Blaine picked through the candy he and Kurt had bought for the kids' stockings, unwrapping a chocolate covered marshmallow and popping it into his mouth. "These taste like they've been sitting in a warehouse for three years," Blaine said as he dropped three into each stocking and then unwrapped another candy.
Kurt looked at him, completely unamused, before shaking his head and putting a pack of crayons in Oliver's stocking. "They probably have been. I can't believe you're eating that. We have fancy chocolates up in the bedroom," Kurt said, a pack of markers going into Audrey's stocking next.
"Yeah, but they don't have marshmallows in them." Blaine chewed on the chocolate, his nose wrinkling as he thought about how much it tasted like cardboard. He really didn't have any clue why he couldn't stop eating it but he figured he probably should.
He picked up another one.
"Don't shame marshmallows by trying to say that is a marshmallow," Kurt told him, hooking a few candy canes on the edge of both kids' stockings to finish them up. He lifted them to make sure they looked right and pushed a few of the lumpier toys inside to flatten out the stockings. While he'd learned early on that picture perfect was impossible when it came to children, he still tried. Blaine just smiled indulgently, gathering up his wrappers and counting presents to make sure they'd brought them all down to put underneath the tree.
"Don't shame my cardboard chocolate," Blaine told him, a playful smile on his lips as he nudged one of the presents further under the tree with his toe to make sure nobody would trip over it in the morning.
Kurt was just standing up to hook the stockings back up when they heard the very loud, very high gasp from the top of the stairs.
"Daddy? Papa? What're you doing?" Audrey asked, still rubbing her eyes. She had a confused expression on her face as she took in the chocolate scattered on the floor, the stockings in Kurt's hands, the wrappers in Blaine's. "Has Santa come already? He won't come if you're downstairs! Why're you playing with the stockings?"
Neither of her fathers had to say a word because they both knew what the other was thinking. They were iawful/i parents. Their 6-year-old was going to have the magic of Santa Claus ruined because they were too busy flirting to hear her bedroom door that they'd closed open and her footsteps in the hallway.
They exchanged a look, both of them obviously trying to come up with something, before they looked back up at their daughter.
Their daughter whose lower lip was starting to wobble, a sure sign she was going to start crying soon.
"Santa's come already!" Blaine said quickly, the story coming to him quickly as he cleared his throat, giving Kurt a look.
Kurt had no idea where he was going with this but he trusted his husband completely so he nodded. "Yeah, Santa's come already."
Audrey looked between the two of them as Blaine gave her his most soothing smile.
"You see, here's what happened. Santa came and then your Daddy started craving chocolate… You know how he gets," Blaine said, ignoring the glare he could feel his husband sending him. "So… we decided we'd sneak into your stocking but then we went to the store to get some more chocolate for you. We were just replacing the candy that Santa left you."
Audrey sniffled, making her way slowly down the stairs as she tilted her head to the side. Blaine put the wrappers still in his hand onto the coffee table and met her at the bottom of the stairs, scooping her up into his arms. He was infinitely grateful that she was too young and too tired to think about why that story made no sense. "You went into my stocking for chocolates?"
Kurt quickly hooked up both stockings before joining them, rubbing Audrey's back gently and leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said, narrowing his eyes at Blaine behind her back. Blaine pressed a kiss to Audrey's forehead so she wouldn't see him almost laughing. "Daddy just really wanted Christmas chocolates."
Tilting her head to the side, Audrey considered Kurt in a way that made her look much older than her 6 years. "You said Santa already came? I still got presents even though you saw him?"
"Yep, you still get Santa presents, don't worry," Kurt assured her, reaching up to run his fingers over her dark hair. It was dark and curly like Blaine's and tended to tangle the second she laid down. "And there's plenty of candy in your stocking. I looked."
Audrey smiled, leaning forward to give him a wet kiss on the cheek. "Then it's okay. You can have some chocolate, Daddy."
Kurt felt his heart melt and he smiled, rubbing his nose against hers to make her laugh. "I think Santa just saw you be so sweet and might stop by to drop you off another present," Kurt told her, holding out her arms and taking her when Blaine shifted to hand her over.
"I like more presents," Audrey said happily, making both of her fathers laugh.
"I could've guessed that," Kurt told her, tickling her side gently. He yawned, looking over at Blaine who nodded, turning away to get everything cleaned up. Kurt headed towards the stairs, walking carefully with her in his arms. "You need to go back to sleep, though, if you want Santa to drop off another present. And remember, you're not supposed to come down on Christmas Eve. Me and Papa should've reminded you."
A solemn nod before Audrey rested her head against Kurt's shoulder. "Okay, Daddy. I'm sorry. I was just excited."
Kurt was constantly amazed by the overwhelming love he felt for his children and now wasn't any exception. He walked into her room, laying her down in the bed and helping pull the covers over her. "It's okay, Audrey. You know Papa and I are always happy to see you," he told her, tucking her in and pushing her curls off her forehead. "Get some sleep. In the morning, we'll make cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate and open so many presents your head will spin."
"I don't want my head to spin," Audrey said, wrinkling her nose in a way that reminded Kurt alarmingly of Rachel.
"Okay. Then it won't spin your head. It'll just amaze you," Kurt promised, kissing her forehead. He glanced up when Blaine joined them, the other kneeling down next to them and leaning in to kiss their daughter's cheek. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart. I love you."
"Sweet dreams. Love you," Audrey said, holding out her arms for both of them to give her one more hug.
Blaine squeezed her gently before pulling back. "Love you. See you in the morning," he told her, reaching out to rest a hand on Kurt's back as the two left the room. He peaked back in, making sure Audrey's nightlight was on before closing the door most of the way. Kurt was glancing into the nursery, seeing that Oliver was still fast asleep and then joining Blaine in walking into their master bedroom.
"Everything all put away down there?" Kurt asked, yawning as he went immediately to the bed, exhausted from staying up to make sure everything was set up for Christmas. And, of course, the possibility of them ruining the magic of Christmas for their daughter because of their carelessness.
Blaine nodded, crawling into bed next to him and snuggling in closer, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. "Yeah," he said, whining a little when Kurt pulled away from him.
"Great. So, how about you tell me why it was me that was getting into her candy when you were the one who was eating cardboard marshmallows," Kurt said, making sure Blaine could hear the sarcasm in his tone when he said the word 'marshmallows.'
Ducking his head, Blaine had to swallow hard so his husband couldn't see the way he was about to start laughing. "Because I came up with the story," Blaine told him, lifting up his head again even though he still had a wide smile on his lips.
Kurt shook his head but he couldn't help his answering smile. Even so many years later, Blaine could still get a smile out of him just by being so adorable. "That's not fair. Next time I'm coming up with the story."
"How about next time we put a baby monitor in her room so we know when she's getting up?" Blaine asked, having already thought about the fact that this wasn't something he wanted to experience again. He knew there wouldn't be that many years left of Audrey believing in Santa Claus, although they'd have Oliver after, so he didn't want to ruin this for her.
"And that's why I love you. Your genius ideas," Kurt said with a smile, tugging Blaine a little closer and tangling their legs. "Now, I'm already sure Audrey is going to be waking up every hour to try to get us to go open presents so I'd recommend sleeping while you can."
"And your genius ideas are why I love you," Blaine teased, kissing Kurt one more time before laying down. He watched as Kurt closed his eyes, unable to help admiring him for a few long moments before he smiled, going to sleep himself.