A/N: Happy Holiday to all of you! I wanted to participate in the 2021 Klaine Advent Challenge, but life continues to be challenging for me at the moment, and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up posting daily. I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish at all, as a matter of fact. So, to remove any self-imposed pressure, I decided not to post unless and until I filled all of the prompts. It took a little extra time, but I got there. My offering is late, but no less heartfelt for its tardiness. I hope you all enjoy my belated Christmas gift.

Day 1: Silence

Blaine stirred, uncertain of his surroundings for that split second between being asleep and awake before remembering that he wasn't in his own bed. He and Kurt were spending this Christmas back in Ohio, and as he blinked his eyes in the darkness, he began to make out the familiar shapes of the furniture and objects of Kurt's bedroom at the Hudmel house. He smirked to himself, thinking of how many times teenaged Blaine Anderson had dared to fantasize about waking up in Kurt Hummel's bed.

Speaking of his husband… Blaine turned and found Kurt's side of the bed empty, the sheets cool. A quick glance at the clock showed it was still the middle of the night. Concerned, he tossed back the blanket, shuddering at the sudden chill. Donning a robe over his pajamas and sliding his feet into the slippers he'd left beside the bed, he padded quietly to the door, trying to avoid stepping on any squeaky floorboards so as not to wake the rest of the house. He paused at the door and then doubled back to retrieve something from the pocket of his overnight bag before heading out of the room to find his sleepless mate.

As expected, Kurt was in the kitchen, gazing out the sliding glass door at the back yard which was covered with a blanket of newly-fallen snow. Blaine approached quietly, but purposefully made just enough noise to alert Kurt to his presence. Their eyes met in the reflection of the glass, and Blaine could see a small but warm smile form in acknowledgement of his arrival.

"Hey," Blaine murmured, sidling up to Kurt.

"Hey," Kurt returned, settling back against Blaine and taking the hand that slid around his waist.

"Everything okay?" Blaine inquired gently.

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep," Kurt replied. He paused, tipping his head back slightly to rest on Blaine's shoulder. "It's too quiet."

Blaine huffed out a laugh. They'd become New Yorkers through and through, accustomed to traffic noise and sirens and trash trucks in the middle of the night. It was a far cry from small-town Ohio.

"The proverbial deafening silence," Blaine offered.

"Exactly," Kurt agreed. "I should take advantage of the quiet while I have it, though. It'll be loud enough tomorrow with everyone here." The Hudmel house would be full this Christmas Day, and Kurt and Blaine knew how lucky they were to be a part of it.

Blaine held him a little tighter, drinking in the peaceful moment. "Would it help if I gave you one of your presents early?" he whispered in Kurt's ear.

"Yes, because presents make great sleep aids. I can't count the number of times I've opened a gift and then taken a nap," Kurt sassed, not unkindly.

"Kurt, just open the box," Blaine instructed. He produced from his pocket a small red box topped with a gold bow and held it in front of Kurt. The tiny gasp Kurt made let Blaine know that Kurt recognized it instantly.

Blaine released Kurt as he turned to face him. Kurt looked at Blaine questioningly. "Go on. Open it," Blaine encouraged him with a soft smile.

Kurt pried the box open and bit his lip to hold back the instantaneous impulse to cry. "Blaine," he breathed. "Where? How did you…?"

Nestled securely in the box was an item Kurt hadn't seen in years – a bowtie-shaped ring fashioned from gum wrappers. Of course he'd kept it, even through breakups and heartache, but like so many things from his high school years, it had been ages since it had seen the light of day.

"I was rearranging some boxes in the closet and one of them tipped over – this was on top," Blaine explained. "You know, it's been ten years since I gave this to you?"

Kurt's lips turned up at the corners, his eyes still shining with unshed tears as he gazed at the technically valueless trinket in his hand. "Ten years," he echoed.

"I made a lot of promises that day," Blaine went on, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "I wasn't always very good at keeping them."

"You kept all of them," Kurt countered, his voice breaking slightly.

Blaine ducked his head sheepishly. They'd long since gotten past the transgressions of their youth, but with a tangible reminder of the past right in front of him, it was hard not to recall some of the more painful moments, too. "Well," he said lightly, shrugging a shoulder, "who even remembers exactly what I…"

"You promised, 'To always love you, to defend you even if I know you're wrong, to surprise you, to always pick up your phone call no matter what I'm doing, to bake you cookies at least twice a year, and to kiss you whenever and wherever you want,'" Kurt recited. "And you have. Even in the worst of times, you always loved me. You've always defended me, and you surprise me each and every single day. I have no idea what your outgoing voicemail message sounds like because you always answer my call. There is a box of cookies in your suitcase that you brought for me, separate from all the other Christmas cookies we brought for the family." Kurt closed the ring box and looped his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine's arms encircled Kurt's waist as their lips met in a gentle kiss. "And you still kiss me whenever and wherever I want," Kurt murmured.

"How do you remember all that?" Kurt was no longer the only one with tears in his eyes. Blaine stared at him with awe and love.

Kurt smiled, pulling Blaine close and holding him tightly. "I'll never forget. I promise."