During their short nap, the boys continued to see glimpses of places that were both familiar and not familiar. They saw themselves on a forest floor in the dead of night ("Is that a crown on my head?" Kurt asked), at Blaine's mother's house in Connecticut ("I loved it being right on the water," Blaine explained), in a cave with some kind of dogs they were petting ("Did we get matching tattoos?" both boys said at the same time), and back at the villa on what looked like their wedding day. When they woke up a couple of hours later, they stretched and yawned. "That last one," Blaine said groggily, "I want that to happen someday."
Realizing what he had just said, he woke quickly. "I mean…um…I just mean…"
"Breathe, sweetheart," Kurt said gently. "I want that to happen someday, too."
Blaine breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, okay, then."
"Want to know something I've figured out about us?" Kurt asked, snuggling in close to Blaine.
"Always, love," Blaine said and placed a kiss on Kurt's chest.
"Our relationship is different than most," he began. "And because of that, things will likely work differently for us. I feel like the time-line in which we do things will seem sped up compared to a typical couple. Does that make sense?"
"We're going to move at our own speed and not what society dictates is 'acceptable' because we are soulmates and what we have is different than 'normal' relationships," Blaine summarized. "Is that what you're getting at?"
"Yes, exactly!" Kurt said. "Thank you for knowing me and knowing what my brain is thinking and heart is feeling when I am unable to put them into words."
Kurt leaned down to kiss Blaine, so very happy that they were on the same page. After exchanging a few lazy kisses, Kurt's stomach growled loudly.
"Hungry?" Blaine asked with a giggle.
"Apparently!" Kurt replied.
"Well," Blaine said. "If memory serves me right, you did just exert a lot of energy a little bit ago."
"Cheeky," Kurt said as his stomach growled again. "But, yes, I definitely did work up an appetite. How are you feeling?" he asked with concern in his eyes and voice.
"Perfect," Blaine answered. "A little sore but not in a bad or unexpected way. I feel loved, cared for, and absolutely perfect!"
Kurt released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Okay," he sighed thankfully, nodding his head a little. "Okay."
"Shall we go fix some lunch-er?" Blaine asked, chuckling at his newly made-up word.
"Lunch…?" Kurt began questioningly and then noticed the time. "I get it now! Yes, sweetheart, I would love to go fix some lunch-er with you."
Kurt got out of bed first and went across the room to get fresh clothes when he heard a hiss and low groan come from behind him. "Blaine," Kurt sighed, tears threatening to well up. He knew what that noise was about. "I'm so sorry," he said and rushed back to the bed to help Blaine sit up.
"I'm fine, love," Blaine assured his soulmate after he was sitting. "I promise. It's been...a while since I've done that. So, that, coupled with your size...I'm just going to have to take it slow until I get my sex-legs back under me. But, please, please don't apologize anymore. That was...it was...god Kurt, I don't even know how to describe how amazing that was for me."
Kurt could see the sincerity in Blaine's eyes. "Alright. I won't apologize anymore." He kissed Blaine's temple. "How about this? I will draw you a bath in the jacuzzi tub then go fix lunch-er," he said with a wink at their new word. "That way the warmth can help ease the soreness, and you won't have to worry about standing around for too long cooking."
"That actually sounds heavenly," Blaine said. "You're sure you don't mind cooking all by yourself?"
"I don't mind at all," Kurt answered. "Are you in the mood for anything in particular?"
"Maybe some chicken? And pasta of some sort?" Blaine replied. "Honestly, whatever you cook will be amazing."
"I can work with that," Kurt said, mentally running over the ingredients he had seen in the kitchen. "Let me go run your bath, okay?"
"Okay," Blaine answered and puckered his lips, begging for a kiss.
Kurt obliged him. "Goof," he teased and proceeded to the bathroom to fill the jacuzzi tub for his very sore soulmate.
Once the bath was ready, Kurt went back into the bedroom to help Blaine. It was slow going, and Kurt struggled to not ask Blaine if he was alright after ever step. He trusted that if he were in too much pain, Blaine would tell him. When Blaine was finally in the tub and the jets were going, he moaned softly, his body instantly relaxing at how much better it all felt.
"Feel good?" Kurt asked, unsure if the warmth and jets felt soothing or if it all was making Blaine feel too good.
"So good," Blaine moaned again. "And no, not that kind of good either." He could sense his soulmate's undertones.
"Alright," Kurt said. "I'm going to go down and get started on lunch-er. I'll be back in a little bit to see if you need any help getting out of the tub, okay, sweetheart?"
"Okay, baby," Blaine answered, eyes closed, puckering up his lips again.
Kurt bestowed him with another kiss then went downstairs to fix their meal. He decided on a simple menu of baked chicken and a side of very cheesy baked rigatoni. They would also have a small side salad and gelato for dessert, too. It took Kurt about 20 minutes to get everything together and in the oven. He decided he could get the salad fixings ready after he checked on Blaine. Despite knowing he was fine, Kurt felt an overwhelming urge to still check on him.
When he arrived back upstairs, Blaine had already gotten out of the tub and was in his bedroom, getting clothes on very slowly. Or, attempting to put his clothes on.
"Why didn't you call for help?" Kurt said, kneeling down in front of Blaine to help him with his boxer briefs and pants.
"I didn't want to bother you, and it wasn't so bad when I first got out," Blaine answered. He had always thought he would hate having someone dress him, but with Kurt, it just felt like another layer of comfort and trust. "Bending down, though...that's a whole other ballgame."
"Do you want any socks or shoes?" Kurt asked after helping Blaine stand up and pull up his pants. He had opted for a pair of Walton sweatpants and a t-shirt, wanting to be as comfortable as possible this evening.
"No, thank you," Blaine answered. "I like to be barefoot or in sandals as much as I can. I honestly hate wearing socks, no matter the weather or temperature."
"I'm not sure why, but that makes perfect sense for you," Kurt chuckled. He would usually not ever condone not wearing socks. But, for some reason, he could see it totally working for Blaine.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Blaine said.
"You should," Kurt answered and kissed Blaine sweetly on the lips. He dove in for another kiss, feeling like it has been way too long since they had kissed.
"Wow," Blaine said. "What was that for?"
"For you being you," Kurt said.
"I love you," Blaine said and kissed Kurt again.
"I love you, too," Kurt said after their kiss broke. "Let's get downstairs and get you comfortable so I can finish up our meal."
"It smells delicious, whatever it is," Blaine said as they walked down the stairs. Well, it was more like shuffling. Poor Blaine had to take the stairs one at a time, one hand on the railing and the other one being steadied by Kurt.
"Thank you," Kurt said. "We might have to sleep in the downstairs bedroom tonight depending on how he's feeling later," he thought, noting the slow pace they were taking and the winces every so many steps.
Kurt helped Blaine get settled in one of the dining room chairs, having grabbed a pillow from the living room for Blaine to sit on after he put everything in the oven. They chatted about their Christmas traditions while Kurt finished up the salad. Blaine talked about how he and his dad always watched It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas night before going to bed, and Kurt talked about how he and his dad carried on the tradition of baking cookies on Christmas Eve after his mother passed away. They both kept this information in the back of their minds; their futures were sure to be intertwined, and neither one wanted to forget.
Their meal was perfect, and Blaine complimented Kurt with each new thing he tried. They both decided they loved the domestic feelings they got from cooking for one another. They loved the ease of their conversation and just how naturally everything seemed to come to them. Blaine loved having Kurt take care of him, and Kurt found a great deal of satisfaction taking care of Blaine. Kurt cleaned up after the meal, much to Blaine's protesting.
"You can clean up tomorrow," Kurt said finally, after listening to Blaine lament not being able to help him several times. "Deal?"
"Okay," Blaine conceded, knowing that he wasn't going to win this one.
After everything was cleaned up, Kurt asked what Blaine wanted to do. He suggested going into the living room and building a fire, mainly for the ambiance. He also maybe wanted to do it for the warmth a little bit. There had been something that had been in the back of Blaine's mind all day, and he wanted to talk to Kurt about it.
When the fire was going, and the boys were cuddled together on the sofa, Blaine asked, "Is now an okay time to ask what you and Santana were fighting about this morning?"
"Well," Kurt started, "it was about you actually. Well, no, that's not true. It was about me telling her I wanted to ask you to move in with me. And then, she flew off the fucking handle, telling me it was too soon, and we hadn't known each other long enough. And I know what she's thinking and what she didn't say. She wants to make sure you're a good guy. Which I appreciate. I really do. She's just very protective of me and doesn't want someone to take advantage of me. I have a lot of money. I'm not sure if I told you that or not. And there have been guys out there who wanted to date me, because—"
Blaine cutting him off with a deep kiss surprised Kurt. "I've been rambling. Shit," he thought as he kissed Blaine. Then, he thought about everything he had just said, and he tensed. "I just told him that I want him to move in with me. Fuck. Wait…he's kissing me and not telling me I'm crazy. Maybe he wants it too?"
"Wait," Kurt said, disconnecting from Blaine with a gentle push against his chest. "You're kissing me."
"Well, I was," Blaine snarked.
"No, what I mean is—"
"I know what you're probably thinking," Blaine said, feeling like this soulmate thing was really going into overdrive now. "Hmm, I'll have to remember to talk about that with him later," he thought. "You're thinking that I was going to freak out because of what you said, and obviously, I'm not. I've been thinking about it, too, moving in together. And after our talk earlier about going at a speed that works for us, I was going to bring it up before we left. You just beat me to it."
"Number one," Kurt started, "do you think it's the soulmate thing that is helping us to read each other so easily? Number two, you've really been thinking about it?"
Blaine chuckled a little. "I was just thinking that same thing, about the soulmate bond and helping deepen our connection, I mean. So, the answer to number one is yes. I do think that's a huge part of it. I think another part is just us getting to know each other better outside of our dreams. The answer to number two is another yes. I was thinking about it in the bathtub, actually. The time we've spent together has been amazing, and I'm nowhere near ready to be without you all of the time."
"You. Are. Amazing!" Kurt said, and then they lost themselves in a kiss for what seemed like hours. In reality, it was only about 10 minutes later that they were panting for air. They both decided to cool off, knowing that things wouldn't lead any further than kissing tonight given how sore Blaine was.
"I guess the next question is," Blaine began, "do we want to live at your place, my place, or find somewhere else altogether?"
"Let's wait until we get back to make that decision," Kurt offered. "That way, we can see each other's apartments and see if either of them feels right. If they do, we choose that one. If they don't, we find some place that does."
"That sounds perfect, love," Blaine said.
The boys spent the next hour sitting in front of the fireplace, sharing lazy kisses, and just enjoying each other's company. They thought about their future and all of the possibilities that lay in front of them.
Kurt offered to have them sleep downstairs so Blaine wouldn't have to climb back up. By the time it was ready to go bed, though, Blaine was feeling a little better and not as sore, so they opted to go upstairs to sleep in Kurt's room again. It was still relatively early for sleep, especially after their nap, so they lay in bed and talked about whatever came to their minds until they fell asleep, entwined in each other's limbs.
That night, in their dreams, they revisited some of their favorite childhood Christmases. Kurt kind of met Adrian that night, and Blaine kind of met Lizzy. Both boys loved seeing the other's Christmas traditions in action. There were a few tears shed by both of them, but they were happy tears at having those memories, instead of sad tears at what they had lost.