A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reading along. I really love this chapter. Usually my favourite chapters are the really eventful and angsty ones, but I just had so much fun writing this one, and even more fun reading it back during my editing process. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 3
Blaine doesn't talk about that evening at his parents' house any more. Kurt tries a few times, asks if he's okay or wants to talk about it, but every time Blaine just insists that he's fine and changes the topic. Eventually, Kurt just stops trying to bring it up; he figures Blaine will talk about it on his own time, if he needs to.
It's Christmas Eve now, and Kurt and Blaine decided they wanted to exchange their gifts tonight while they're alone. They don't want to do it in front of the whole family, want it to be more private. So now Blaine is sitting on Kurt's bed, legs crossed, gift sitting beside him as Kurt walks over to his closet to pull out his git for Blaine. He pulls a small box, delicately wrapped in blue and silver paper and topped with a blue bow, from the top shelf, then walks back to the bed and sits opposite Blaine.
"Here," he says, handing the box to Blaine, "you go first."
"Okay," Blaine says with a soft smile, taking the box from Kurt's hand and shifting it between his own hands. "It's a watch," Blaine declares.
Kurt laughs. "It's not a watch."
"Hmm," Blaine contemplates, shaking the box lightly, "is it a pen? No, I know, a mug!"
"It's not a pen, and a mug wouldn't even fit in that box!" Kurt says, rolling his eyes and laughing again. "Just open it."
"Oh, fine," Blaine says, shooting him a warm smile as he gently pulls at the ribbon wrapped around the gift. He pulls the ribbon away, then carefully unwraps the paper from the box, pulling it away in a single piece.
"A box! Just what I've always wanted!" Blaine's voice is filled with mock surprise.
"Blaine," Kurt scolds, but he can't help but laugh at his adorable boyfriend. Sometimes he forgets just what a dork Blaine can be.
Blaine flashes Kurt another smile before he lifts the lid off the box. He places the box and lid on the bed in front of him, and lifts the thin strip of fabric lying inside.
"It's a bowtie," Kurt explains. He knows he doesn't need to explain; Blaine obviously knows it's a bowtie, but he's bit anxious, Blaine isn't saying anything, just looking at the navy and yellow fabric in his hand, and it's their first Christmas together, what if Blaine doesn't like the gift?
"Are these birds?" Blaine asks, looking back up at Kurt with a smile.
Kurt nods. "Yeah, they um... they reminded me of warblers," he explains, blushing a little, and god he feels like he did when they first started dating, blushing all the time, "and we wouldn't have met if it weren't for The Warblers."
"These are birds, too," Blaine says, putting the bowtie back in the box and pulling out the pair of cuff links, looking at them closely.
"Yeah," Kurt nods, cheeks still red.
"I love them," Blaine says, looking back at Kurt with a wide smile that melts him just a little.
"You do?" he asks, hopeful.
"Of course, love," Blaine says, putting the cuff links back in the box and leaning forward, cupping Kurt's cheek in his hand, "thank you so much." Blaine places a small, sweet kiss to Kurt's lips, then sits back again. "Your turn," he says, handing the small box to his side wrapped in red and green paper to Kurt.
Kurt takes the box; it's smaller than the one he'd given to Blaine. He unwraps it carefully and places the paper aside. He flips the lid back, and if he wasn't still alive he would swear his heart stopped. He traces a finger over the delicate wing of the dragonfly brooch nestled in the soft blue velvet lining of the box.
"Blaine," he whispers, voice thick.
"It reminded me of your mom's. I know you don't wear hers, but I thought... maybe when you wanted to be reminded of her, you could wear this one, and you wouldn't have to worry about damaging hers."
"It's perfect," he whispers, eyes not leaving the brooch. He picks it up carefully, holds it in his hand as he watches the light reflecting off the blues and greens, and he feels himself tearing up.
"So you like it?" Blaine asks, and Kurt picks up on the hint of tension in his voice.
He looks up, finally, and meets Blaine's worried eyes. "Blaine, I love it. So much. Thank you so much."
He puts the brooch carefully back in the box, closes the lid and places it safely on the side table before he leans forward, slipping his fingers into the hair on the back of Blaine's head, and pulling his boyfriend forward into a searing kiss. Blaine takes a moment to respond, seemingly caught off-guard, but then he's kissing Kurt back, lips and teeth and tongues swirling together.
After a few moments, Kurt pulls back from the kiss, resting his forehead against Blaine's as the two boys catch their breath.
"I love you. So much, Bee," Kurt says, and he means it, he so means it, sometimes he still wonders how he got so lucky to find this perfect boy, what he ever did in his life to make Blaine Anderson decide he wanted to be with him, too.
"I love you, too," is Blaine's response, and Kurt is sure he'll never grow tired of hearing those words from Blaine's lips.
"Tea?" Kurt asks, holding the fresh pot up as Blaine walks into the kitchen on Christmas morning, still in his pajamas, curly hair sticking up at all angles. Kurt can't help but smile a bit at how adorably disoriented his boyfriend looks in the mornings.
"Is there coffee?" Blaine asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Carole was just brewing some, it'll be ready in a minute. I'll bring it in."
"Thanks," Blaine says with a small smile, then continues into the living room.
Kurt puts the teapot down, picks up his mug and takes a small sip while he waits for the coffee machine to finish.
He used to hate Christmas. It was just another family holiday that reminded him his mom was gone. But, slowly, he's grown to like it again. It's still a painful reminder of how much he misses his mother, and he doesn't think that will ever go away, but now it also means time with Carole and Finn, time with Blaine, and he's realized that he can let himself enjoy new family even though he doesn't have his mother anymore.
The coffee maker finishes then, and Kurt takes the coffee pot and pours a couple cups for Carole and Blaine. Carole walks back into the kitchen and Kurt hands her mug over.
"Thanks, honey," she says, taking the mug in her hands with a warm smile before heading back to the living room. Kurt picks up his and Blaine's mugs and follows behind her.
He takes a seat on the couch next to Blaine and passes over the steaming mug of coffee.
"Thanks," Blaine murmurs, placing a soft kiss to Kurt's cheek.
"Careful, it's hot."
Finn comes in then, collapsing onto the couch on Kurt's other side. "Man, I love Christmas," he says with a yawn and a dopey smile.
"Then why is it you're the last one in here?" Burt asks with a laugh from his chair.
"Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean it's not early," he grumbles.
"Okay, shall we open some presents?" Carole asks, getting up from her own chair and walking toward the Christmas tree. She picks up a medium-sized box wrapped messily in green paper. "Burt, looks like this one is for you," she says, smiling as she walks over and hands the box to Kurt's father.
Carole walks back and forth to the tree, picking out gifts one at a time to hand out. By the time all the gifts have been opened, Kurt has unwrapped a well-intentioned but really quite ugly sweater that he none-the-less thanked Finn for, some miscellaneous car things from his father, and Carole just gave him money to buy something nice – she, unlike her son, knows that Kurt Hummel is the only person who can pick out clothes good enough for Kurt Hummel.
"I think I'll make some breakfast," Carole says with a smile, standing again to make her way back to the kitchen. "How do pancakes sound to everyone?"
"Pancakes sound amazing," Finn says, smiling brightly.
"Sounds great, Carole," Kurt chimes in.
"I'm going to go try this out while we're waiting," Finns says, standing up and grabbing some new video game he'd gotten from Burt before making his way back to his bedroom.
"I think I'll go give Carole a hand," Burt says, a little awkwardly, and then Kurt and Blaine are left alone together in the living room.
Kurt takes Blaine's hand and gives it a light squeeze. "Hey, everything okay?"
Blaine has been quiet all morning. Polite as ever, of course, but something just seems off. Kurt is sure that his father noticed, too, because it's not like Burt to help Carole make breakfast; not that his father wouldn't want to, just that Carole doesn't trust him in the kitchen enough to let him.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Blaine says, giving Kurt a tight smile, but Kurt sees right through it.
"Blaine," Kurt sighs, shifting on the couch so he's facing his boyfriend.
Blaine sighs, too. "I'm fine, it's just... It's my first Christmas not... away from home."
"Oh, Bee," Kurt says sadly, pulling Blaine into a hug. "I'm sorry."
Blaine doesn't respond, just stays there, letting Kurt wrap his arms around him. The two boys sit there on the couch for several minutes in silence before Kurt finally speaks again.
"I know it's not the same," he starts quietly, "but I kind of get it, you know. Missing your family at Christmas. My mom... after she died, Christmas was always really hard. And I know it's different, but just... if you want to talk about it, you can." He presses a soft kiss on the top of Blaine's head. "I'm here for you. Always."
"Thanks," Blaine murmurs.
They don't say anything else, just sit there cuddled together on the couch, until Carole calls them into the kitchen for pancakes.