Day 13: Arrow

A/N: Set during S2 Ep10, A Very Glee Christmas.

One of Kurt's many talents was his impeccable taste in selecting gifts for others. He was possessed of an innate ability to find the perfect present – even if the recipient didn't realize it at first. It was no wonder that Mr. Schuester drove all the way to Dalton from McKinley to seek out his gift-giving advice.

This gift for gift-giving made it all the more infuriating, then, when he could not figure out what to buy for Blaine. While they had only known one another for a short time, Kurt considered Blaine a true friend, and wanted to get him something special as a "thank you" for being so kind and wonderful to him.

It wasn't like Kurt didn't have ideas. A gift card? Too impersonal. A book or a movie? He didn't really know Blaine's taste in either yet. A romantic dinner for two at Westerville's nicest restaurant? In his dreams, perhaps.

He headed to the mall in one last-ditch effort to find the right present, vowing not to leave empty-handed. As he moved from shop to shop, window to window, he questioned why he'd even come. It wasn't like he hadn't already tried going to a mall for inspiration. What was he expecting, a giant neon sign in the shape of an arrow pointing to an item as if to say, "This is it!"

With sore feet and a dejected spirit, Kurt slowly walked toward the exit. It was no use after all. Maybe the whole idea had been a mistake. With his head hung low, he realized that his shoe had come untied. He stepped to the side and knelt down to re-tie it.

Huh. Tie.

Tightening the knot in his lace, he stood up and found himself in front of Brooks Brothers. In the window was a display of a variety of ties, including a rather dapper-looking bow tie. The colors were similar to those of the Dalton blazer – a navy blue background with a red stripe. There was also a finer white stripe alongside the red that added a bit of depth to the design.

Kurt had never seen Blaine in a bow tie before. To be fair, he'd only ever seen Blaine in his Dalton uniform during school hours or Dalton gym sweats after hours, so he truly had no idea of Blaine's personal style. Still, something about the bow tie called to Kurt. It felt like Blaine: classic, dapper, a bit cheeky, and a little unexpected.

It was perfect.

As always, Kurt's gift was a hit. Blaine loved it, declaring he'd never owned a bow tie before, but had feeling it would be the first of many.

Over the years, Blaine acquired and wore a lot of bow ties. Any time Kurt would tease him about it, Blaine's response was always the same: "You started it." Kurt couldn't argue with that. The navy tie with the red and white stripe remained a favorite that appeared on special occasions, including the day Blaine proposed.

Kurt really did pick out the best gifts. Sometimes, he got even better ones in return.

A/N: Yes, I know that canon includes a flashback of young Blaine in a bowtie, but I chose to ignore it for my own selfish purposes.