Day 10: Transparent

Blaine swirled the ice in his glass, nursing his cocktail as he stood to one side of the room. He surveyed the crowd disinterestedly, passing the time more than anything. As much as he enjoyed a good Christmas party, he felt a bit out of place at this one. After a couple of conversations with strangers that fizzled quickly, he had decided to be a wallflower for little while.

Tonight was a big deal for Kurt. It wasn't every day that an intern received an invite to the most posh holiday party of the year. He'd helped Isabelle plan the party for weeks, mostly doing low-level errands and such, but he had never expected an invitation. Isabelle had stolen him away "just for a second," promising to return him to Blaine right away. Checking his watch, Blaine saw that he'd been alone for about twenty minutes or so.

It wasn't all bad, of course. He was naturally optimistic and could see the good in most situations. While standing by himself in a room full of New York's fashion elite wasn't his first choice of how to spend the evening, there were positive things. The music was excellent. The space was elegantly decorated for the holiday season, a mixture of traditional and modern elements that sparkled and shined. The people weren't unpleasant or rude – he'd been asked to dance a couple of times, and he was pretty sure an elderly socialite had attempted to proposition him. However, only one man would ever have a spot on his dance card.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Speak of the devil. Kurt sidled up to him, brushing their shoulders and lightly kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long. Isabelle insisted on introducing me to some up-and-coming designers, and they wouldn't stop talking."

"No problem. I've been having fun here," Blaine answered, a little too brightly.

Kurt stepped in front of Blaine and eyed him suspiciously. Blaine smiled reassuringly.

"Okay," Kurt said, taking Blaine's glass and setting it on a bus tray nearby. "Let's get out of here, huh?"

"No, Kurt, we don't have to leave," Blaine protested, taking Kurt's elbow as he started to step away. "It's early yet. We can stay and mingle some more."

"Blaine," Kurt chided affectionately, fiddling with Blaine's bowtie, "You're miserable, and I'd much rather be with you somewhere that you aren't miserable."

"Am I that transparent?" Blaine bit his lip sheepishly.

Kurt chuckled. "Adorably so." He leaned forward and kissed Blaine on the nose. "To be honest, I feel a bit like a fish out of water myself." He slipped his arms around Blaine's waist to hug him. "Thank you for coming with me tonight. I know you don't know anyone here, and a lot of them can be kind of snobby to people they consider outsiders. I didn't mean to leave you on your own for so long and I truly am sorry about that."

"It's fine," Blaine began, but was cut off when Kurt kissed him.

"No, it's not, but thank you for not being mad. Come on," he said, taking Blaine's arm and walking with him towards the exit.

Fancy parties were nice, and Kurt and Blaine would attend plenty in the years to come, but this night, splitting a burger and fries at a diner in their tuxedos, laughing and talking the night away – this was a night they'd never forget.