Author's Note:

Yes, a new chapter at last! This one is quite a bit longer than the previous ones, because it spans several days - I was eager to get to the New Year's Eve party :-) Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Christmas and New Year's Eve

When Kurt noticed Blaine panicking, he came to the rescue at once. Before Blaine knew it, he was in Kurt's comfy bed and snug in his embrace, listening to his fake boyfriend inventing the story of how they met. It sounded pretty convincing to Blaine, and he admired Kurt for being able to make that up on the fly.

He ducked his head and blushed when Kurt off-handedly complimented his smile and called it crush-worthy, thinking, but not saying, that Kurt's smile made his heart leap as well.

As the story progressed, he found himself wishing more and more that it had all truly happened this way. If it had, then he wouldn't be feeling so much like an impostor now, deceiving good people like Burt and Carole.

Still, when Kurt mentioned he didn't regret inviting Blaine, he was quick to agree. Best thing that ever happened, in Blaine's book.

He currently had his eyes closed in bliss because Kurt was giving him a head rub, and that felt amazing. It was a bit hard to keep focusing on what Kurt was saying, but Blaine managed to give an enthusiastic "Yes" to seeing each other again in New York.

If I play my cards right, we might end up boyfriends for real…

Kurt's hands disappeared from Blaine's hair, and Blaine suppressed a whine.

Oh, don't stop! Why did you stop? Oh, you're tired. Yeah, me too.

They both turned onto their side to sleep, but Blaine could feel Kurt shiver. Well, that wouldn't do if Blaine was here to warm Kurt up! And no, that was not just him wanting to get his cuddle on, of course not…

With Kurt in his arms, Blaine felt blissfully happy, and he couldn't resist sneaking a tiny kiss on Kurt's neck before he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, their positions had shifted. Now Blaine was draped half over Kurt's torso, and Kurt was lying on his back, and snoring. That was what woke him up, Blaine realized. It was still quite early, even by a morning person's standards, but he wouldn't get any more sleep unless he could somehow shift Kurt into another position.

He decided to use the bathroom first, and then try to roll Kurt onto his side again. When he got up, Kurt stirred awake at once and made a protesting noise.

Oh. He's probably cold again. Okay, I'll hurry back, sweetie!

By the time Blaine got back, Kurt had turned onto his side all by himself. He was curled up into a ball and had wrapped the duvet around him.

"Stealing all the covers, huh?" Blaine murmured, amused, and tugged at the duvet to get underneath again.

Kurt shivered and tugged at it too, but Blaine quickly slipped into bed, spooning him again. That led to more unhappy mumbling and trembling, probably because Blaine felt cold to Kurt now, but their cocoon warmed up again soon enough, and Kurt quieted and stilled.

Blaine breathed in Kurt's scent and ever so softly rubbed his thumb over Kurt's hand.

How was it possible that two days ago, he didn't even know this man, and in such a short time, he'd become Blaine's whole world?

Blaine knew he had a history of falling too fast and too deep, and that it had never led to a happy ending. He also knew that there was no guarantee things would work out for him this time around. Still, he was going to bask in this moment. Now that everyone in the house was asleep and no-one would ever know about this but him, he could be as foolish as he liked.

So he took Kurt's hand, careful not to disturb him, and kissed it, whispering, "I love you."

Then he tucked it back under his own, let out a deep sigh, and sank into sweet oblivion again.

A smell of something sweet and enticing woke him up several hours later. Kurt's spot in bed was cold and empty, so he must have gone downstairs a while ago.

Blaine rubbed his eyes and stretched, and then got dressed as fast as he could to locate the source of that delectable smell, knowing that if he dawdled Finn would have eaten it all by the time he arrived.

In the kitchen, Carole came and hugged him, wishing him a merry Christmas, and she told him that she was making French bread. "Go sit down, sweetie, I'll have some for you in a minute."

The French bread didn't account for the alluring smell, so he searched the kitchen for something else, and aha, Kurt was taking something out of the oven. A Christstollen, he called it.

"It's a sweet bread containing dried fruit, nuts and orange zest, and with almond paste in the middle," Kurt explained. "It's an old family recipe. From my great-grandmother's cookbook."

"Granny Eileen?"

Kurt shook his head. "Oma Annalise. From my father's side. This is a German recipe. Granny Eileen was Irish."

"I like that you still make those family recipes. We've got those too. When I visited family in the Philippines the year I turned sixteen, we had lechon instead of turkey for Christmas. That's roasted pork. So tender, and so good. And bibingka for dessert. It's a coconut rice cake."

Kurt cocked his head to the side. "That rice cake sounds lovely. If you want to make it, tell me what ingredients you need and I'll find them for you."

Kurt brought the Christstollen to the table. Finn took his knife, meaning to cut off a slice, but Kurt told him to wait. "Let it cool down a bit or it won't slice right. Eat your French… Oh, you already did that. Well, have some fruit while you wait."

Carole slid the promised French bread onto Blaine's plate, and Blaine stopped chuckling at Finn's disgruntled expression and ate.

The French bread was delicious, and the Christstollen was as yummy as it smelled.

After breakfast, Finn announced that it was time for the presents. Blaine felt awkward and wanted to disappear to Kurt's room, but Kurt steered him to the Christmas tree and whispered, "Nobody cares you haven't brought presents."

That reminded Blaine of what was in his suitcase. "Oh, but I do, actually. They were meant for my parents and brother, but seeing as they're not here… Wait a sec!"

He fetched the presents and added them under the tree. For his brother, he'd bought several gifts, most of them silly things that he thought Cooper would enjoy. One of them seemed like something Kurt would find useful. The others would work great for Finn. And he was quite sure that what he'd chosen for his mom and dad would be suitable for Carole and Burt.

Pleased as Punch, he sat on his heels and waited for his turn to hand out presents.

To his great surprise, he received presents as well. Not from Finn, who shrugged and told him he hadn't counted on Kurt bringing someone home, but both Kurt and his parents handed him a gift bag.

Kurt's bag contained an assortment of bowties, beautiful and unique.

"They used to be mine, but I've barely worn them," said Kurt. "I prefer ascots."

Blaine kissed Kurt's cheek. "These are perfect. Thank you!"

Burt and Carole's gift was a book of cookie recipes and some Christmas-themed cookie cutters.

"Because I could tell you enjoyed making cookies with Kurt," Carole explained.

Blaine's presents got a good reception, too.

Kurt loved his unicorn yoga mat, and the pizza socks and Friends bowl Finn got made him laugh. Blaine praised himself lucky that he'd chosen "my brother" to be printed on the bowl instead of Cooper's name. Finn wasn't his brother (yet), but it could be brother in the spirit of friendship, right?

Carole thanked Blaine for the adult coloring book she got, and Burt grinned happily at the chiller pint glasses Blaine had given him.

While Blaine was picking up some discarded wrapping paper and Finn was predictably complaining that he was still hungry, it struck him how much he felt like part of the family, and how much he liked all of the Hudmels. He hoped they would react well when he and Kurt would come clean about him not being Kurt's boyfriend.

"Everything okay?" Kurt whispered, stroking his back. "Missing your family?"

Blaine sent him a brilliant smile. "No, I'm fine. Really. Can I make my bibingka dessert?"

K&B

The next morning, Kurt was up at the crack of dawn for the Black Friday sales. Blaine spent several hours with him at the local mall. Clearly, Kurt had a nose for bargains, and loved buying clothes not just for himself but for his family too.

"This would be perfect for my dad, but it's too big," Kurt told Blaine. "Could you find me one two sizes smaller?"

So Blaine rummaged through the bargain bin until he found Burt's size.

By that time, Kurt had moved to the women's section and was comparing two sweaters. "What do you think, sweetie? Which one goes best with Carole's eyes?"

Kurt made Blaine try on tons of clothes as well, and had very firm opinions on what could be combined and what couldn't. "Really, Blaine? You want to pair a green shirt with a pink bowtie? No. Just. No."

They arrived back home with lots of bags, and then headed straight to the kitchen to help prepare a festive meal for Finn's girlfriend.

Cathy was tiny and sweet and shy, and according to Kurt, nothing like Finn's previous girlfriends, who had all been loud bossy nightmares.

"Let's hope this one will stick," he whispered to Blaine. "I really like her."

Kurt and Cathy certainly got on like a house on fire, discovering they both liked to design and sew clothes, and getting into an enthusiastic discussion that was way too technical for Blaine to follow.

When Kurt broached the topic of the New Year's Eve party, though, Cathy shrank back in her seat.

"We're looking forward to it, don't we, Cathy?" said Finn, putting his arm around her. She smiled up at him tentatively and didn't answer.

"I'm new too," Blaine told her. "And I'm dreading the crossfire examination from Kurt's friends. I bet you are, too."

Cathy giggled and nodded.

"We'll stick together, you and I," Blaine promised. "Okay?"

"I'd like that."

K&B

When New Year's Eve arrived, Kurt barred Blaine from his room after dinner to get ready for the party, which was par for the course, according to Finn, who was sitting on the sofa with Cathy and Carole, watching While You Were Sleeping.

"He'll be in there four hours, trying on hundreds of outfits, and he'll only stop when I tell him it's way past time to leave."

"But why?" said Blaine, genuinely puzzled. "He always looks stunning, whatever he wears."

Finn shrugged. "Dunno."

Carole laughed. "I guess he wants to be better dressed than anyone else, and wow everyone."

That made Blaine feel a bit apprehensive about his own sartorial choices.

"Do I look okay, you think?" Blaine asked, twirling around so they could see his party clothes from all sides.

"You look very handsome," Cathy reassured him. "That sweater brings out the green in your eyes. And the bowtie is a nice touch."

"Preppy chic," Burt said, looking up from his newspaper.

"Don't worry about it, man," Finn added. "Sit down and watch the movie, you're small enough to squeeze in with us."

Kurt still hadn't come down by the time the movie ended, and Finn mumbled, "This is ridiculous", and went to yell up the staircase, "We're leaving! Last chance if you wanna come with!"

They heard something fall, and then a curse. The door to Kurt's room opened a sliver, and Kurt yelled, "Five more minutes. Tops!"

Finn shook his head and yelled back, "You're getting one more minute, and I'm timing it!"

"Put your coats and shoes on," he whispered to Cathy and Blaine, pulling his own coat off the hook. "We've been ready to leave for ages, got it?"

Cathy giggled.

Blaine was still working on the last buttons of his peacoat when Finn started a countdown, in a booming voice.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Well, looks like Kurt isn't coming along to the party. Let's go, folks!"

A door burst open, and Kurt came hurrying down the stairs. "Finnegan Hudson, don't you dare leave without me!"

"Don't keep us waiting, then!"

Blaine, who'd been chuckling at the brotherly squabbling, took a good look at Kurt and froze mid-chuckle.

Oh wow.

Kurt was wearing very tight black jeans, a white shirt that accentuated his biceps and over it a silvery grey waistcoat with intricate detailing that shimmered and sparkled. He'd teased his hair higher than Blaine had ever seen it, and was that… Was he actually wearing eyeliner?

Blaine's jaw dropped to the floor.

That is so hot!

"You like?" Kurt asked him with a flirty smile and a wink, and wow, that made Blaine almost swallow his tongue.

He opened his mouth a few times and tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"I think you broke him," Cathy laughed.

"Good," Kurt nodded, selecting a coat to wear.

That galvanized Blaine into action. He was quick to take over the coat and hold it for Kurt to slip his arms in.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"Such a gentleman," Cathy whispered.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Okay, now can we leave?"

"Yes, yes, Mr Grumps," said Kurt, hooking his arm through Blaine's and opening the front door.

Burt's booming voice startled Blaine. "Don't come home too late!"

"We won't," said Kurt and Finn in perfect unison.

"Don't drink too much!"

"We won't."

"Be quiet when you get back home!"

"We will."

"And don't you break up and sulk the rest of your vacation!"

"Oh, Burt, stop it!" said Carole, exasperated. "They're all grown up, and they're pretty sensible. Have a nice time, all of you!"

K&B

Rachel, apparently lived quite close by. They went on foot, because one time, Finn and Kurt had driven home after they'd been drinking, and ever since, Burt refused to let them use his car when they attended parties.

"Remind me to tell you the full story one day," Kurt whispered. "But long story short: Finn was designated driver that night and wasn't supposed to drink, only he got into a fight with his girlfriend at the time and then tried to drink his problems away. So in the end, I had to drive, after having had a beer. I've never seen my dad so angry."

Blaine looked aside at Kurt. "Well, to be fair, I bet he's seen a lot of mangled cars come in to be repaired and heard the stories behind them.

Kurt nodded, his expression grim. "Told me all the stories too. Which is why I don't mind walking, believe me."

The party seemed already in full swing when they arrived: lots of people, lots of booze, and lots of shouting to be heard over the loud music.

Finn spotted an old friend of his and hurried towards him without thinking of Cathy whatsoever. She bit her lip nervously, her eyes skittering around the room.

Blaine patted her arm. "Don't you worry, we'll stick with you, won't we, Kurt?'

But Kurt didn't hear, because he was now being accosted by a tiny brunette who seemed livid about something.

"Kurt!"

"Rachel."

"What's this I hear about you having a boyfriend? Why do I have to hear that from someone else and not from you? We're best friends! And roommates! You should have told me first!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Rach, honey, if you'd ever listen to me, you'd have known. But you never listen. Every time I try to talk to you, you either talk over me or you walk away. I've been trying to speak with you for the past three weeks. Every time, you don't let me get past 'Hey Rachel, can we talk for a minute?' And now you're blaming ME? Seriously?"

There were sniggers and a lot of nodding from people surrounding them.

Rachel deflated. "Oh. Oh! THAT was what you wanted to talk about? I thought you were going to complain that I don't do my fair share of the chores again. Or that I hadn't paid my part of the rent yet. Or that I had used up your tea bags without replacing them. Or… Well. Something unpleasant."

The sniggering intensified.

Kurt cocked his head to the side. "You know, Rachel, if you started behaving like a responsible adult, you wouldn't have to be scared I'd chew you out. You know that, right? You need to learn to clean up after yourself, 'cause there won't always be someone to pick up your slack. You need to learn to pay your bills first and treat yourself afterwards, 'cause you won't always have your fathers to bail you out. And you need to learn to ask before taking any of my stuff. Plus, of course, you have to replace what you took. That's a given. And don't blame this on being a spoilt only child. I am too, and I do none of that stuff. Grow. Up."

Rachel sighed. "Guess there was no avoiding that conversation. Okay. I'll try and be better about this."

Kurt mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Now can I meet your boyfriend?" asked Rachel, all perky and happy again.

Kurt smiled widely, and introduced Rachel to Blaine, and to Cathy for good measure.

Rachel's face fell when she heard Cathy was Finn's new girlfriend, but she was quick to plaster on a smile again and welcome both Blaine and Cathy to the party.

"Help yourself to drinks, and there's going to be karaoke later!"

Blaine grinned ear to ear when he heard that, and offered Cathy his arm to take her to the refreshments table.

"Be careful with anything alcoholic," Kurt warned. "Santana's appointed herself as bartender again. She likes to mix stuff, and it's always stronger than you'd think. Tastes fruity and delicious, but it's got a mean kick."

The woman behind the refreshments table looked up as they approached and smirked. "Well, if it isn't Lady Lips. And two newbies. Oh, don't look like that, I won't bite. Much."

"Santana. This is Blaine, my boyfriend, and Cathy, Finn's girlfriend."

Santana raked her eyes over Blaine and then raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Kurt. "Blaine, huh? Where did you find him, and why's he cuddled up to her instead of you?"

Kurt gave her an unimpressed look. "We don't have to be attached to the hip 24/7."

"And us newbies need to stick together," Blaine added, smiling at Cathy, who seemed stiff with nerves.

Santana shrugged. "What can I get you guys?"

She scoffed when they all asked for sodas, but turned around to pour out three cups of Diet Coke.

When Blaine took his first sip, he noticed she must have added something else to his cup as well.

"Did she add booze to your soda, too?" he asked Cathy and Kurt.

They both sniffed at their cups and nodded.

Kurt scowled and said, "I'll go get some soda cans from the fridge in the kitchen. I'll be right back."

Blaine took Cathy to an unoccupied love seat, where they both sat observing all the other people present. They weren't left alone for long, though.

A girl positioned herself in front of them, hands on her hips, and gave them both a thorough once-over.

"Soooo…" she slurred, pointing to each of them in turn, "You're the new boyfriend and girlfriend, right? Rachel's mad Finn brought you. Was hoping to "reconnect" with him, though she knew he was dating someone. But none of us knew Kurt was seeing anyone. I like his choice, though. I saw your booty when you came in. Very nice. Looks like it got baked to perfection by some sort of master chef."

Cathy smothered a giggle, and Blaine, a bit taken aback, managed no more than "Um, thanks?!" in answer.

"So how did you and Kurt meet?"

Blaine smiled. He could do this.

Halfway through his story, Kurt handed him a soda can, sat down on his lap, curling up against him, and continued the story seamlessly.

"That is sooooo… sweet," the girl sighed.

"What about you, Tina?" Kurt asked. "Still seeing Mike?"

Tina happily chattered away about her own relationship, and Blaine felt Cathy relax next to him. Of course. She must have been scared Tina would focus on her next. Thank heavens for Kurt leading the conversation elsewhere. Had he done that on purpose? It was probable. Kurt had the kindest heart of anyone Blaine had ever met, going out of his way to make people happy and comfortable.

Blaine was sure he was smiling soppily at Kurt, but he really didn't care. He was supposed to be his boyfriend, wasn't he? Might as well play the part.

He felt thirsty after talking so much to Tina, and drank deeply from his cup. As he did so, he grimaced. For a minute there, he'd forgotten there was alcohol in the mixture Santana had given him. A lot of alcohol. It was so strong it went straight to his head.

Uh-oh. Better put that cup away or I'll end up drunk in no time. Kurt gave me soda to drink, where did I put that can he gave me?

He set the cup on the coffee table and popped open the can.

Ah, much better!

Finn came to find Cathy then, pulling her up and putting his arm around her middle, excitedly telling her about all the people he wanted to introduce her to. She seemed apprehensive, but it took only a kiss on her cheek and a big lopsided smile from Finn to make her thaw and look up at him with heart-eyes.

She'll be okay, I think. I should keep an eye on her, just in case.

But then Rachel announced the karaoke was about to begin, and Blaine forgot about anything else.

"Kurt, will you sing with me?" he asked beseechingly.

Kurt, by now talking with a girl called Mercedes, looked up, startled. "What?"

"Can we sing a duet, please?" Blaine asked again.

Mercedes put her hand on her heart and aww'ed. "Yes, Kurt, go on! Rach! RACH! Let Kurt and Blaine sing a song together!"

Mercedes was loud enough to silence the entire room. Rachel looked a bit miffed at her request, clearly eager to sing herself, but Blaine sent her such a pleading look that she caved.

"Oh, all right. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our newest couple, Kurt and Blaine!"

Blaine beamed, helped Kurt gently off his lap and got up, immediately taking Kurt's hand. As they walked to the karaoke set-up together, Kurt hissed, "What on earth are we going to sing?"

Blaine shot him a quick glance, and found to his surprise that Kurt was ill at ease.

"Hey, what's the matter? You're studying at NYADA, I'm sure you're an excellent singer."

Kurt glared at him. "Of course I am."

"And I'm sure we can find a song we both know and like, right?"

"Yes, but who is singing which part? You can't just spring this on me!"

Blaine brought Kurt's hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Relax. It will be fine."

And it was. They chose "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", and got a nice round of applause for it. Rachel announced she wanted to sing with Blaine too, and he wouldn't have minded, but Kurt told her no, and tugged Blaine away from the stage and into a dark corner.

"Ooooh! Lady Lips wants to get his smooch on!" Santana drawled. "It's only a few minutes to midnight, boys, are you too horny to wait that long?"

"Oh, shove it," Kurt bit back. "Go kiss Britt and leave us alone!"

"Touchy, touchy," Santana tutted. "Careful, or I'll start thinking there's trouble in paradise…"

"What? No! It's just…"

Kurt's voice climbed two octaves in just those few words, and Blaine knew deep in his bones that Santana would latch onto the panic she heard and not let go. So he did the only thing he could think of to allay her suspicions: he grabbed Kurt's face and kissed him enthusiastically.