Kurt was exhausted, reaching up to rub his eyes. Rehearsals were in overdrive in preparation for their opening night coming up and Oliver had decided that sleep was for the weak. While Blaine and Kurt tried to switch off nights, get some sleep while the other dealt with their kids, they both had a hard time sleeping when the other wasn't in bed and they simply couldn't sleep when their child was crying.
He opened the front door of their home, stepping inside and starting to pull off his outerwear. It wasn't quite cold enough to snow but it was still enough for a coat and gloves considering it was already dark by the time Kurt was getting home. His schedule would be less frantic once the show actually started and he couldn't wait, wanting more chances to be at home with Blaine and their kids.
"Honey, I'm home," Kurt called out in a playful tone, yawning as he set his gloves down next to the door.
There was a loud bump from the living room and Kurt frowned as he toed out of his shoes.
"Don't come in here!" Blaine yelled, voice high-pitched and… fearful?
Was it fear that Kurt heard in his husband's voice? He felt his heart start pounding, concern weaving through his tired bones as he carefully headed towards the living room. Was there something wrong with Audrey or Oliver? Surely Blaine would've called him… unless something had just happened?
"I hear your footsteps, stop!"
Kurt snorted, knowing there was no way his husband actually thought Kurt would stop right then. Blaine knew him better than that. Feeling nervous, Kurt peeked his head around the doorway and froze for a moment before stepping fully into the room.
"What the…?"
Blaine pressed his lips together, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and that had been what Kurt had heard in his tone. They rarely got embarrassed around each other anymore. They'd been together too long, seen each other in too many uncomfortable moments. Every step in their relationship, living together, being engaged, getting married, having kids, had presented new experiences and they'd learned to go with the flow.
This moment, though… Oliver was in his baby swing, babbling away with his little fists in the air. Blaine stood, as if in shock, just a few inches away from Audrey, hands held out towards her. And Audrey was grinning at Kurt from the middle of the living room, tinsel wrapped around her completely. Tinsel that had previously been wrapped around the Christmas tree. The Christmas tree that had previously been standing next to the window and was now laying on its side, shattered ornaments all around it, lights still blinking.
"Hi, Daddy! I Christmas!" Audrey said, twirling a bit as Blaine groaned, reaching down to grab her before she could lose her balance and fall onto broken glass.
"I told you to stop moving, Audrey," Blaine told her, lifting her up into his arms, tinsel trailing behind them as Blaine tentatively moved through the living room towards where Kurt was standing.
Kurt could only stare at them, at Blaine's crimson cheeks, at Audrey's self-satisfied smile, before his lips were twitching, laughter threatening to erupt from him. "Hi, Audrey. Care to share what happened?"
Huffing out a breath, Blaine held out Audrey and Kurt obediently took her, resting her on his hip. She seemed only too happy to be passed off to Kurt, resting her head on his shoulder as he pressed a kiss to her hair.
"From what I've gathered, she wanted to dress up like Christmas. I thought that meant with her Christmas nightgown. I told her that was fine and went to pick up Oliver so we could go upstairs and…" Blaine gestured towards the Christmas tree, sighing as he stepped carefully over the glass to pick up the baby, still gurgling in his swing.
It was Blaine's careful steps that made Kurt lose it, having to reach a hand up to steady Audrey, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Blaine let out a groan that just made Kurt laugh harder, hearing Audrey start to giggle just because he was. He leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, straightening up and laughing again when he saw Blaine's petulant expression.
"Kurt, stop. It's really not that funny," Blaine whined although Kurt could see the way that his lips were threatening to turn up into a smile of his own. "We spent hours decorating."
Kurt shrugged, holding out a hand and helping Blaine the rest of the way across the living room floor, stepping forward to press a quick kiss to the corner of his husband's lips. "We knew the tree coming down was a possibility. That's why we hid all of our nice breakable ornaments and put these ones on. Although, maybe we should've gone for plastic. Besides, this makes up for the time that you came home to find the entire kitchen covered in finger paint."
Blaine let himself smile at that, shifting Oliver a little bit in his arms so he could wrap his arm around Kurt's waist. "Okay, you're right. That was pretty bad. Not quite as destructive since it washed off pretty easily but… bad," Blaine said, shaking his head as he reached out his free hand to begin unwrapping the tinsel from Audrey, as much as he could with her still in Kurt's arms.
"Let's go upstairs. Audrey, do you want to wear one of your Christmas nightgowns?" Kurt asked, glancing at Blaine but having to look away so he wouldn't laugh again.
His husband's cheeks were still tinted pink.
Audrey shook her head, reaching out to grab the tinsel that Blaine was starting to pull off her. "No. Christmas!"
"You can't wear the tinsel to bed. But maybe Daddy can make you a dress that's shiny like tinsel. How about that?"
Audrey nodded, although Kurt didn't think she fully understood what he was saying. It was just as well and Kurt mentally put it on his list as he headed towards the stairs. Blaine followed behind them and Kurt gave his hips a little shake, hearing the chuckle that followed behind him.
They had their nighttime routine down to an art, both of them always home before bedtime every night. Neither of them wanted to miss their goodnights or leave the other parent to have to put both children to bed. Kurt gave Audrey a bath while Blaine changed Oliver into his pajamas before they reconvened to lay Oliver down together.
Ever since they'd had their son, Audrey had wanted to be as involved as she possibly could. She kissed his forehead along with both of them and tucked his covers around him. Kurt lifted her up so Blaine could resituate Oliver and then they both tucked their daughter in. It was nice, simple, and Kurt turned the Christmas themed nightlight on in her room before they left, a Christmas tree reflected on her wall.
Although Kurt wanted nothing more than to go to bed, he wasn't going to leave Blaine to clean up the mess so Kurt changed into pajamas before meeting him back in the living room.
"I feel ridiculous," Blaine muttered as he picked up some of the bigger pieces of glass.
Kurt chuckled, holding out his hand so his husband would get the hint and stand up with him. Although they'd turned off the lights on the tree, lights were still flashing outside and Kurt pulled Blaine close, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. "You look ridiculous," Kurt confirmed playfully, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. "Hi. How was your day? Other than the end, of course."
Blaine shook his head, letting his head fall forward to bury his face in Kurt's neck, body becoming a little heavier in Kurt's hold. Kurt shifted so he could hold onto Blaine's weight, swaying them slightly. "It was fine. Audrey's preschool is doing a Christmas concert, I'll give you the day, it's in the afternoon so you should be able to attend, and she's been singing Deck the Halls for the past 12 hours. I never want to hear it again."
"Does that mean I should start singing it now?"
"I'd prefer you didn't," Blaine said although Kurt could feel him smile against his skin.
"'Tis the season," Kurt began singing, laughing when Blaine poked him in the side, right where Blaine knew he was ticklish.
When Kurt kept singing, Blaine just smiled, lifting up his head to cut Kurt off with a kiss.
Kurt was more than fine with that. When he was a teenager, he would've thought a night like this was a disaster. But kissing Blaine with broken Christmas ornaments around them, a fallen over Christmas tree, tinsel scattered, exhausted beyond belief, felt like just another memory he'd look back on someday and smile.