures that Puck bestowed upon Emily to the other man's bio-daughter?
But then the doubt had set in. He'd loved Emily since the moment he'd first held her as a father: a primal sense of ownership and pride settling over him. But Beth was already three years old, and he hadn't had a thing to do with her existence so far. Puck had been a natural with Emily, had loved babies, had taken to her and bonded with her like it was second nature, even though he hadn't had any real reason to have to, but Blaine wasn't built that way. He worried that he was going to drop the ball on this one, and that Noah would never forgive him. After all, if Noah suddenly turned around and said "Actually, I don't think I can be Emily's other Dad anymore", Blaine was certain that would crush him. So, if he said the same thing about Beth, he had no reason to believe that Noah wouldn't be crushed by it.
The doorbell rang and, before any of the Berrys could react, Noah sprang out of his seat and raced to answer the door, flinging it open, his smile fading when he came face to face with Sam Evans, who seemed oblivious to the dying enthusiasm on his friend's face.
"Merry Christmas!" He greeted, gesturing behind him, "I hope you don't mind that I bought Finn along...he's grabbing the presents for Em. I might have gone a little overboard. I know Blaine'll probably kill me but..." He trailed off. "Puck, you with me, dude?"
The older boy shook himself back into the conversation and moved aside to let the other guys inside, goggling a little at the three large parcels that Finn was lumbering under. "What the hell did you do, Evans? Rob a Toys 'R Us?"
Sam blushed a little as they moved towards the lounge. "Nah, man. And one of those is for Beth, too." He shrugged. "I figured, y'know, she's gonna be my niece too, right? I mean, if this all goes well. Which I'm sure it will."
Sound seemed to stop as they entered the lounge room. Rachel was staring wide-eyed at Finn, who was glaring at Brody (who looked a little uncomfortable being in the same space as his girlfriend's ex), while Blaine was staring at the giant gifts in Finn's arms.
"Um," the blond began, sensing the tension mounting, "Happy Holidays?"
"Merry Christmas, boys," Hiram said, abandoning his hopes of cuddling the baby and getting up to help Finn with his burden. "Take a seat. Would anyone like a cocoa or eggnog?"
Bekah trilled at the idea of a hot cocoa beforedinner and readily accepted, but nobody else was particularly interested. She bounded off towards the kitchen with Hiram, chatting happily when he asked her how she was enjoying school.
Finn was still focused on Brody, but Rachel's delighted squeal at finally being handed Emily to hold had him shifting his attention. He hadn't actually seen Blaine's kid yet, but he wasn't surprised to note that the little girl looked just like his brother's ex. Her hair was thick and dark and curling into a miniature 'fro, her eyes hazel and wide with wonder, her face pretty much the same shape as Blaine's. "Wow," he breathed, because he hadn't been prepared for just how cute she was, though a tiny part of him wondered if it wasn't because of the woman holding her.
Given that Rachel and Blaine looked so similar, it was hard not to imagine (even for the tiniest of fleeting moments) that the baby was hers. Hers and his. That this was their first Christmas as the perfect little family.
His dream bubble was burst when Brody shifted closer, his arm now around her shoulders, his obnoxiously attractive face hovering over the infant, pulling into bizarre expressions, trying to get the tyke to giggle while Rachel watched him in adoration.
Finn sighed.Well played, dude, he thought miserably,while Leroy told Brody in no uncertain terms that, as much as he adored Emily, he didn't want any more grandchildren making an appearance for a long, long time.
Sam, meanwhile, was attempting to hold a conversation with Blaine, but, despite the smile and the answers he was getting, he could tell that his friend was not actually involved in the chat at all. "Hey, B," he said, standing, "I've changed my mind on that cocoa after all. Come get some with me."
Blaine looked torn. On the one hand, it would be rude to tell Sam to get it himself. On the other, he felt frozen to the spot, his anxiety about Shelby's impending appearance mirroring Noah's. Being a gracious host inevitably won out.
Sam lead them into the kitchen, nodded at Hiram, then continued walking towards the door that lead to the rear patio. "Come on, B," he urged as the shorter boy pulled stopped with a frown, "We're gonna have a little talk."
Blaine followed Sam out onto the chilly porch and slid the door closed behind him.
"Alright, spill." The blond demanded, adding, "And don't tell me it's nothing. You're stressing. I can tell. You do this thing where you put on your show smile and your eyes go all distant." He cocked his head to the side. "What is it? Is it Finn? I know bringing him is awkward, but-"
"It's not Finn." Blaine shook his head.
"Is it the amount of stuff I bought? 'Cos, dude, it was all on sale-"
"No, Sam," Blaine sighed. "But I can't say I'm happy you're spending so much money on Em...not when you and I are in a similar financial situation."
"It's not allfor Em," Sam protested. "One of those packages is for Beth, too." He paused, noticing the wince Blaine tried to hide. "Dude...it's Beth." He frowned. "What's wrong with Beth?"
Blaine's eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder, worried that Puck might have somehow magically appeared behind him in time to hear that. "Nothing!" He was quick to deny. "Nothing's wrong with Beth."
"But she's the reason you're freaking out."
"I'm not freaking out."
"Sure you're not." Sam allowed the ghost of an amused smile to tug at his lips before reaching out and squeezing Blaine's shoulder, forcing him to meet his gaze. "C'mon, it's just me. What's going on? Why are you stressing over a toddler?"
"I'm..." The curly haired boy licked his lips. "What if she hates me?"
Sam hadn't been expecting that. It had been a long time since he'd seen Blaine insecure. Angry and upset, sure, but insecure? Beyond the week when he'd first started parenting, Sam hadn't really seen his friend lose confidence in himself. "Why would she hate you?" He asked, "She's, like, three years old. I don't think three year olds know how to hate."
Blaine ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He'd taken to wearing it without gel as both Emily and Puck had a fascination with his curls. He'd not had a haircut in months, either, and it was becoming an unruly mop. Puck had whispered hotly into his ear -when he'd mentioned his desire to tame the monstrosity- that the extra length was a mega turn on, before showing him just how he felt. It still brought a smile to his lips when he thought about it.
"Honestly, I just want this to be perfect for Noah," Blaine confessed quietly. "He's an amazing Dad to Emily. It's so easy for him and what if I...what if Beth..."
"It's not going to be the same, B." Sam told him. "It won't ever be the same." He watched as his friend's face fell. "But it's not because she won't love you, or because you're not gonna be a good Dad to her or anything like that. It's always going to be different because of the Shelby factor. You won't be raising her like you raise Emily. At best, if Puck gets what he wants, you'll get an extra kid for weekends and holidays...and Shelby will probably tag along because Beth is legally all hers, you know?"
Blaine nodded, letting out a puff of breath that misted the freezing air in front of his face. He suddenly felt a little relieved. He'd been so worried that he'd disappoint Puck that he hadn't even considered how different the circumstances were. And, now that he had, he could understand Noah's anxiety even more. He couldn't imagine being in a similar position with Emily, hoping and praying that her legal guardian would allow as much contact with her as possible.
"You're right," he eventually admitted, feeling bad for freaking out when Noah obviously needed his support, "God, poor Puck."
Sam was quick to catch on to Blaine's train of thought. "Don't you dare feel guilty about your feelings," he said, giving the shorter boy a one armed hug, shaking him a little for emphasis. "You're allowed to panic sometimes, B. Especially when it comes to family stuff. You can't always be all strong and independent."
Blaine nodded, despite the fact that he still felt awful for not realising just how painful the situation must be for his boyfriend. He offered his best genuine smile to Sam and thanked him for putting things into perspective. "Now can we get back inside?" He asked, "It's freezing out here!"
They made their way back inside barely a minute before the doorbell rang again. Puck raced to the door, his shoulders sagging with relief when he opened it to find Shelby and Beth. He kissed the former on the cheek, thanking her for coming, before directing his attention to the toddler clinging to the leg of her pant suit.
He squatted down to her level, slightly perturbed but not put off by the way she shied away from him, extending his arms. "Hey Beth," he greeted softly. "Do you remember me?"
One hazel eye peered back at him cautiously as she shook her head in the negative.
"Oh, honey, of course you do," Shelby pushed, running a hand through her daughter's golden ringlets. "You remember your Daddy. From Skype? On Mommy's computer?"
The three year old seemed to give this some serious contemplation, frowning up at her mother as she considered the reminder. "Daddy?" She questioned, oblivious to the way Puck's breathing hitched at the sound of her voice saying the word.
Shelby smiled down at her and nodded encouragingly. "Yes," she answered, gently turning Beth to face the man in question. "Daddy."
It had taken a lot of effort for Noah to negotiate the title with Shelby. She'd argued that Beth was hers, that he'd signed away his paternal rights, and that allowing him to teach Beth that he was her father would be confusing to the (at the time) baby. He wasn't too ashamed to admit that he'd cried and pleaded with Shelby, promising that he didn't want to take Beth away, but that he'd never wanted to let her go in the first place. And, though she'd felt awkward at first in calling the teen 'Daddy' whenever she was talking to Beth, she knew she'd made the right decision.
Blaine watched as the little girl took tentative steps towards her father, casting her mother another look over her shoulder, as if to double check that this was the right thing to do. Shelby nodded and smiled, giving Beth a little nudge forward encouragingly.
"Hey, Princess," Noah beamed, ignoring their audience, his attention focused solely on his kid, his arms still extended. "Can I get a cuddle?"
She smiled shyly and nodded, mimicking his gesture, her arms thrown wide. He wrapped her up in an enthusiastic embrace within milliseconds, pressing kisses on top of her head, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, committing the moment to memory.
Blaine felt somewhat choked up by the display, almost feeling like he was intruding on a private moment that wasn't meant for his eyes to see. He looked away to catch Ruth turning her own head, wiping at her eyes. They shared soft smiles and she tilted her chin, her eyes asking if he was okay. He nodded, touched that she cared enough to focus on him during her son's emotional reunion with his daughter. Her granddaughter. Or, rather, her eldest granddaughter. Emily was still Noah's, too. Which meant, Blaine thought fleetingly, that Ruth probably saw him as her son-in-law.
He looked back towards the foyer. This was his family, he realised, suddenly filled with elation that it was working out just the way Noah had hoped. The smile on his face stretched wider as tension ebbed from his shoulders.
Sam's arm appeared, slinging itself around his neck casually. "What'd I tell you?" The blond asked, smiling like the cat that got the cream. "You stress too much, man."
Cursing how easy it was for Sam to read him, Blaine rolled his eyes, but he smiled as he teased, "Yeah, yeah. You're still not a genius, Evans."
The Berry men, by this stage, had ushered Shelby in from the cold, and Blaine was amazed by how easily they spoke to her, like all the drama of Rachel's Sophomore year (he'd heard all the gossip by this stage) were forgotten. They were doing this for his and Noah's benefit, and he would forever feel indebted to them. He knew that, were the positions reversed and Emily's birth mother had tried to pull a stunt like Shelby had, he probably wouldn't find it as easy to play nice.
"Shelby," Leroy was saying, pulling Blaine into the conversation by literally grasping his arm and tugging him over, "You remember Blaine, I assume?"
The educator smiled politely and nodded. "You were in the New Directions," she said, "And you were Tony to Rachel's Maria."
He pasted on his most charming smile, wanting to impress the woman who held Beth's future with Noah in her hands. Aside from the occasional crossing of paths in the halls last year, and the couple of glee classes she'd collaborated on with Mr Schue, he'd never had any contact with her. "That's me," he said, laying on the enthusiasm a little thick. "Thank you for remembering."
"So, what brings you to this little gathering?" She asked him, her tone merely curious. "Shouldn't you be spending Christmas with your family?"
"He is," Hiram replied before Blaine could stammer his way through an explanation. At her questioning glance, he extrapolated. "Blaine's been through a bit of a rough year and he's inadvertently become a valuable member of our brood, bringing along with him his charming cad of a big brother," he nodded in Cooper's direction, where the attractive actor was sprawled out on the floor playing a game of Go Fish with Bekah, "and his delightful daughter." Here, he nodded in Rachel's direction, causing Shelby to notice the baby for the first time.
Rachel looked up from her conversation with Brody, feeling the tingle of someone's attention on her, and offered her birth mother a small smile and a nod, both of which were returned, though Shelby's focus was now glued on the baby in Rachel's arms.
She turned to look at Blaine. "I thought you were dating Rachel's friend. The boy...what was his name?"
"Kurt," Blaine answered softly, shuffling his feet. "And I was. Emily was kind of a huge surprise to me, too." He shrugged. "I guess you can say that I've learned my lesson when it comes to alcohol. Not that I don't love Em, but I never anticipated being a teen dad, what with dating boys and all."
She nodded, her eyes trained back on Rachel and the baby. Then a thought struck her. "Rachel's not..." She trailed off. It wasn't her place to ask the question.
But Blaine still heard it, loud and clear. His eyes widened almost comically. "Oh! No. No, absolutely not. I didn't find out about Em until she was a week old. Her mother was someone I met at a party that I don't remember a lot of. She left Em on my doorstep. The Puckerman and Berry families kind of adopted us both when my parents...reacted poorly."
Shelby blinked under the barrage of information. "Oh." The silence between them was awkward and Blaine cursed himself for making it that way. So much for trying to impress the woman. She watched the way his attention strayed back to the baby, his eyes lighting up as he watched a pair of chubby hands reach out and latch on to Rachel's nose. She knew that expression well; she wore it around Beth constantly. "The first few months are pretty hard," she confessed, smiling when he jolted at the sound of her voice. "And even though things start to feel like they're getting easier, you never really lose those feelings that you're doing things wrong, or that the peace is going to end..."
"Oh, so more to look forward to, then?" He asked with a smile of his own, shaking his head. "It's totally worth it."
"So, little lady," Puck was saying having scooped his giggling toddler up and propped her on his hip so he could join the gathering in the living room, "I have a couple of very special people I want you to meet. Do you wanna meet them?"
She nodded happily. "Yup."
He carried her to where Rachel sat. "This is your Aunt Rachel," he said, much to everyone's combined relief. Nobody -Rachel included- had wanted to delve into the issue that was her actual connection to the little girl. They'd already discussed the fact that, though she was technically Beth's sister, Shelby was her mother in DNA only and that she was more than content to just be Aunt Rachel who looked a lot like Mommy. Besides, they couldn't have one little girl calling her 'sister' while the other went with 'aunt'; thatwould be weird.
Rachel smiled and waved at Beth, but Puck wasn't finished. He sat on Rachel's other side and shifted Beth to his lap, allowing her to peer curiously over Emily. "And this," he told her, "Is Emily. Your sister."
"Wait...what?" Shelby asked, confused. She looked from Leroy, to Hiram and then Blaine who shifted uneasily under her scrutiny. "But she's your daughter."
Blaine cursed his boyfriend under his breath, wishing that the older man had said something to Shelby before they were all gathered together and it became a spectacle. "Well," he said, acutely aware of the fact that this woman had also once been romantically involved with Noah, "The thing is-"
"And this," Puck interrupted as he sidled over, completely unaware of the conversation he'd prompted, "Is B. He's Emily's Daddy, too."
"Too?" Shelby's eyebrows had reached her hairline.
Meanwhile, Beth was processing. "Daddy Bee?" She asked for confirmation.
Puck beamed with pride ("Sure, Princess. You can call him that.") while Blaine spluttered, finding himself with an armful of grinning toddler.
"Hi!" She greeted him happily, landing a sloppy kiss to his cheek. "I'm Beth."
"What's going on here?" Shelby cut back in, directing her question to Noah as Blaine got drawn into a conversation about what Santa had brought Beth for Christmas. Now past her initial shyness, Beth was quite the avid chatterbox, and she seemed quite taken with Blaine, tugging at his hair and describing its similarities to that of her favourite doll's. Shelby shook her head. "I'm a little lost, Noah."
The formerly mohawked man smiled sheepishly, running a hand over the short hair on his head. "Oh. Uh, I kind of forgot to tell you, I guess. Blaine and I...we're together. Like, y'know..." He hated himself for blushing, but this was Shelby Corcoran, the adoptive mother of his baby girl and his ex to boot, "In love," he finished, cheeks aflame.
She blinked at him, swinging her gaze from Blaine, to Puck, then Blaine again. "That's...surprising."
Relieved that she hadn't flown off the handle and made a scene (because his Mom was in the room and didn't need to know that he'd made the mistake of getting too involved with Shelby), he smiled genuinely. "Yeah, a lot of people say that...Ow!" He turned to glare at his mother who had made her way over to the group and cuffed him upside the head. "The hell, Ma?"
Ruth rolled her eyes. "That's for not explaining things to the poor woman before she arrived. Honestly, I wonder who raised you at times."
Shelby grinned at the other woman, before nodding at Puck. "I like this woman."
The two soon separated off into a discussion about raising daughters and unruly teens, and Puck watched them with bemusement, suddenly realising that Shelby and his Mom were the same age and he was sonot taking that thought any further if he could help it. He turned to where Blaine was still holding Beth, talking to the toddler like they'd been friends forever, and found himself smiling like a lunatic. This was what he wanted for the rest of his life. He knew that, at almost nineteen, he was still young, but he loved Blaine, could vividly imagine their future together, and he would never entertain the possibility of not having his girls in the picture either.
Another ring of the doorbell shook his from his day dream and he paused and did a head count. They weren't missing anyone. In fact, with the surprise addition of Finn, they had more guests than he'd expected. While he was busy trying to guess who the latest person to arrive was, Rachel was already at the door, having passed Emily off to Hiram (who'd started levelling threats until he got his cuddle time).
"Sebastian?" Rachel asked in surprise when she opened the door. The "what are you doing here?" was unsaid but heard by everyone all the same.
Sebastian looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable and a slow flush started to crawl up his neck.
Then, like a gunshot, someone cleared their throat behind Rachel.
"I kinda invited him," Blaine said to a suddenly quiet house.
"You what?" Sam asked. "Blaine...we've talked about this. You can be nice without inviting every sociopath you meet home for dinner." He prided himself on his use of the word 'sociopath', despite the fact that he'd learned it from reading comics rather than going to school.
"Sam, please not in front of Em?" Blaine asked. "And Beth?" Blaine was proud that he managed to make it sound like he meant to say Beth's name right after. Although he was more pleased that it wasn't that hard to include her.
"Hiram, Leroy," Blaine spoke to the Berrys directly in a formal manner that hadn't been seen in a while. Here was Blaine Warbler, the self-assured leading man who could have tea with the queen and coffee with a taxi driver. "I'm sorry for my presumption. I meant to tell you but-"
"Of course your friend is welcome, Blaine," Hiram said with a warm smile at Sebastian smoothly taking over from Rachel at the door, mindful of the baby in his arms. "Come inside where it's warm."
Blaine beamed at his self-proclaimed adoptive father, pleased that they weren't going to turn Sebastian away. The guy needed friends, something Blaine had only just discovered.
A few days prior, he had been in the Lima Mall doing some last minute shopping. He'd just found out that Brody was joining them for Christmas and he was so concerned that he didn't have anything that, in exasperation, Puck had banished him to the mall despite the pile of presents that had still needed to be wrapped. With Ruth's assurances that the wrapping would be fine, Blaine had left.
He'd been eyeing a rather vibrant scarf that he thought would bring out the blue in Brody's eyes when he saw a familiar lanky figure browsing the shelves. He'd squelched his first instinct, which was to pretend not to see him and make his exit, but it was Christmas. So, taking a deep breath, he'd walked up to the young man and greeted him.
"Merry Christmas, Sebastian."
"Don't you mean 'Happy Holidays' or 'Season's Greetings'?" Sebastian had asked with his usual snark as he turned to face Blaine. "I would think political correctness and Blaine Anderson walked hand-in-hand."
"I'm a dad now, it's 'Merry Christmas or bust' I'm afraid," Blaine had replied and then noticed something. He'd seen relief in Sebastian's eyes, as though Sebastian was genuinely happy to see him. Then Blaine had realised that it was a few days before Christmas and Sebastian was hanging out in the Lima Mall. Something was wrong.
Blaine had just opened his mouth to ask the taller boy about his holiday plans when he noticed that Sebastian had no packages. He wasn't shopping. He was just walking around, in Lima, which told Blaine that he had exhausted all forms of amusement in Westerville. Which meant that Sebastian was spending the holidays alone at Dalton. So, in a half-second, Blaine had found himself asking something else entirely, "Would you like to come to dinner on Thursday?"
"Um, what?" For the first time ever, Blaine had seen Sebastian Smythe utterly and completely gobsmacked. More so than he'd been the day Blaine had introduced Emily as his daughter, even.
"The Puckermans and the Berrys are having a dinner for Christmas and I would like for you to come, as my guest."
Sebastian had blinked, as though waiting for the punch line. "Why?"
In that moment, Blaine saw something he'd never thought he'd see: a completely unguarded Sebastian. Sebastian with the walls all gone, utterly vulnerable. Sebastian looked shocked and confused, obviously wondering why anyone would want him around, especially Blaine. With that fleeting glance, Blaine forgave Sebastian everything: his snarky comments, the arrogance, the French witticisms... all of that, Blaine realized in a moment of empathy, was Sebastian protecting himself. And any lingering resentment he'd had over the slushy-incident melted away.
"It's Christmas, Sebastian," Blaine had told him gently. "It's a time to be surrounded by good company."
"Good company, huh?" Sebastian then asked and, if his voice wavered and if his eyes were bright, Blaine had had the grace to ignore it.
"The best," the shorter boy had affirmed, before giving Sebastian the details for the dinner party.
Blaine was shaken from his recollection by Sebastian's voice, uncharacteristically sedate as he crossed the threshold of the Berry home, "Thank you, Mr. Berry," he said as he handed over two bottles. "My contribution for dinner, and I brought some sparkling grape juice for those who can't drink tonight."
"Why thank you, Sebastian, right?" Leroy said as he ushered the boy further into the foyer, shutting the door to keep out the cold. Sebastian had a bag of presents with him as he walked into the house. "Oh this will go very well with the goose. Bravo, Sebastian."
Blaine met Sebastian with a one-armed hug, gracefully done despite still carrying Beth, the little girl hiding her face in his shoulder, suddenly playing shy. Sebastian peered at her curiously.
"Wasn't yours a bit smaller? And...darker?"
Blaine chuckled. "This is Beth, Noah's biological daughter. Her adoptive Mom's here for dinner, too."
Sebastian didn't quite know how to respond to that, choosing, instead, to simply nod and smile politely.
Sam came up and, before Blaine could say anything, the blond said, "Let me get those off your hands," taking the bag of presents off him.
Rachel immediately appeared behind Sebastian (who, by this stage, was flustered from all the positive attention), "Let me take your coat," she said helping him out of it. "It'll be in the den, if you need it." Rachel said with a smile as she walked away with the item in question.
"What are you having?" Leroy said as he drew the young man towards the bar. "I won't have to card you, will I?"
Puck came up behind Blaine and kissed him on the cheek. Blaine looked at him guiltily. He opened his mouth to explain when Puck cut him off.
"You don't need to explain, B," Puck said. "I saw."
Blaine's shoulders sagged with relief, while Beth made grabby hands towards her father, demanding to switch back. Noah took her happily. Blaine felt his heart flutter as he watched the familiar grin spread across his boyfriend's face. "You're so perfect," he said, the words leaving his lips without conscious decision. He blushed when he realised that he'd voiced the thought out loud, but it wasn't as though he hadn't gushed over Noah before.
Noah winked at him, "Yeah," he agreed teasingly, "I am, aren't I?"
"Modest, too."
Emily started to whimper from where Hiram stood holding her, lost in conversation with Sebastian and Leroy, and Blaine started towards them, frowning as Cooper swept in from out of nowhere and announced that, even if it meant that he had to change her, he was stealing his niece back.
"I think I've lost my kid," Blaine muttered as Cooper snagged the diaper bag and disappeared from the room, "I'm never going to get to hold her tonight, am I?"
Puck laughed and Beth repeated the action, clearly only doing it because her Daddy was doing it. "We get her, like, twenty four seven, B. Enjoy the break."
"But...it's Christmas..." And, okay, he knew he sounded petulant and kind of childish, but this was Emily's first Christmas and, what with having Cooper over and Ruth and Bekah at home, he hadn't had a chance to share any special Daddy-Daughter moments with her. And then he realised that this was how Puck must feel about Beth all the time and he suddenly understood exactly what Sam had meant earlier.
The oven timer chimed and soon Hiram was wandering into the lounge with a tray of appetisers, the food disappearing almost as soon as he set the tray on the coffee table. He laughed and informed his guests that the roast was almost ready if everyone would like to refresh their drinks and take a seat at the dining table. He'd even managed to create space for the two unexpected additions.
Blaine found himself seated between Sebastian and Puck for dinner, Emily all the way down the other end of the table, contentedly propped up in Cooper's lap, the older Anderson managing to eat his meal one handed (a skill Blaine had taken weeks to cultivate). On Puck's other side sat Beth, then Shelby, the two adults fussing over the toddler who was trying (unsuccessfully) to hide her greens under a pile of mashed potatoes.
"Thank you," Sebastian murmured quietly as he leant across Blaine to help himself to more of the meat.
Blaine knew that he wasn't thanking him for shifting the plate closer. "You're welcome, Sebastian," he replied just as softly. "You, uh, looked like you could use a friend. And I've been there..." He shrugged. "These guys?" He gestured to the families that surrounded them, everyone else talking happily amongst each other, "They were here for me when I needed a family."
"Don't get all mushy on me, Anderson, or so help me..."
Blaine rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Fine. But think about it. You're one of us now, if you want to be."
Across from them, Sam sighed. "Does that mean I have to be nice to him?" He asked, not ashamed at all to have been so blatantly eavesdropping.
"Ken, you'd disappoint me if you tried."
"Ken?" Leroy asked from next to Sam, confused.
"Because he looks like a Ken Doll," Blaine supplied.
Puck snorted, distracted from Beth for the time being. "Nice. I'm using that." He reached across Blaine to fist bump Sebastian, who looked surprised but complied.
"You know he calls you Muscles, right?" Sam offered.
Puck laughed and flexed his bicep for emphasis. "If the shoe fits..."
Further down the table, Finn was caught in an awkward conversation with Rachel and Brody. He had no idea how he'd wound up seated near them (well, okay, he didbecause his attention had been glued to his ex all night), and he was suddenly all too aware that this had been a stupid move to make. "So..." He said during a lull in the stilted conversation about some dance technique or something, "Umm, Kurt's been talking about some karaoke place?"
Rachel's eyes lit up and Brody groaned good-naturedly. "Call Backs," he supplied, "Rach and Kurt love it there."
Finn nodded, distracting himself from the casual way Brody said 'Rach' by shovelling another forkful of potato into his mouth, "Yeah," he said after swallowing, "Kurt said something about an audience that appreciates him, or whatever. It sounds like fun."
"Is he performing?" Cooper asked, butting into the conversation. "Last time I spoke to him he'd just moved to New York and, well, I was chasing down Blaine, so..." He shrugged, realising that he was only making things awkward by mentioning the drama that had unfolded between the two boys. Emily made a small noise of complaint at the movement before he settled her back down, well aware that Rachel was itching to steal the baby back at any moment.
Finn was the one to answer the question, shaking his head. "Nah, he didn't get in to NYADA...but he got a job with Vogue Dot Com, so he's been really happy."
Rachel nodded her agreement, "Besides," she added, "I think he sees that as a blessing in disguise. He loves fashion and his boss, Isabelle, is perhaps the nicest person I've ever met."
"I'm glad to hear it," Cooper replied.
"What about you, dude?" Finn asked him, "Are you still acting?"
"Yeah, I've just wrapped a low-budget Indie film, and I've got a call back next week for a pilot for some TV series..."
Rachel squealed, earning the attention of the whole table, not that she particularly minded. "A TV series? That's amazing, Cooper. Just think, my brother-"
"Uh, Rach-"
"My brother," she reiterated forcefully, shooting Cooper a determined glare, "A TV star!" Her eyes glazed over. "Oh, the networking opportunities..."
"Now, Rachel, sweetheart, Cooper hasn't landed the role yet," Leroy told her from the other end of the table, "And, even if he does, television is more fickle than the stage. The show mightn't rate well, or-"
"Thanks, Leroy," Cooper deadpanned, "For the boost of confidence." He raised his glass, "Merry Christmas to you, too."
Leroy chuckled and repeated the gesture. "Jewish," he reminded the younger man, "Your sarcastic retort is lost on me."
The group laughed before shifting the conversation back on track. "So, what about the other members of New Directions?" It was Shelby who asked the question, pushing her plate away before she gorged herself. "My Troubletones? Mercedes? Santana? Brittany? Sugar?"
Everyone looked at Sam, who seemed surprised to find himself in the spotlight, "Uh...what?" He asked, setting his fork back down.
"What's doing with Mercedes?" Puck prompted. "She's your ex, so..."
"Oh," Sam sighed. "Well, my YouTube video got her that job in LA..." He shrugged. "We haven't really kept in touch, to be honest."
Blaine frowned a little at that, but knew better than to question Sam about his feelings on the topic over Christmas dinner. So, instead, he leapt in with gossip that he knew, "Well, Mike's touring with a dance troupe from College," he said, changing the focus of the conversation. "Freshmen don't usually get selected, so it's a huge deal for him."
"If anyone deserves the opportunity, it's Mike," Rachel agreed. "Quinn's in a drama club at Yale," she then supplied. "We've visited each other a couple of times."
"That's still freaky weird," Finn muttered. "You and Quinn as friends."
Rachel shrugged, "I've been keeping in touch with Santana, too."
"Okay now that's just apocalyptic weird," said Sam with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, hush you," Rachel chided without any heat. "You dated her, too, remember?"
"You can't prove anything," Sam said quickly and with a straight face.
Rachel retaliated by humming the first few bars of Trouty Mouth.
"Lies lies! All lies!" Sam said as the table erupted into laughter. Then burst into chuckles himself. "I was young and stupid, what can I tell you?"
"It was a year ago!" Blaine said laughing.
"Young and stupid," Sam said with a serious expression on his face which was ruined by a wink right after. Then he waited a beat. "And it was twoyears ago."
Leroy arched an eyebrow at his daughter, pouring himself another glass of wine. "Santana?" He asked, seeking clarification, "She played Anita in West Side Story?"
"That's the one," Hiram nodded beside him, "Santana Lopez. What is she up to?"
"Santana is going into pre-law," Rachel said primly.
"Wait, Santana is going to be a lawyer?" Sam said whistling between his teeth. "The justice system will never be the same again."
"Oh hush, Samuel," Rachel said, "I think it's a great idea! Santana really knows how to win an argument."
"But this time she'll have to do it without threats of violence," Puck said with a grin.
"Noah!" Rachel exclaimed.
"Well, any overt threats anyway," Blaine answered with a grin.
"Blaine!" Rachel said, with a betrayed expression on her face.
"Rach," Finn said hesitantly, "this is Santana we're talking about. Besides, none of them actually said she'll be bad at it."
"I think she'll be brilliant," Cooper added in, "and I've only met her once."
Hiram smirked, "She'll have gay marriage passed in all fifty states before the results of her bar exam are dry."
"What about the blonde girl she was dating?" Ruth piped up, rolling her eyes when everyone looked at her in surprise. "What? You think I don't follow the gossip? I'm Jewish, people. And Noah gossips worse than an old woman - trust me, I know all of them ."
"Ma!"
Blaine laughed loudly at the blush that crept up his boyfriend's neck before taking pity on him. "She's repeating her Senior year," he answered her, "But she's got her own business now."
"Wait...what?" Sebastian blinked, and finding himself comfortable enough to join in on the conversation asked, "This is the same ditzy blonde cheerleader, right?"
"That's the one," Blaine nodded. "She uploaded photos of her cat-"
"Lord Tubbington," Sam cut in, purely for the sake of seeing the distaste flit across Sebastian's features.
"Anyway," Blaine shook his head, "She uploaded photos of her cat to Tumblr wearing these outfits she made for him and people started asking for her to make some for their cats and a business was born. The cat clothes are surprisingly popular."
"Who is taking care of the financial side of the business?" Sebastian asked, "Because that girl..." He trailed off, not certain he could come up with an appropriate euphemism without offending the gathered company.
"Tina," Sam answered. "She gets a cut of the profits, like a wage, and she's putting it on her résumé and college applications, so it's win/win for her, really."
"Speaking of strange business ideas," Blaine brought the conversation back, "Sugar's creating her own perfume line."
"But...she's not even famous!" Rachel argued, frowning. "Or particularly good at chemistry."
Blaine shrugged, "Her father will probably fund it."
Sam sniggered, "He's not in the mob, if you were wondering."
"Isn't she a Junior?" Rachel asked, still confused.
Blaine laughed, "Yeah, but we were talking about what we were planning to do next year after graduation and she just chimed in."
"What are your post school plans, Blaine?" Rachel asked, now that talk had moved from past graduates to future ones, "NYADA? Tisch? NYU?"
Blaine shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, none of the three if I can help it." She looked both surprised and a little affronted, so Blaine hurried to explain, "I'm not New York bound, I don't think. That was always Kurt's scene more than mine. And now I have Em..." He bit his lip. "I'm applying to different schools for music composition and production degrees. I love theatre, but I don't think that's what I want to do with my life, you know?"
"He applied to several colleges but the Berklee College of Music -did I get that right Blaine? - in Boston was very excited to meet him after his audition," Hiram took over, beaming like a proud father.
Blaine blushed, but it was obvious that he was pleased with the paternal attention.
Rachel considered this for a second, her eyes lighting up. "I can't wait until you graduate! I've always wanted my own personal musical director!"
Blaine looked a little like a deer in headlights. "What? Wait! Rachel, while I'm-"
"Hush Blaine," Rachel interrupted him. "It will be okay. Trust me."
Blaine looked at Puck helplessly but Puck, the traitor, just smirked at him and drank his wine. Of course, the pint-sized diva then set her sights on him.
"Wait...Berklee is in Boston, right?" She asked, somewhat rhetorically, "Noah...what will you do if Blaine and Emily move away to college?"
It seemed as though the entire table went silent, everyone waiting with baited breath on Puck's answer.
He shrugged and set down his glass. "I'd follow him," he said simply, as if the answer was obvious. "We're family. I go where he goes. It doesn't make sense if we're not together."
Blaine felt a little choked up and squeezed Puck's knee under the table, kissing him on the cheek, blushing a little under everyone's scrutiny. Despite being together for a little while now, they hadn't really behaved any differently in front of their friends. But nobody seemed to notice, or care, about the little display of affection, Sam merely winking at them from directly across the table, playing lightly on Blaine's vague discomfort. Blaine poked his tongue back out at him in retaliation.
Meanwhile, Rachel nodded, satisfied with Puck's answer, then looked down the table towards Sam. "So Sam, what about you? Why are you here instead of in Kentucky with your family?"
Leroy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rachel!"
She blinked, "Sam, I apologise, that didn't sound so bitchy in my head..."
"I know what you mean, Rach, don't worry about it." Sam shrugged at Rachel's question. "We all know that college isn't for me-"
"Of course not Sam!" Rachel interrupted. "I'm sure you'll do well."
"Thanks Rach," Sam smiled at her, "but we all know that the only reason I'm graduating this year is because of Blaine, Artie and Tina pretty much tutoring me in everything. Then there's the financial issue..."
"So what are your plans Samuel?" Hiram asked.
The blond rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly self-conscious. He felt like the odd one out; even Puck was going to College! "I kinda just want to move to, I don't know, LA or somewhere and just see where life takes me, y'know?"
"I think you can make it, kid," Cooper put in his two cents' worth, pushing his plate forward, "I did the college thing, but I don't think it made a huge difference for me in the long run. It's more about networking." He cocked his head to the side, "If the entertainment biz is where you're headed, anyway. I could introduce you to a few people."
"That would be great!" Sam enthused, "Then it's just figuring out where to live..."
"Actually," Blaine cut in, "I just got my inheritance from my grandfather's estate. There's a property in LA...I haven't seen it yet, obviously, but Puck and I were going to fly out and check it out with Cooper one weekend. You want to tag along? I mean, I might end up selling it, but even if that's the case, we can look around at options for you, too, while we're there."
Sam beamed at him, "LA road trip? Hell yeah!"
Sebastian snorted. "With an infant, Ken. I'm sure you'll really be partying hard."
"Actually, I'll be looking after Emily for the boys," Ruth cut in, before leaning back in her seat to send the two a warning look, "and I trust them to behave like mature young adults and notdo anything reckless just because they're free of the baby for a few days."
Blaine and Noah nodded in unison.
"What about you, Sebastian?" Leroy asked, dishing himself up another serve of green beans, "You're a performer too, I hear. What will you be doing when you graduate?"
The Warbler licked his lips and set down his cutlery, "Well...my father is a state's attorney. It's expected that I also attend law school."
Blaine furrowed his brow, "Is that what you want to do?"
"I could do worse," Sebastian hedged.
"Know what, dude?" Sam broke back into the conversation, intent on bringing the spirits back up, "If that doesn't pan out and you decide to ditch college? Don't come to LA. That's my territory, I've already claimed it."
Sebastian rolled his eyes, but the blond could see that he was relieved to have the conversation move back into taunting banter, "Oh, are you going to travel the city urinating on all the public landmarks to mark your claim, Ken?"
Sam adopted a thoughtful pose, "You know, if it'll keep you away, I just might."
"Eww," Bekah scrunched up her nose, "That's gross, Sam."
Sebastian turned his head to grin at the nine year old and nod. "Agreed. This is why I vote we set him outside with a bowl of water and some kibble." The little girl giggled and he found himself silently acquiescing that perhaps not all children were awful. Even Blaine's little devil was silent at her spot in her Uncle's lap, aside from the odd happy babble. And Puckerman's toddler appeared to have impeccable table manners, too.
"Puck, Smythe's turning your sister against me!" Sam whined exaggeratedly.
"You started it," Puck told him dismissively, wiping food from Beth's face.
"Children," Blaine said, with a put upon sigh, "Behave."
"That's what they say when we're together," Sebastian nodded, his trademark smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Brody blinked, then broke into guffaws. "Did you just quote lyrics from Tiffany?"
Sebastian grinned back at him, "Did you just recognise lyrics from Tiffany?"
"Touché." Brody made a show of tilting an imaginary hat in Sebastian's direction.
They came to the end of their meal, still chatting and teasing one another playfully, attacking dessert with a gusto, despite everyone having claimed that they couldn't eat another bite. With bloated stomachs, they retired to the lounge room for coffee, tea, cocoa and egg nog, depending on their individual preferences. Sebastian had to hand it to Rachel's fathers; for a Jewish couple, they certainly knew how to put together a Christmas dinner.
They splintered off into small groups, some seated in chairs, others comfortably sprawled across the plush carpeting.
Cooper and Shelby found themselves talking about their individual pursuits for fame, while Cooper absently bounced Em on his knee. When Shelby suggested he look into teaching, he laughed and shook his head, telling her that it honestly wasn't for him, cringing as he recalled a certain acting master class.
Sebastian and Sam had surprisingly launched into a conversation about their favourite films, having more in common than they'd ever assumed possible, while Finn sat beside Sam, looking somewhat uneasy but joining in nevertheless.
Ruth and Hiram sat on the couch avidly exchanging recipes, Leroy spread out on the floor, immersed in a game of Go Fish with Beth and Bekah. Puck and Brody weren't too far away, talking sports.
Blaine took a moment to survey the room, starting slightly as a slender arm slipped around his waist, Rachel's head gently resting on his shoulder. It's funny, Blaine thought, how we fit so perfectly. Not just our bodies, but our voices, our temperaments...He thought, idly, that if he wasn't in love with Noah, and if he wasn't one hundred percent gay, he could easily be happy with Rachel. It was a strange thought to have, considering he saw her as his sister nowadays, but there had been a crossroads once, where a whole different future might have played out for him.
He smiled at his family, everyone that mattered in his world, all arranged in the living room that looked like something out of a Norman Rockwell magazine. He could see this recurring every year, always with the same energy and flair.
"This is perfect, isn't it?" Rachel said rhetorically, voicing the thoughts in his head. He looped his own arm around her waist and squeezed.
"Yeah."
He felt her shift her head to look at him and he did his best to meet her eyes without shifting too much. "Are you sure you don't want to come to New York?"
He sighed. "Yeah. I love the city, Rach, but it's not for me. That's yourplace to shine. Besides, I'm going to aim to be the one writing the songs that will win you those Tonys."
She beamed and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Best brother ever."
"Don't you forget it," he teased.
They stood there a while longer, sipping their cocoa, laughing at the fact that they had both -without the other's knowledge -added a dash of cinnamon, then making up stories that they hadto be twins that were separated at birth. The groups around them shifted and changed, but they continued chatting about nothing, giggling like children until their cocoa ran out.
Puck looked up at him during a lull in his conversation and grinned. "Presents?" He asked hopefully.
"Noah," Rachel admonished, "it's not even ten-thirty yet!"
Puck pointed to Beth who was quietly dozing in, of all people, Finn's arms and Bekah was quietly being held by Ruth and fighting to stay awake.
"Christmas presents are really for the kids, Rach," Blaine said smoothly.
Then Rachel let out a humongous grin (and Finn's heart ached just a bit at seeing it), "Oh thank God! I don't know how you guys can stand the wait year after year!" She ran to the tree and pulled out a brightly-wrapped present, "For Beth, from her Auntie Rachel..." She put the gift in front of the little girl, who woke up a little disoriented, but then squealed when she saw the present.
"Wait a minute!" Sam exclaimed, frowning at Rachel, "Who said you get to be Santa?"
"We're in my house, Samuel," Rachel sniffed, dismissively.
He lunged towards the tree. "To Bekah from Mom!" Sam announced handing a quickly waking Bekah a gift.
"Sam!" Rachel squeaked. She quickly dived for another present.
Hiram and Leroy exchanged a look. "Well this is interesting," Hiram whispered to Leroy who nodded while sipping his eggnog.
"To Brody from Blaine and Noah," Sam said, forcefully prying the gift from her hands.
"Dude," Puck sighed, "You couldn't have written from Puck?"
"You couldn't refrain from calling me dude?" Blaine teased back.
Meanwhile, Rachel was gathering a small pile of presents to distribute, shooting Sam a scathing glance while his back was turned.
"Guys! Really? You shouldn't have," Brody was honestly touched that they had thought of him.
Blaine sent him a genuine smile, "It's nothing much," he shrugged, "But I...we...hope you like it."
Brody took care in unwrapping the gift, grinning at the scarf. "I live in New York; I'm told you can never have too many scarves there."
"Especially during winter," Rachel nodded sagely, batting Sam's hands away from her stockpile of presents.
Everyone turned to hear an indignant squawk as Sam had apparently stolen a present from Rachel's pile.
"Samuel Evans! Give that back!"
"But it's mine! It says so right here: 'To Ken, Happy Jesus Day from Sebastian'!" Sam blinked and then looked at Sebastian. "'Happy Jesus Day?' Really?"
While Sebastian winked at him and toasted him with his glass, Rachel continued her tirade.
"That is not the point, Samuel," she said her hands on her hips, "I have to announce your name! It's tradition!"
Ignoring Hiram and Leroy suddenly bursting out into "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof, everyone was humorously watched the byplay between the two.
"Oh," Sam said, as he deftly grabbed another present, much to her irritation, "like 'To Finn, Merry Christmas from Blaine and Noah'? Like that?"
Finn blinked. He hadn't even been invited to dinner...how had they known to get him a gift? He asked the question out loud while Beth scooted off his lap, raced across the room and dove into Blaine's, intent on showing him her new doll, much to Puck's amusement.
"Well, we were going to send back a couple of gifts with Sam, but, seeing as you're here..." Blaine smiled, running his hand through Beth's sandy-coloured ringlets, "It seems silly to make you wait, right?"
Finn smiled back and thanked him, watching sadly as Rachel propped herself in Brody's lap, handing him her gift, seemingly content to relinquish Santa duties to Sam. Sam had somehow ended up with a Santa hat (and Finn had no idea where he'd gotten it) and was doling out the gifts with exaggerated "Ho Ho Ho"ing, to which Sebastian had muttered some filthy jokes much to Sam's bemusement.
Soon all the presents were distributed, and the kids were fast asleep, Puck having taken Emily away for a change and left her in the portable cot that the Berrys had set up months earlier for her visits.
Blaine and Puck had stood aside with Shelby after Beth passed out on the couch, discussing their desire to play more active roles in the toddler's life. Shelby left the Berry household with the agreement that they could work out a schedule for visitation during school holidays and more frequent Skype sessions, and that they would go from there. Puck hugged Blaine tightly and thanked him for helping to make that possible.
Sam and Finn were the next to leave, Finn making the decision not to tell Kurt about Puck and Blaine's relationship. After spending the night watching his ex and her new boyfriend snuggle, he knew he didn't want to put Kurt through that. Especially if Kurt wasn't interested in repairing or maintaining his friendship with Blaine.
Sebastian was the last of the guests to make his way out the door, thanking the Berrys profusely for their generosity, and then surprising everyone by giving Blaine a brief, platonic hug.
"Thanks for the invite, Killer," he said, "And the gifts."
"You're welcome, Sebastian," Blaine smiled, "And thank you for your gifts; the toys you bought Em were very generous."
"Yeah, well," the Warbler shuffled his feet, "Turns out your kid's kinda cute. When she's not screaming or evacuating her bowels..."
Puck snorted, "Thanks, Smythe."
Sebastian reached out and shook Puck's hand, "You've got a cool family, Muscles," he said, "Thanks for sharing them tonight."
"Careful, Smythe, I might start thinking you're actually a good guy."
Sebastian laughed and walked to his car, leaving Puck and Blaine in the doorway. Cooper gathered up Bekah, her head lolling on his shoulder as she snored lightly, and Ruth appeared with Emily. They thanked Hiram, Leroy and Rachel for their hospitality, waved goodbye to Brody, and left as a group.
Later, snuggled up next to Puck in bed, Blaine pressed a kiss to the bare chest that cushioned his cheek. This had been the best Christmas, the most perfect Christmas, that he had ever had experienced. Christmases with his own family, before his coming out, had been pleasant but formal, and then following it, things had been strained. But this one? With his daughter and closest friends, informal and playful? He couldn't imagine anything better.
This was what he wanted for forever, he decided. He wanted every Christmas to be this way. With his daughter -daughters, he reminded himself, thinking of the way Beth had easily taken to him, of the joy on Puck's face when he'd looked at them together- and boyfriend, and their friends and families. It didn't matter where they were in the country, or in the world, he would always aim to reunite everyone for the festive season.