Blaine, just stop and think about this for a second. What do you want? Taking everybody else out of the equation so that nobody else gets hurt… what do you want?

I don't know, was the honest answer. To be normal. To have a nice and simple life, where everything is attainable. To, one day, maybe have a family – and not make the same mistakes as mine.

And what about Kurt? Blaine watched his… friend… walk between the teenagers, Nick on clarinet and Finn on bass guitar following shortly behind.

If I'd been out 'til quarter to three

Would you lock the door?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I'm sixty-four?

Of course. Blaine would never cease to be surprised or amazed by Kurt's actions.

Yeah. I think I want that. Me and Kurt, sixty-four years old, married, maybe with some kids, singing The Beatles.

But why Kurt? You felt this way about Jeremiah only a week ago… And Callum a year ago… Blaine had no idea. There was something there, though, some tiny incongruity… He just couldn't put his finger on it.

You'll be older too

And if you say the word

I could stay with you!

"Hey, Jeff? Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure, mate, whatever." He was gazing up at Nick, a look of pure adulation written for the world to see. "Bloody hell, how is it possible to make playing clarinet sexy?"

Blaine shook his head. "Stop imagining certain other, more fun, instruments in his mouth."

"Hehehehe PENIS!" Jeff laughed, finally turning to Blaine. "You seem better."

Blaine sneezed. "I actually feel better. I think the ice helped." His throat was clearer, his blood sugar was actually bordering on normal, even his temperature had lowered slightly. "I guess Rachel Berry finally is good for something."

"I HEARD THAT, BLAINE ANDERSON," the aforementioned girl screeched across the room. She was then set upon by several Warblers and New Directioners.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Jeff whispered, eyes flicking between Blaine and Nick.

"Listen… Um… How did you end up getting with Nick? If… I mean, you don't have to tell me…"

Jeff smiled. "Well… You know how much of my time I spent, what you might gently call, obsessing over him… I spent about 3 months wondering if he were straight, all of summer break wondering if he were single… He took me to see Avenue Q a couple of weeks into term…" The boys eyes started to fog as he remembered that night.

"Thanks for dragging me along, Nick. I had fun."

Nick closed his eyes, breathing softly. "I… Yeah, I had fun, too…"

They moved closer together in the unseasonally cool wind, walking to Jeff's car. Thankfully he'd parked about 3 blocks from the theatre – not too far so that it was dangerous, but far enough to have time to chat as they strolled along.

"So, Nick… I don't think I've ever asked… Do you have a girlfriend?"

The brunette burst out laughing. "You serious, Jeff?" He looked into the blonde's eyes. "Oh, God. You actually think I'm straight. You've known me how long now?"

Jeff blushed, looking down. "Well, I… I had hoped…" Crap! What was he rambling for?

But Nick was blushing as well. "Look, Jeff… There was a reason I asked you to come with me tonight… And not Blaine or Trent or anyone else." He stopped suddenly, leaning against a lamp-post, eyes flickering upwards to the twilit sky.

Jeff grabbed his hand. "You… you mean…"

Nick nodded, forcing himself not to look at his best friend. "It doesn't have to be a date, you know, if you don't want it to. But I wanted to give it a try…"

A huge beam tore its way across Jeff's face. "No. This wasn't a date."

Nick closed his eyes. No, he wouldn't cry. No.

Jeff reached out, sweeping away a lone tear that rolled down his friend's face. "Nick! Let me finish first!" He moved a step closer. "It wasn't a date, because for our first date we should both know it is one. So, Nick."

The boy looked up, into Jeff's brown eyes, a sudden glimmer of hope appearing. "How about I take you out to dinner? Same time, next week?"

Nick nodded, slipping slightly down the pole. Jeff grabbed his arm, steadying him.

"So… I can do this?" With one hand still on Nick's face, he bent down and softly pressed his lips against Nick's.

"And you weren't scared?" Blaine asked.

"Mate, it was terrifying. What if he decided he didn't like me? What if he wasn't ready for it? What if I screwed it up somehow? But… it felt right. So I just… knew, you know?" Jeff grinned as the strange trio made their way back over to them.

"I… I think I like Kurt…" Blaine mumbled. "No, I definitely do. But how do I know if it's right?"

Jeff thought for a second. "Well… picture yourself in ten years time. What do you see?"

I could be handy mending a fence

When your lights have gone.

You can knit a sweater by the fireside.

Sunday mornings, go for a ride.

Doing the garden, digging the weeds…

Who could ask for more?

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I'm sixty-four?

Blaine closed his eyes. All he could see was Kurt's song. Blaine running around the house looking for a new pair of scrubs. Kurt sitting frantically at the dinner table making sketches. A weekend away, cuddling by the fireplace, roasting marshmallows, throwing sugar over each other at the kitchen table…

"So, I'd say you have the right person," Jeff laughed, sucking Blaine back into the vacuum of reality. "But it might not be the right time."

Blaine nodded, eyes still shut. "So, what do I do? I can't be a boyfriend yet; it's too much to ask of him…"

Every summer we can rent a cottage

In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear.

We shall scrimp and save.

Grandchildren on your knee –

Vera, Chuck and Dave.

The boys giggled as Kurt tried – and almost succeeded – in imitating Paul's Liverpudlian accent.

"There is such a thing as taking it slow, Blaine," Jeff admonished. "I can see you're now imagining yourself and Kurt in some small seaside cottage with fifty kids around you."

"Man, you know me too well!" Blaine giggled.

"Yeah, well, after putting up with you every day for a whole year, that sort of thing tends to happen." Jeff suddenly pulled out a packet of biscuits from his bag. "Tim Tam? I can't share these with Nick."

Blaine laughed. "Better hide them. Everyone will swoop soon enough." He reached in, taking a couple of rich, chocolatey amazingness. "So… how do I go about this 'taking it slow' crap?"

Give me your answer, fill in a form:

Mine for evermore.

Will you still need me, will you still feed me

When I'm sixty-four?

Whoo!

"Tell him that you want nothing to change. And that when you're ready to do things properly, you'll let him know. He's mad about you too, Blaine. He'll wait." Jeff was certain about this. He could see his own relationship mirroring theirs – slightly distorted, of course, but the basic principle was the same. That would be why Blaine went to talk to him, instead of Wes or David, he supposed.

"And if I screw it up before then?"

"Bloody hell. You will. Of course you will." Jeff ran a hand through Blaine's hair, messing it even further. "But he'll forgive you. Even if you are sixty-four when it finally happens."

Blaine smiled, as Kurt dropped into a chair beside him. "Thanks, Jeff." He leant over, nabbing another Tim Tam, this one for Kurt. "Now… We have to leave for Breadstix in just over half an hour... I'm going to need more candy soon. I know you drove my Mustang down here; don't even bother trying to deny it. Shall we take Kurt and Nick and go grab some supplies?"

Jeff jumped up as Nick made his way over, wrapping his arms around the boy. "I get to control the music!"

Blaine shook his head. "Fine. Kurt? There's a Kwik-E-Mart or something around here, right?"

Kurt grinned. "Let's go see Apu!"

Okay. Perhaps not as Christmassy as one might be expecting. But it's fluff nevertheless.

Sigh. Christmas never works out for me. I tried to write something, I really did, but yeah... Life isn't great at the moment so it wouldn't come. But Klaine and Neff makes it all better! And after Christmas (because of work, remember? :P) I'll have a car scene and probably some more flashbacks and CRACK for you!

I'm going to repeat what I said in that last note, okay? If you EVER need to talk to someone about anything, I'm here. Don't worry about 'ruining Christmas' or anything like that for me. Because of work and recent events, the season isn't quite, well, the season. It would actually make me feel a lot better if you helped yourselves out this year. And it doesn't have to be talking to me. It could be to a friend or a counselling service or family member or pet animal... Whatever. Whatever it is, you are NOT alone, and you do not have to go through it alone. I know you have the strength in there to help make things better. I believe in you.

Okay, enough with the sad stuff. It's Christmas!

Thanks to all my lovelies who read, favourite, subscribe and review! Shout-outs to riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795, flower pot girl, xCarlax, Lalice of Roses and xXLittle Rose AngelXx! I love you all, you amazing people.

Wishing you all a VERY merry Christmas and happy holidays. Be safe, be merry, have fun!

So. Like it? Hate it? Want me to be mistaken for a dollar coin and baked into a Christmas pudding? Please let me know!

Keep smiling! :D