Title: The Future is Now (Chapter 4)
Chapter Rating: PG
Warning: Discussion of child abuse (non-graphic)
Summary: It's Christmas, and Blaine has a suprise of his own for Kurt.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I usually post something as soon as I write it, but I waited a couple days before posting this one. I wanted to make sure it said EXACTLY what I wanted it to say. Thank you again to everyone for reading!

Kurt was the first in the household to wake on Christmas morning. He quietly got out of bed, planting a kiss on the still sleeping Blaine's forehead. Grabbing his housecoat from the back of the door and the bag of stocking stuffers, he opened and shut his bedroom door quietly before heading downstairs to fill everyone's stockings and start breakfast. It was still quiet in the house as light filtered in through the gauzy curtains, and Kurt took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the morning. Blaine liked to sleep in all the time, but Kurt felt like mornings offered so much hope and potential, he was willing to lose a little sleep just to enjoy them.

After filling everyone's stockings, he went into the kitchen and turned on the griddle that sat at the side of the stove, and began cooking. The smell of pancakes reminded him of the first Christmas that the family had spent with Blaine.

~2013~

It was Christmas Eve and the Hummel-Hudson family had only just finished decorating the tree when there was a quiet knocking on the door. "I'll get it," Kurt announced, being closest to the door. He could see dark curls through the window and hoped it was Blaine standing on the other side. Before opening it however, he did wonder what the boy was doing here so late on Christmas Eve – wouldn't he want to be with his family?

Kurt pulled the door open with a flourish, but before he could say a word, his stomach dropped to the floor. Blaine stood on the other side of the door in only ripped jeans – which Kurt knew had not been ripped previously – and a t-shirt. "Blaine! Come inside, it's freezing out there." Kurt could see the boy's car parked haphazardly in front of the house. He was bleeding from a scratch above his eyebrow and holding his side gingerly. "Oh my God, Blaine, what happened?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm so sorry to intrude on your family's Christmas. I just didn't know where to go." Kurt could tell from the face Blaine was making and from the way he was talking that he was just holding back his tears.

Burt was coming to the foyer from the living room. "What the Hell is going on Kurt? What happened?"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "But I'm going to take Blaine upstairs and clean him up. I'll leave the door half open, but could we have a little privacy?" He looked at his dad, pleading with him. It had always been a rule that when Finn or Kurt had their partners in their bedroom, their doors were to remain wide open.

"Yeah, okay. I'll have Carole bring up some ice." He put a hand briefly on Blaine's shoulder before walking away.

"Come on Blaine," Kurt took his hand and led him upstairs, "You need to tell me what's going on." Kurt led Blaine into the bathroom first, where he shut the door and had Blaine sit on the closed toilet lid. "Are you hurt anywhere else? Why are your jeans ripped?"

Blaine removed his pants to show a bruise that was already forming on the outside of his thigh and a cut to go with it. Kurt could tell it wasn't deep enough to require stitches as it wasn't bleeding. He grabbed a face cloth from the shelf and wet it with some water and soap and began wiping at the few cuts on Blaine's face and leg. "So are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked just before he was done getting rid of the blood.

"It was my dad." Blaine whispered, as though he was afraid the walls had ears.

"Your dad did this to you? Why?" Kurt stopped looking for bandages and turned to look at Blaine.

"He had had enough, I guess. We were at the dinner table, talking about our Christmas plans and I mentioned I was planning to come and see you. Well, I know he hates that I'm gay, but he's always just yelled or broken my stuff. All of a sudden he's on my side of the table attacking me. My sister and my mom were both screaming at him to stop, and after a bit, I guess he came to his senses. He let me go, but told me to get out of his house."

"Well…I…you're not going back there, Blaine." Kurt began pouring hydrogen peroxide on the wounds. "You're staying here until you can go back to Dalton."

"I don't even know if he'll pay for me to go to Dalton anymore." There were tears running freely down his cheeks when there was a knock on the door.

"I have some ice for you, Blaine." Carole's voice was low and sweet. Kurt opened the door a little and took the ice from her.

"Thank you, Carole," he turned to close the door.

"Um," she stuck her hand out to keep it from shutting, "as I was walking up the hall I heard some of what you boys were saying. I'm sorry for listening, but I just want you to know, Blaine, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need – want to."

"Thank you." His voice was the quietest she had ever heard it. Carole let Kurt close the door behind her and walk away.

The next morning everyone acted as though Blaine just belonged. Somehow Carole had managed to sew him a stocking last night, and filled it with a few extra gifts she had left over. He had been allowed to sleep on the bed in Kurt's room – Kurt was supposed to sleep on the cot, but that sure didn't happen. They had a wonderful Christmas and that was the first Christmas that felt perfect to Blaine.

~Present~

Kurt had finished flipping the pancakes, and his reverie, when arms wrapped around him and soft voice whispered in his ear, "Good morning, love." He turned around in Blaine's arms and wrapped his own around the other man.

"Good morning to you, too. Did you sleep well?"

"Better before you left the bed. Breakfast smells so good." He leaned in to kiss Kurt before letting extricating himself from the embrace and heading over to start the coffee pot. "I think I heard Finn's alarm going off, so he'll be heading over to pick up Rachel soon. "

"Are you ready for another Hummel-Hudson-Anderson-Berry Christmas?" Kurt asked, taking some dishes out of the cupboard to set the table.

Blaine laughed at him before helping with some cutlery. "Are you?"

After taking their time eating a large breakfast, the family had moved into the living room and was just about to start opening presents. It was almost noon and the living room had been warmed by the sunshine filtering in through the curtains, so everyone was warm, full and content as Finn began passing gifts out. "Why doesn't Carole go first this year," Kurt asked, "she hasn't ever gone first."

"Oh, I don't need to, it's okay."

Burt leaned into her. "Hey, they're offering a chance of a lifetime here, I'd take it."

The whole family talked and laughed, taking their time opening the gifts, reminiscing together about Christmases past and new ones to come. Once all of the gifts had been opened, Carole began to rise, heading for the kitchen to grab a garbage bag. "Hold on a second," Finn said, staring at the tree. "I think there's one more present." He reached between the branches, almost to the back, where there was a small wrapped cube, hiding in all of the pine needles and Christmas decorations. "What's this?" he asked, opening the tag on top. "It says it's for Kurt, but it doesn't say who it's from." He passed the box to Kurt, who looked at it curiously.

"Dad?" Burt shook his head and it was then that Kurt noticed Blaine was sitting stiffly, biting his lip. Instead of asking if it was from Blaine, since he now knew it was, he opened the wrapping paper carefully to reveal a velvet covered box. Kurt's heart began to pound loudly in his ears, his hands were shaking violently and he could feel tears pricking at his eyes. "Blaine," he ventured, not sure if his voice would work.

"Kurt," said the other man, reaching over to take the box. "Kurt Hummel, I have been such a lucky man – instead of spending years of my life looking for the man I love, I found him and got to spend all of those years enjoying being with him." He shimmied off the couch and crouched on one knee. Rachel squealed quietly and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "I thank whoever is listening up there every day that I have you, and I would be blessed to know that I could have you with me for the rest of my life. I know we've been through some tough times and it won't always be easy, but there isn't anyone I would rather be with than you. Will you do me the honour of being my husband?"

"Oh God," Kurt breathed out as the box in front of him opened, revealing a platinum ring with four diamonds laid into the band. He reached out a shaking hand to touch Blaine.

"Kurt?" Blaine's quiet voice wavered slightly. He hadn't expected to be turned down. How embarrassing would that be? How horrid?

"Oh my God! Yes! Yes, of course! I'm so sorry!" He fell down from the couch to grab Blaine and embrace him, kissing him fiercely on the neck. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Blaine couldn't help the laugh of the relief that escaped him.