Title: The Plans That We've Made

Author: mybriefeternity (aka aspiringtoeloquence)
Rating: R/M for sexual content and language.
Spoilers: The name of a character in 3x15, otherwise nothing much beyond the beginning of S3.
Summary: Kurt and Blaine are back in Ohio for the holidays, and it feels like the next few weeks could be important in so many ways.
Beta: klemonademouth, who is wonderful. (And, to my almost second beta, I hope you're doing well!)
A/N: This fic belongs to the spectacular and ever-patient daxterdd, who won it in the Darren Fans Charity Rockout auction in August (the proceeds of which went directly to The Trevor Project). It has taken a long time to get here, especially since she gave me the prompt at the beginning of November, but it turned into something a little more than I'd imagined. I hope it's everything she wanted. And yes, I am posting holiday fic in March (just). Because seasonally inappropriate Klaine should never go out of style. Title from the song Winter Wonderland.

Being back in Ohio felt surprisingly good.

Blaine was pretty sure that after the month-long stay he and Kurt had planned they'd both be itching to get back to the city - Kurt to his internship, Blaine to a full class load. But now, a few days in and sitting on the couch in the Hudson-Hummel house, with Kurt curled up next to him reading a book as Finn threw his arms in the air indignantly at the referee on the television (whose parentage was being drawn into question), it felt like he could stop and appreciate everything. Burt was sitting in his chair, commenting on the defense's lack of follow through, and his son looked up every so often with (very) mild interest, soon returning to his book. Carole had just gotten back from some holiday shopping, and had been having a quiet cup of tea and reading the paper in the dining room.

Blaine knew that their apartment in New York was becoming home to him now, but this felt right. This felt like home too. Holidays back in Ohio with the family.

"Blaine, honey, did your parents decide what day they're coming back?"

Blaine looked up to find Carole leaning on the arm of Burt's chair, her arm around her husband's shoulders.

He shrugged. "Last time I talked to them they were planning to stay at the resort through New Year and into January. I haven't heard anything different."

He felt his boyfriend tense next to him and saw Carole's eyes narrow slightly.

"They asked me to join them," Blaine felt like he had to add. "But I told them I didn't really feel like piňa coladas over the holidays."

Blaine wasn't sure why he felt like he had to do that, defend them, like always. But the way Carole's face softened and Kurt shifted slightly into him told him that they understood.

He loved his parents. And they, in their way, loved him.

Theirs just wasn't a comfortable family holiday kind of relationship. His brother avoided them as often as possible, not that he could blame him, and they'd talked a few days before, Cooper from his cellphone at a ski lodge in Aspen. Blaine had declined his invitation too – Cooper would be back on the East coast fairly soon, and New York would be his first stop.

"Well," Carole said cheerfully. "It's a good thing we're not letting you go - I was afraid we'd have you stolen from us and I'd have bought too much turkey. Finn would have been forced to eat the leftovers."

"Leftovers?" said Finn with interest, tearing himself away from the TV. "Leftover what? Are there more sandwiches?"

"If you make them." She moved to settle in the other armchair and picked up a discarded catalogue. "You know where the kitchen is."

This seemed to be either untrue or too much work, and Finn simply returned his attention to the game. Blaine cleared his throat.

"I'd be delighted to stay for Christmas dinner, but I don't want to be an imposition."

It was Burt who snorted at this. "Don't be ridiculous. When Kurt said you two were coming Carole got this gleam in her eye and started talking about extra pie fillings. Bought out the store."

Carole elbowed him. "I'll handle the pie. You just concentrate on these gravy and sweet potatoes I keep hearing about."

"I told you, last year was a fluke. They must have -"

"I'm so sure. Well, just make sure there's enough of your gravy to feed the five of us, because in five years of marriage I have yet to see you make any gravy that wasn't instant -"

"Hey, Thanksgiving dinner was good. And you and Kurt taught me how to make a bunch of new stuff. I'm learning!"

She smiled softly. "Yes, you are." She kissed him on the forehead, and Blaine felt his chest tighten at the simple moment.

Kurt laced their fingers together, his gaze only partially lifted from the book. "I hope you're limiting Dad's input to gravy and possibly vegetables, because if you remember the last time -"

Burt gave Kurt a displeased look, then glanced to his wife's grinning face. He turned to Blaine. "Beware, Blaine," he said resignedly, "I'm not sure why they're so alike, must be all those years keeping me away from cake, or something in the water, but they smile all nice… underneath it's all evil. And vegetables."

Carole patted his head comfortingly. "I think I'm done with the Christmas shopping - I'm off to wrap the last few." She raised her voice. "And I'm hiding them well this year, so certain people had better stay out."

Finn glanced up, indignant.

Blaine just smiled. He'd been invited to Christmas at the Hummel-Hudson's every year since he and Kurt had started dating. In previous years he'd been the dutiful son at his own family's stilted Christmas meal, and excused himself as soon as possible to drive over and spend the evening curled up with Kurt on the couch, playing whatever board game had been deemed festive that year and exchanging presents with his boyfriend. Then eventually, with his boyfriend's family, too, in the meaningful way. He had the feeling that that was what the holidays were meant to be, not awkward dinners or dinner parties where his parents were eager to show off his accomplishments while being clearly markedly uncomfortable acknowledging other things… like, for example, his more-than-five-year relationship.

Kurt had been to dinner at his family's house quite a few times - he always accepted when he was invited, and Blaine saw that as a demonstration of true love. Those dinners hadn't been catastrophic, no one had fought, or thrown anything - it had just been clear that his parents were uncomfortable, which made Blaine uncomfortable on Kurt's behalf, and after the dinner on the Friday after Thanksgiving, when Blaine's father accidentally implied that Kurt was solely responsible for Blaine's continued resistance to finding a nice girl and settling down, and Blaine had needed to be forcibly removed from the room by his irritatingly calm boyfriend, he'd been kind of relieved to find out that his parents would be gone for the holidays, even if staying in the empty house, as he had been since they'd gotten in from New York a couple of days earlier, did make him a little mopey.

He was looking forward to a full Hummel-Hudson Christmas, stealing kisses all day from his warm boyfriend, and he said so that night as he was finishing his coffee before heading back to his house for the night. Living together in New York was so much more than he'd imagined, but it was also real, and they didn't always have as much time to spend with each other as they'd like. This vacation was, in his view, so needed. He wanted to soak up every moment of Kurt that he could.

He and Kurt were alone in the kitchen, and Kurt was playing with his collar. "Do you want to… stay?" he asked.

Blaine smiled. "I'd love to, if you think it'll be okay."

Kurt bit his lip. "I don't mean for tonight." He caught his bottom lip with his teeth briefly. "I mean for the month. Through New Years…until your parents get back. Do you want to stay here with me?"

"I'm fine, Kurt. I can manage on my own, you -"

"I know," Kurt insisted, blushing slightly. "I just… I want you to stay here. With me. If you want to. We could stay at yours, if you really wanted to, but it seems - I'd like to be here. With my family. My whole family. If you want."

Blaine could recognize the ridiculousness of this conversation - with its underlying nervousness, like Kurt actually thought the answer might be no - taking place in a relationship that had been going on for over five years. "Of course I want to stay with you. I always want to. You know that. But I'm not sure your dad -"

Kurt abruptly stood and pulled him towards the den, stopping in the doorway. "Dad? Carole?"

Burt looked up. "Yeah, kiddo?"

"Can Blaine stay here with us for the holidays? It doesn't make sense for him to drive back and forth in the bad weather, and most of the Warblers have families out of state, so most of our friends are around here anyway, and… and I want him to." He cleared his throat. "Please."

Burt seemed slightly amused by his son's stance, but was appraising them with a gaze Blaine only wished he could identify. Kurt's dad knew they were living together in a cramped one bedroom apartment, had been for over two years, and he also knew that they'd been sexually active long before that. Blaine had stayed over before - both with and without permission (and in the early days, always with and situated very firmly on the couch) - and he was fairly certain that Kurt's request didn't come as a shock in any way. But a sleepover was different than staying in Burt's son's bedroom for several weeks, every night, and neither of them had ever asked for anything like that before. Carole was just smiling neutrally.

Burt met his wife's eye, than cleared his throat. "Does Blaine get any say in this, or have you just decided for him?"

Kurt drew his lips together, but before he could speak Blaine did. "I'd like to stay. It'd be fun, and I haven't gotten to spend time in Lima, or with you all, in a while. If it's okay with you... I'd like to take Kurt up on his offer. But I don't want to intrude -"

Burt snorted, shook his head bemusedly, then glanced at his son. "You know the rules."

Kurt flushed and rolled his eyes in a way that was reminiscent of his high school years. "Yes, dad. Thanks." He hadn't let go of Blaine's hand, and he felt Kurt relax. "Blaine and I are going to go to his house to get his stuff." He turned to Blaine. "Okay if I come?"

"Of course."

Burt checked his watch. "Getting late. It's a drive."

"We can stay there tonight..." Blaine offered, squeezing Kurt's hand questioningly. "Drive back in the morning."

Carole nodded. "That's a good idea. Do you have food in the fridge? I can heat -"

Blaine laughed. "We'll be fine. I'll just grab my coat."

"I'm going to go get my phone," Kurt smiled. "I'll be back."

He disappeared up the stairs, returning five minutes later with a scarf and his boots. "I think I still have some clothes at your house," he mused. "I don't know what condition they're in…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me." Kurt smirked, following him out the front door and echoing his parting shout to Carole.

Blaine just rolled his eyes.

The first thing they did at Blaine's house was make coffee - Kurt had an obsession with the espresso machine - and packed away some clothes. It didn't take long; much of his stuff had been in New York and he hadn't really unpacked yet, and they soon found themselves flicking through late night TV, bickering over whether to make popcorn and which late night host was the funniest. As they got ready for bed - Blaine's bed, the one that held a great many memories for them, a few firsts, and a lot of awkward conversations - Kurt reminded him to put his wrapped presents with the stuff to take.

"I already did," he replied. "And don't go rearranging them. I know your game, Kurt Hummel. Feeling up your Christmas present is bad form."

Kurt scoffed as he pulled a travel size bottle of moisturizer out of one of the drawers in Blaine's bathroom. Blaine had no idea how long ago he'd put it there. He smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about.""I'm talking about your blatant attempts to work out what I got you by handling it inappropriately."

There was silence until Kurt reappeared, wearing an old Dalton shirt (that was actually his, but Blaine had stolen years ago) and pajama bottoms. He smirked. "Idolike handling things inappropriately."

Blaine hummed and pulled him onto the bed. "You are not seducing me into telling you what your presents are.

"There's more than one?"

"My lips are sealed."

"What a pity." He tilted his head. "Hey, Blaine?"

"Mmmm."

"What did you get me?"

"What did you get me?"

"It's a secret."

"Hypocrite."

Kurt just kissed him and settled under the covers. "I love you."

Blaine looked down at him from his seated position against the pillows. "I love you too."

He thought about the wrapped gifts in his suitcase, that he knew Kurt would love, and then he thought about the other thing. Something he'd decided, known long ago that he wanted to get, that he'd been waiting for the right time to bring up again.

And as Kurt reached for him, grinning impishly as his hands ran up Blaine's chest, and their lips met, warm and familiar and still so damn hot after almost six years, he thought that maybe this month, in Ohio, where it all began, might be it.

Soon, sometime in the next few weeks, it might be the perfect moment.

"You know I'm happy to be here, Blaine, but I'm not sure how much help I'm gonna actually be."

He pressed the button to lock his car doors and shrugged at Mike, who was unfolding himself from the passenger seat. "I really kind of just need someone here, you know. To keep me… focused."

Mike made a face. "I'm all about the moral support, but wouldn't someone like Tina or… even Rachel be better at this?"

Blaine smiled, shaking his head. Rachel would tell Kurt immediately, and Tina, even if she were in town yet, would be far too emotional about the whole thing. Mike was supportive, thoughtful, and they'd bonded during their time in New Directions (when you're a jet, you're a jet), as well as keeping in contact after his graduation – although mostly through Tina at first. Blaine and Tina had lamented their long-distance woes over frozen yoghurt many times over the course of senior year.

And he'd known he made the right choice when he'd met Mike for lunch, and quietly confessed that he needed his help. The concern and then, later, delight ("Dude, that's awesome!… Not that we didn't all see it coming about five years ago, but still!") on his face made him very glad Mike was still there, in the broad sense of the term. Not everyone from New Directions had stayed in touch after high school, and many of them were sporadic in what little contact they did have. They were leading their own lives, as they should be, but it was still good to know who you could count on.

"Why, you have somewhere better to be?" Blaine asked with a grin as they crossed the parking lot.

Mike snorted. "No one's back in town for the holidays yet."

"Oh, thanks," he deadpanned. "But I know what you mean. Northeastern's term does run quite late."

Mike flushed as he reached for the door handle. "I don't know what you're talking about," he evaded over his shoulder as he rushed through.

Blaine was torn between a sigh and a laugh. Apparently they were still doing that, then.

"Tina will be back next week."

Mike looked around and hummed noncommittally. "I saw. On Facebook. We're Facebook friends."

"Everybody knows, Mike."

"Knows what?"

"That you got back together over the summer."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Fine. Be that way."

Mike made a frustrated face, then scratched his head under his fedora. "So… what are we looking for? I mean… specifically. What type? You kind of know what you want, right?"

Blaine smiled as he looked around the jewelers.

"It's Kurt's engagement ring," he said with certainty. "When I find it, I'll know."

"Why now?"

Blaine looked up from the display case. It was their third store, and save for occasional commentary, he and Mike hadn't spoken much. That was something he appreciated about Mike - he knew the value of silence, chose his words carefully. He was a dancer, trained to express his thoughts with his body, and he had a quality - a comfort inside his own skin - that Blaine envied. It meant that their silence was never awkward - just a absence of a need to speak. He was just there, quietly supporting him, like Blaine had asked.

It was a fair question. "I don't know," he said truthfully. "We've talked about it before, getting married" - actually, they'd been talking about it in the abstract for a long time, longer than was probably socially acceptable. He and Kurt had always been anything but traditional - "…we both knew we wanted it someday, but we always said we'd wait until after college. Undergrad, at least."

"You're still in college," Mike pointed out, as though Blaine might have overlooked this fact.

"Yes. But I graduate in May, and… I don't know. It feels right. I feel like…" He thought for a moment, struggled to vocalize the buzz that had been growing under his skin for what felt like forever. "I feel like I want to start the next chapter of our lives, and I want to do it as soon as possible. It - it just feels like the right time."

Mike seemed to consider this. "And did you know you'd propose, or…"

Blaine leaned against the wooden finish of the display. "Yes, I think so. But it's not because someone applied some… something to us, or whatever. I think… I think the way we've talked about it, the way we are right now…Kurt won't ask until he thinks I'm ready, because he wants to protect me from un-thought-out impulsive choices." He rolled his eyes again.

"Well, this is kind of impulsive. You guys are really young, you're only -"

Blaine stood up straight, looking him in the eye. "I've been with Kurt for almost six years. I've always known I was going to marry him, if he'd have me, whether he asked or I did. I love him, and he loves me, and at one point it might have been considered naive for me to insist that I'd marry my high school sweetheart, but now he's my college sweetheart too, and I want him to be my husband. And whoever doesn't like that can fuck off."

Mike let the silence that followed linger, his surprise evident, but eventually just raised an eyebrow. "You practice that speech much?"

Blaine fiddled with his scarf. "I'm gonna have to tell my parents eventually." He gestured to the long case of rings. "None of these are right. None of them are Kurt."

Mike's shoulders settled. "Store number four?"

Blaine grinned. "I feel really good about number four."

"So… how does it work?"

Blaine indicated and merged into the left lane. "How does what work? Please tell me you haven't suddenly become curious about gay sex, because that conversation with Finn scarred me for life."

"In his defense, I think he was pretending to be interested to show his support."

"A nice pat on the shoulder would have done just fine."

"The whole ring thing. I mean, do you both wear engagement rings, or are they your wedding bands, or do you get different ones...?"

Blaine shrugged. "Whatever we want. I'm getting this for Kurt, and if he says yes -"

"If?"

"-then we'll find one for me sometime, I hope. I want to wear something, probably similar. I kind of like the idea of swapping it with a band at the ceremony, to the left hand, and Kurt will probably want to pick our bands together, as well, but if we like the rings I suppose we could get them inscribed and use them… I kinda like that idea too, or… It's not like there are rules, or anything. We'll work out what we want to do. I looked around in New York a few times, but I didn't find anything that was... I don't know. I'll know when I find it, and Kurt and I will know what to do."

Mike looked at him. "You really love him."

"Yep."

There was a long pause.

"I'm still in love with Tina."

Blaine glaned over at him. "I know." A pause. "Everyone knows."

He looked sheepish. "Everyone?"

An emphatic nod. "Everyone."

"So when Tina said on Facebook that she was seeing someone new -"

"We all knew she was lying," Blaine confirmed cheerfully.

"How did you -"

"Remember over the summer, when Rachel had that barbecue?"

"Yeah…"

"No one takes that long getting a sweater from a car. That was the confirmation."

"We were just talking."

"Uh huh."

Mike abruptly switched the radio to something softer and idly moved his feet around a little, using his other hand to play with his hat. Blaine was willing to bet he didn't even know he was doing it. "That was a couple of weeks after we… we weren't really sure what it was yet. I mean, nothing had really changed."

"She was still in Boston, you mean."

"She's applying to grad schools. She wants to go to New York or D.C. But she applied to Chicago too. Northwestern."

Blaine glanced over. "What have you guys been doing for the last four months?"

"Talking some. I made it out to see her twice, and she came to Chicago once."

"I didn't know that."

He smiled sadly. "It was a secret."

"Well, she'll get in wherever she applies."

"I know."

"It'd be awesome to have her in New York. You'd have to visit us more often."

He leaned back in his seat, his voice quiet. "The one thing she and I agree on is that we can't do the long distance thing again. We did three years of it and it just… not again."

Blaine remembered the summer they'd ended things. He'd been at Kurt's house when Tina arrived, eyeliner running in rivers down her cheeks, sobbing into his shirt as soon as he opened the door. They had gone into crisis mode immediately, Blaine settling her in Kurt's room while his boyfriend ascertained what they needed. Whether he should call Mercedes (he should), whether ice cream was necessary (it was), and whether he should have Finn go get more snacks (she said no, he asked anyway. Finn seemed grateful to escape). They soothed her for half an hour, curled up on Kurt's bed, and then Blaine got a text back from Mike. He'd looked to Kurt for guidance, but it was Tina who spoke.

"Go," she said, voice muffled by Kurt's sweater. "You can go."

He'd gotten both sides of the story that day, and they were both pretty much the same. It was too hard, they both knew it, and they'd just known they couldn't do it anymore. Mike had still had another year in Chicago, and had been offered a part time job that could possibly, after graduation, turn into a position that paid well enough to make a small dent in his student loans, and Tina had two more years in Boston before whatever she decided to do next. And they couldn't wait that long. It was too much, and they mostly didn't want to break whatever chance they had at friendship by forcing it any longer.

Seeing Tina curled up in Kurt's bed, and Mike sitting on a bench in the park, looking lost, Blaine had never in his life felt so guilty and so grateful for his and Kurt's planning, and their incredible luck.

"So…" he finally prompted.

"We're going to talk," Mike said. "In person. Once she's here." He shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

His tone made it clear the subject should be closed, so Blaine pulled into a parking spot. "Maybe I'm just flattering myself here, but it feels like you talk a lot more when we hang out like this."

Mike flicked his eyes over to the driver's seat before pulling his fedora over his eyes with a shy smile. "Some things are worth talking about."

"The place is right here. Don't worry, this is the last one today... even if I don't find it. We have to get back, and it's a drive."

"You haven't actually ever said what you're looking for."

"I'm looking for Kurt."

If it had been Finn he'd have reminded him that Kurt was probably at home. Brittany would have looked confused. Mercedes would have rolled her eyes.

Mike nodded.

A salesgirl spotted them quickly and hurried over. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. How can I help you today?"

It seemed like Blaine was distracted, so Mike answered for him. "My friend's looking for a ring."

The girl's face lit up. "Well, you've certainly come to the right place. An engagement ring? We have some lovely diamond solitaires - quite the hit with the ladies, I've been told-"

Blaine spoke carefully. "Thank you, but my boyfriend has very specific tastes -"

The girl changed tracks so quickly Blaine was privately surprised she didn't get whiplash.

"Oh I see," she said with a forced smile, winking at Mike, "friend. I get it."

"My boyfriend," Blaine clarified, "who isn't here."

She seemed to deflate a little. "Oh."

"Do you have anything similar to this-" he pointed to one of the displays "-in white gold, maybe? A little more... subtle?"

"Of course, sir. Just on the other side, over -"

"Oh my god."

Mike started. "You okay, man?"

Blaine turned away from the display he'd passed as he went to follow the saleswoman, a smile on his face that was pure, unbridled joy.

"I've found it," he said a little breathlessly. "It's perfect."

"What did you and Mike get up to in the big city?" Kurt asked that night, the corners of his mouth turned up into a curious smirk.

Blaine shrugged deliberately. "Nothing much."

He thought it was fitting that he'd found the ring in Ohio. A metaphorical diamond in the rough, like Kurt. Perfect for him, perfect for them, and waiting in the side-pocket of his suitcase, wrapped in three pairs of clean socks, for the moment.

"I saw Mr. Schue today," Kurt offered as he finished his moisturizing routine.

"Oh?"

"We ran into him at the Mall after school let out. It seems New Directions demanded better costumes for Regionals, and he was scouting for ideas."

"At the mall?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"I know. I tried to impart some wisdom, but…" he made a gesture with his free hand that seemed to imply that he could only do so much.

Blaine set his book aside and pulled the blankets further around himself.

"Are you cold? I can grab another -"

"It's fine. It'll be cozier with you." Kurt smiled at him and turned back to the mirror. "What did your dad mean when he said to remember the rules?"

"What?"

""When he said I could stay here. He said we should remember the rules."

Kurt blushed. "Oh, yes. That."

"What rules? Am I not allowed to steal your innocence? Because I think we might have kind of rendered that one redundant a fair few years -"

"Any theft that occurred was entirely mutual," Kurt pointed out, his cheeks still pink. "He just… the first times you stayed here after we were… you know…"

"Having sex?" Blaine provided helpfully.

"Yes. Well, it was all very awkward, and you know I never really asked him, as such, because we had that talk, about mattering and all that, again, but one morning at breakfast he sort of said…"

"Said what?"

"He muttered into his orange juice something about being safe and keeping it reasonably quiet," Kurt got the words out quickly, beet red by this point. He seemed to have run out of moisturizing to do, and his hands settled in his lap. "Stop giggling."

"I'm not," Blaine lied.

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

"No…I don't," Kurt eventually agreed, moving to the bed. "More fool me."

Blaine pulled off his glasses and settled into Kurt's warmth, turning off the bedside lamp. "Long day..."

"Doing nothing with Mike?"

"Mmmm. Laziness is exhausting."

Kurt leaned to kiss his hair, and Blaine hummed contentedly into his chest.

"Love your kisses," he said sleepily. "They feel like butterflies and happiness."

Kurt snorted and smiled. "You're ridiculous… but I'm glad."

"I vote we sleep in tomorrow."

"Okay." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Finn's back in Columbus for finals, and Dad and Carole will both be at work, so we'll have the place to ourselves."

"Do you remember when having an hour to ourselves, in one of our houses, felt like a miracle?"

"It kind of still does."

"We have an apartment now."

Blaine could hear Kurt's breath and the rumble of his chest as he spoke. "I know, but we don't always get as much time as we'd like. And giving Rachel a spare key was a huge mistake."

"I'm glad our bedroom door locks."

"We're not always in the bedroom when…" Kurt trailed off as he located his phone and set it on the nightstand to charge.

Blaine sighed. "True. Some of my favorite memories are against those yellow walls."

"Muted buttercup," Kurt corrected disdainfully. "Pale blue would look so much better."

"I really did not hear you complaining about that at the time."

"I was busy. And anyway, I was kind of partial to the kitchen counters."

He smiled fondly. "Ah, good times."

"We should do that again."

Blaine yawned. "So bendy," he mused sleepily. "So very bendy."

"Mmmhm." Kurt pulled some of the blanket over, then settled down. "Maybe I'll talk to Trish again, see if I can get her to change her mind about us painting."

Blaine's measured breathing was his response, and Kurt settled happily in, hoping that there could be more nights like this - as many as possible.

He'd take every one he could get.

As the week passed most of the people who'd been away at school returned. Tina appeared, eyes sparkling (Kurt and Blaine exchanged a pointed look). Rachel arrived for the first day of Hanukkah and immediately called to inform them that she had just that day secured a meeting with an agent for early January, and they should be prepared to face difficult times in their friendship, as her imminent rise to stardom would doubtless cause some tension. Finn returned properly for the holidays, talking about a girl in his Sociology class who had totally been flirting with him, probably. Life was filled with coffee dates and catch-up sessions, where everyone remembered just how little there actually was to do in Lima after 8pm, ending up at the same haunts.

Christmas came, and Blaine spent the day with his boyfriend's family, waking up to a bright eyed Kurt ,who practically dragged him out of bed to open their presents. Carole was already awake, supervising a dead-looking Finn as he made coffee. Kurt, who was marshaling breakfast supplies, was the only one who could be considered dressed, in his artfully distressed t-shirt and yoga pants. Everyone else was still in pajamas to some degree, and Burt and Carole were still wearing warm-looking robes. Blaine envied them the fluffiness as his toes hit the cold tile.

"You know," Carole was saying conversationally, "I would have thought that as you got older you boys would be more inclined to trade sleep for early present opening."

Finn looked up from the mug he'd been staring at with hope it would magically fill with caffeine. "Mom, it's Christmas," he pointed out emphatically. "Christmas."

Carole noticed Blaine in the doorway. "Merry Christmas," she smiled. "Kurt, did you drag him down here too?"

"I gave him ten extra minutes," Kurt defended. "I made you toa - Finn Hudson, touch that toast and there will be no cookies for the rest of the holidays. None."

Finn withdrew his hand from the plate and muttered something about brothers being way less cool than he'd thought. Kurt ignored him and poured himself a cup of coffee, bringing it to the kitchen table and setting it down, then approaching his boyfriend, who was still standing in the doorway.

"You okay?" He reached for his hand and tugged him towards the food. "I made you tea, because we had the one you like, but there's also coffee... presuming Finn hasn't managed to set it on fire or something."

Blaine blinked, ignoring Finn's offended noise, and when he spoke his voice was a little hoarse. "Yeah. Yeah, tea's good. Thanks." He pulled Kurt's hand up to kiss his wrist briefly. "Merry Christmas," he said quietly. Kurt smiled and murmured into his hair as he left a quick kiss on the crown of his head. "Merry Christmas," he added slightly louder, addressing Finn and Carole. Burt was visible in the next room moving stacks of papers, obviously trying to clear the dining room table for later.

Kurt's smile was infectious. "Eat, so we can open presents. Come on."

Blaine had always loved Christmas morning as a child - especially when his cousins came to stay, and they got to rip into the wrapping paper before their parents were even fully awake, playing in the beautiful wreckage as the adults nursed hot drinks. In his teen years, once his extended family had moved and left with just his parents and the weight of his sexuality, of what they didn't understand, the holidays had become more about dinner parties and meals spent in quiet. Any celebration happened at Dalton, once he'd transferred, and before that, before things got bad at his old school, maybe a quiet gift exchange with a couple of people. He'd missed the holidays, and the first year he'd visited Kurt's house near Christmas, the year they met, when he went over to study one weekend, it had felt like this was what holidays were supposed to be. Good natured bickering, boardgames, guilt trips and eye rolls, quarrels based in pure familial exasperation. He had been more excited to be a part of that - a big part, not just a visitor - than he'd let on. Or so he thought.

He pulled one of the pieces of toast apart and held half out to Kurt, who took a bite. "You're going to love your present," Kurt said, leaning his chin on one hand. "Well, the big one. I was afraid it wouldn't show up on time, but it did, and I can't wait for you to see it. You have to open that one first."

Burt came in and walked straight over to the coffee pot, scowling as Kurt took his newly poured cup and handed him another from the counter.

"Decaf, Dad. Just because it's Christmas -"

"Listen, kid, the doctor said that every so often -"

"Yes, but now I've already made it, and there's no sense in having extra caffeine when there's an alternative sitting right-"

Burt looked pointedly at Blaine as Carole patted Kurt on the shoulder emphatically. "You'd think that a guy could drink a cup of coffee in his own kitchen-"

"You can drink as many cups as you like, darling." Carole smiled sweetly. "Just decaffeinated ones."

Burt looked like he was going to respond, but Kurt had noticed Blaine's empty plate and had already swooped to rinse it. "Presents, everyone! Finn's already gone in. Come on!"

A few minutes later everyone had allowed themselves to be dragged through to sit near the Christmas tree, and Blaine, settled on the sofa with Kurt on the floor, leaning against his legs, was completely awake and trying to contain his excitement.

Finn didn't seem to have that problem. "Dude, look at that box! It's, like, HUGE! Is that for me? Can I open it, even if it isn't?"

Kurt was handing a box to Carole, their present to her, who opened it to find a nice scarf (which Blaine happened to know Kurt had had tfought tooth and nail for in his favorite vintage store) as well as a gift certificate for a half-day at a spa in Westerville.

She pulled them both into a hug that their positions made slightly awkward. "Oh, boys, thank you. It's beautiful, and god knows I'll need a day to relax after the holidays are over."

The certificate had been Blaine's idea, and he'd talked Kurt into treating himself for a day before they went back to New York, as well. He told Carole as much (well, that Kurt should join her), and she beamed. They were soon making plans for a day before New Years, weighing the pros and cons of mud wraps, pedicures, and some genius masseuse named Manny. (Blaine made a face at the way Kurt said his name, and realized that Burt was definitely frowning in the exact same way from his armchair).

Carole giggled, which prompted Kurt to pet Blaine's leg comfortingly and tell him that hot Portuguese guys with great hands weren't his type anyway.

Before Blaine could respond -

"Dude, if you aren't going to open your gifts then I will."

Finn was already wearing his new jersey, and playing with the buttons on the watch that Kurt had found for him. His other presents were lying in a sea of ripped wrapping paper. He was probably kidding about the present, Blaine figured. Probably.

Kurt looked like his fingers were itching to tear into his stack, but he passed Blaine his first. "Open mine first." He paused. "Actually, no, last." Again. "Oh god, what if you think -? Actually, give it back."

Blaine held it up. "No chance." He felt the sides of the flat package, which was quite thin - large and almost square. "Hmm. I'm guessing it's... not a pony."

Kurt rolled his eyes.

He peeled the paper back from the corner slowly, ignoring Finn's complaints, to reveal -

"You got him a brochure? Dude, even I did better than -"

"Finn, honey, be quiet."

"Sorry, Mom."

Kurt looked at his boyfriend anxiously. "I wasn't sure. I know we've talked about -"

Blaine looked up at him, then down at the tickets, then back. "Fiji? We are seriously going to Fiji?"

"Well… I booked us for right after New Years, for a week. It'd mean going straight back home after, because you start class, so we'd be cutting our time here short, and it's the rainy season -"

"Dude," Finn offered, "Ohio's here anytime. This is the Caribbean-"

"Fiji isn't even near - you know what, not the point." Kurt refocused on feeling out Blaine's reaction. "I did some research, that's supposed to be a pretty nice place to stay, but I wanted to keep everything in our… price range, so it's not peak travel time, or a luxury resort or anything close-"

Blaine cut him off with a swift kiss, letting the brochure and the enclosed tickets fall on the cushion next to him. A lot of things were suddenly making sense - the way Kurt had been less inclined to suggest going out for dinner in recent months, the way he'd casually dismissed that pair of boots that had finally gone on sale in his size. He'd been saving for this, saving so that they could do this together, something they'd been talking about for years, and he wished he had the ring he'd bought with him because he felt like he had quite possibly never loved Kurt Hummel more than at this moment, leaning down to kiss him in front of his family, wearing his pajamas and a pair of Kurt's slippers.

It didn't seem to occur to either of them to stop until Burt cleared his throat, at which point they reluctantly extracted themselves from each others' grasp and shifted back to their places.

"I think he liked it," Finn helpfully told Kurt, who just smiled and handed Carole her gift from Finn.

As she opened and gushed over it Blaine leaned to whisper in his ear. "I cannot wait to go away with you, and explore with you, and most of all I can't wait to get you in our hotel room and show you how much I love you over and over again."

"Mmmph," said Kurt, tilting his head, and elbowing him a little at the proximity to his family. "You don't say."

"Yeah. And tonight, I'm gonna give you a preview."

Kurt leaned in so that Blaine's lips touched his ear. "I like the sound of that." Blaine felt him smile. "Merry Christmas."

He pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You too."

"You gonna open any of your presents, kiddo? Mine and Carole's is under Finn's wreckage."

He looked up. "In a second, Dad. I'm going to open Blaine's first. I made him do mine, it's only fair."

Blaine squirmed a little. He'd gotten Kurt a few things, and he'd put thought into all of them, but to his mind none of them matched the thoughtfulness Kurt's gift to him. And while he knew that wasn't the point, that Kurt would love him, and love what he'd gotten, simply because he knew the intent behind it, it was frustrating. Mostly because he had something he really wanted to give him, had actually wanted to for longer than he'd been aware of it, but he didn't think that this was it, now. It would be fine, certainly, and proposing in front of the family would be an adorable story, but it felt… not personal enough. He felt like it should be just them, and it should be separate from any ritual gift giving. Because as far as he was concerned the ring wasn't the gift.

Kurt saying yes would be.