AN: Oh, God, as I finished the last section of this, I realized that this part is full of more fluff than a marshmallow factory. It's almost embarrassing. But I think it's part of my outlook on the Christmas season. I know it's "in" to be all cynical about it, but I love it, personally. I love the spirit of the season. So forget all that crap about how it's a license to be an asshole the other 364 days of the year and just… don't do it (be an asshole, I mean)!

I'm sure those of you who enjoy this have also been enjoying the publishing schedule, but between the holidays, actual work I need to do, and the fact that my chapter surplus has been decreasing, I'm not 100% if I'll be able to keep to the "every other day" thing. We'll see. Oh, and given the length of the actual TV season, I anticipate this either is, or is a little before, the halfway point. Thanks for reading this far, but we're not done yet…

Flying flavored ice was not an unusual sight in the halls of McKinley High School. What was unusual was the greeting that accompanied them. "Merry Christmas, losers!"

That was all the warning Mercedes, Tina, and Mike got before they were treated to several festive red and green streams of slushie flying towards them. Their final thoughts before impact, in no particular order, ran something like this:

Oh, God, no.

This is going to suck.

I shouldn't have bothered to shower this morning.

Then came the sting, of both sugar and cold, as they were soaked by the slushie showers. Mike was particularly unlucky; he'd just taken off his sweater, so his outer clothing was particularly absorptive. On top of that, he took the brunt of one slushie that was much more melted than the others. His shirt was completely sodden, causing it to cling tightly to his body.

The laughing began in earnest, of course. Tina wiped the ice crystals from her eyelids before opening them. Football team. Of course. And I was getting used to the quiet. Chris Strando high-fived Azimio Adams as Lonnie Waters tossed his empty cup into the air in triumph, neatly catching it as it fell. Huh. Where's...? Oh. There. Blaine Anderson was near the back, chuckling and slapping his friends on the back. It was a little strange to not see him front and center, but Tina didn't really bother to give it much thought. She was too busy deciding which bathroom to go to and resisting the urge to wring out her hair over their shoes. They really didn't need more trouble right now.

Blaine, for his part, was enjoying the sight of the three slush-saturated Glee clubbers. He was particularly… enjoying Mike and his wet shirt. Mike, for his part, was too busy with his chills and outrage to notice. "Funny," he sputtered. "Real mature."

"Tough it out, Chang," Strando laughed. "Sorry, I meant the other Chang. Or the other-other Chang?"

"And the tradition starts again, just in time for the holidays!" Waters crowed.

"Good job, fellas," Blaine said, tearing his eyes away from Mike.

"But you missed it!" Azimio said in a mock pitying voice. "We coulda had a cup all ready for you!"

"Next time, promise." As the slushied outcasts dispersed to fix themselves, so too did the football players, now that their victims weren't nursing their humiliation in public. Blaine wandered away towards his classroom, trying to kick the sight of pecs and abs out of his mind's eye.

Near her locker, half out of sight among the other students, Santana Lopez narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Huh."

WHAP! The impacts of stick against puck sounded like a series of gunshots. Kurt watched as Dave hit each of the lined-up pucks one after another with lightning speed. Each skidded into the net. Kurt applauded as Dave took a low bow.

The lake ("More like a large pond," Dave had said) was frozen over solid. Dave had told him that it was his favorite place to skate and practice when he could, even with an actual indoor rink a few blocks away. "But what about the ice?" Kurt had protested. "What if it breaks, and you... Or I...?"

"If it breaks," Dave had snorted, "I'd only sink about up to my chest. Come on, it'll be fun."

"But... I've... I've never..."

"Skated? Never know until you try. I know a guy with about your shoe size; we can borrow his skates."

Kurt had to admit, it was beautiful. The lake/pond was set into a copse of trees near the Dalton campus. The ice was clean and smooth, surrounded by hilly snowbanks. Dave brought his equipment, including the net, and demonstrated the basics of play while Kurt watched from the shore.

"Shouldn't you be rehearsing for that event you said you had to do?"

"Meh. I think I know the song pretty well. Besides, I can just fob it off on Trent if I need to." Dave grinned. "Besides, this is fun. It's not often I get to initiate a newbie to the wonders of the ice."

"You said you played in intramural leagues," Kurt said as Dave retrieved his pucks. "Ever thought of doing it professionally?"

Dave shrugged. "Dunno if I'm good enough yet. I figure I'll try it at the college level first, see how it goes."

"Otherwise, stick to mathematics?"

"Why not? At least maybe then I can get a teaching or research job or something."

"I don't know," Kurt grinned. "I can't imagine you spending hours in some lab crunching numbers."

"Hey, nothing wrong with that." Dave began to skate around the lake; Kurt couldn't help noticing how graceful his movements were across the ice. His large body wasn't ungainly or awkward here. "Y'know what I like about math? It's black and white. Your results are either right, or they're not. No interpretation, no ambiguity. It's just... what it is."

"Not much about life that's like that," Kurt said quietly.

"No... No, there isn't." Dave took large, lazy loops around the ice, then skated towards Kurt, and asked the question he'd been dreading. "Aren't you gonna join me?"

Kurt took an mistrustful look at the hard (very hard!) ice. "I don't know..."

"Come on. It'll be fun. I promise I won't let you fall."

Kurt gulped. "O... Okay. But you'd better not." Kurt stepped tentatively out onto the ice. The blade planted onto the cold surface firmly. So far so good. Another step, and...

The blade seemed to be impatient, because it slid out before he was ready. Kurt let out the most indecorous (and frankly, girly) scream as his arms windmilled. His skidding and flailing was suddenly interrupted by a firm pair of arms wrapping around his waist. "Whoa, there. Lesson number one: don't panic."

"I... I'm not panicking," Kurt panted. "I was... reacting. To the most terrifying feeling I've ever had in my life."

"Lesson number two: start slow. Slide forward on your right foot. C'mon, I'm here." Dave loosened his grip on Kurt's waist. "Try." Hesitantly, Kurt slid forward. "That's it... Now, the left. There you go! Just keep doing that... Watch it! Here, look at how I'm doing it... Just lift your foot when you shift to the other... Yeah, that's it...! That's it! See, look! You're skating!"

Kurt flew across the ice, Dave always close by. The cool wind blasted his face as he skated gently around the perimeter of the lake. "I... I'm doing it! I'm actually doing this!"

"This is amazing! You're picking this up really fast! You're doing great!"

"So, ah... How do I stop?"

Dave laughed. "That's a tougher one. I'll help you until you get to that level. Here." Dave changed position until he now held only Kurt's hand. "Practice steering next. I'll lead you. Follow me." Hand in hand, the two teenagers skated around the ice, first in large circles, then in tighter designs. A light snow started to fall, tickling their noses and clinging to their hats. Dave broke the silence with a small laugh.

"What?"

"You know what this reminds me of, don't you?"

"No, what?"

"Really, Kurt? No idea at all?"

"If I had one, I'd tell you. Give me a hint."

Instead of speaking, Dave began to sing, in his low baritone. "Christmastime is here... Happiness and cheer..."

Kurt smiled and nodded. "Oh."

"Fun for all that children call... Their favorite time of year..." Kurt listened as Dave continued the song, the only sound other than the soft skritching of their skates against the ice. The rest of the world could've been dead for all Kurt knew... Or maybe cared. There was just the lake. There was just the snow. There was just them.

Kurt's voice raised in harmony as Dave reached the appropriate lines. "Sleigh bells in the air... Beauty ev'rywhere..." Dave's eyebrows raised in surprise for a second, but settled back into his smile. Their voices melded together as Dave playfully took hold of Kurt's other hand and began spinning him in a circle. To Kurt's disappointment, it was a short song, and they quickly reached its end. Their voices faded, yet Dave continued to spin Kurt around himself. Kurt could see Dave's smile turn into a mischievous grin.

"What?"

"You remember what happened at the end of that scene, don't you?"

Kurt's memory struggled for a moment. There were the kids on the ice, yes... Then Linus and Snoopy, and... The remembrance hit him with the force of a slushie. "Oh, no..."

Dave nodded, his grin growing wider, still spinning. "Oooh, yes."

"Don't do it!" Kurt tried to worm his hands out of Dave's, but the hockey player's grip was too strong. "Don't you dare...! David Karofsky, if you do this, I will never forgive...! Don'tAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" This last came as Dave abruptly let go of Kurt's hands. Screaming, Kurt slid backwards in a lazy arc. His flailing hands reached wildly for purchase that couldn't come. Bare seconds after the release (but it felt like ages), Kurt's skates hit the edge of the pond; he fell backwards, landing unceremoniously in a thick snow bank. All accompanied by the sound of Dave's hysterical laughter. "You...!" Kurt screeched. "You complete, utter, total bastard!"

From his prone position, Kurt could only see snow and bleak sky; he only heard Dave's skates, his voice growing louder as he approached. "Oh, come on, Kurt..."

"You could've killed me! I could've been killed!"

"In case you didn't notice, we're surrounded by snow banks. And you wouldn't have fallen on the ice, y'know. I timed it just that perfect." Dave's grinning face appeared above him. It was covered in thrown snow a second later. "Okay," he sputtered as he wiped away the cold slush, "I deserved that."

"You most certainly did!" Kurt huffed. He eyed Dave's proffered hand suspiciously. "What are you going to do now? Fling me into a volcano?"

"No more jokes, Kurt. Seriously. If you don't believe me, you can just lie there until spring." A silent moment passed. Finally, Kurt took Dave's gloved hand. In a moment, he was back on his feet (or skates) with surprising speed and ease. "There you go."

"I'm still not forgiving you," Kurt snarled as he brushed the snow from his sweater. "Next time, we are going to the rink, and that's final! You don't dare pull that stunt there!"

Dave grinned, seeing (even if Kurt didn't) the implications behind what he said. "Right. Whatever you say."

"And thank you for ruining the moment," Kurt muttered under his breath as he sat down and yanked off his skates.

"What?"

"I said, you're still a bastard." His boots back on, Kurt stood, grateful for the solid, non-slippery ground underneath him. "You know, there's one good thing about being as small and lithe as I am..."

"What's that?" Dave barely had time to register the snowball filling his vision before impact. Fuck, that's cold. He wiped away the snow to see Kurt grinning evilly, another snowball in hand.

"I can run faster than you can skate." He threw the second snowball.

"Oh, fu..." WHAP!

Kurt was red-cheeked and breathless as he ran into the lobby of Dalton's main hall. As he shook the snow off the cuffs of his pants, he was barely conscious of someone approaching. "Kurt! I was just about to look for you!"

He looked up in surprise. "Mr. Schue!"

"How are you doing, Kurt?" The teacher shook his former student's hand warmly. "I haven't seen you since Sectionals."

"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but... what are you doing up here?"

"Well, that's the thing... I was hoping to get your advice on something."

They turned as the doors flew open again. Dave entered, his hockey equipment and folded-up net under one arm, as he shut off the cold wind with his free hand. "Phew! I'm gonna get you for that, Kurt..." He stopped as he looked up. "Oh, hi. You're Kurt's glee club teacher, right?"

"Right. Will Schuester." The two shook hands. "Your name's Dave, isn't it? The Warblers were great at Sectionals."

"Thanks! We'll get you next time, though."

Will grinned widely. "You're welcome to try!"

"Believe me, we will." Dave turned to Kurt. "Hey, I'm going to put away my equipment. After that, I think I'm ready for more color coordination."

"Good! I'll see you in your room after I'm finished talking to Mr. Schue."

"Sure thing. Take your time. Nice meeting you, Mr. Schuester."

"Same here." The two watched as Dave tromped up the main staircase and vanished from sight. "Color coordination?" Will asked, amused.

"It's a long story," Kurt replied with a smile.

Will regarded the younger man's face for a moment. "You seem good. Happy."

"Yeah... I think I am." The thought was almost startling. Silly, considering his reasons for coming in the first place, but there it was.

"Dave's a big reason for that, isn't it?" Will asked gently.

That was another startling thought, but the answer was clear. "Yes. Yes, he is."

"Is he a friend, or... someone special?"

Kurt flushed. "Both, actually. The way you're asking it, more… a friend," he replied firmly. "But..." He thought for a moment; things that he wanted to dismiss before were bubbling to the surface. "But he's gay too. And I… care about him a lot. Maybe someday..."

"If you have anything to say about it?" Will grinned.

Kurt's flush deepened. "So. You said you wanted some advice?"

Will grimaced. "Yes, I have to buy a gift."

"That's nice. For whom?"

"You won't believe me when I tell you..."

It was the first Christmas for the newly united Hummel-Hudson family, so of course it was an active one. The smell of slowly roasting turkey seemed to fill the entire house, every hall was decked, and Kurt shuddered to think of how many garbage bags the tinsel would fill once the holidays were done.

Finn was busy playing one of his gifts on the Xbox 360 while his father helped Carole in the kitchen. The space under the tree was now bare, the floor littered with several small piles of wrapping paper. Not that the opening was done yet.

Kurt snuck to his room, gently shutting the door behind him. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. It only took two rings for someone to pick up. "Hey, Kurt."

"Hey, Dave. How's your mom's place?"

Kurt could almost see Dave shrug. "Pretty good. She and Dad are behaving themselves, at least, thanks to Grandpa Murray. Makes sense, since he's the one who insisted on this in the first place. Jack's busy on Skype with his girlfriend. She's home in Minnesota."

"How were the presents?"

"Not bad. Minimum of clothes, maximum of gift cards."

"You actually like gift cards? They're so impersonal."

"Hell, yeah, I like gift cards. It's like cash, only more holiday. I can buy whatever I want without having to stand in line to return shit. They're great!"

Kurt shook his head. "Oh, David, David… You still have so much more to learn."

Dave chuckled. "So… You got it?"

Kurt nodded out of habit, looking down at the small box in his lap. "Of course. Do you have yours?"

"Right here. Okay, ready…? Open!"

As Kurt carefully lifted the tape on the wrapping paper that covered his gift, he heard the sound of tearing over the phone. "Barbarian."

"So sue me for being excited. Lemme guess: you're gonna fold up the paper nice and neat and either stack it up in a big pile to put it in the garbage, or you're gonna stick it in the closet to reuse sometime and completely forget about it."

Kurt froze in mid-fold. "No," he said petulantly.

"Suuure. Right." A pause. "It's… a hockey puck. A… personalized hockey puck."

Kurt blushed, glad that Dave couldn't see it. "It's cheesy, I know. But at the same time, it seemed… you, somehow."

"So I'm cheesy, huh? Just kidding!" Dave added hastily. "Let me take a closer look... 'Property of David Karofsky, Future Stanley Cup Winner, Christmas 2010'… So you had the store look up what the Cup was, right?"

"Very funny, Dave. I'll have you know I've been paying attention." An anxious pause. "So… you like it?"

"I… I love it, Kurt. Thanks." Silence. "I don't hear opening."

"Oh! Right!" Kurt's hands tore open the paper box. "It's…" He pulled out a colorful wool scarf, base red with festive green and yellow patterns running across it. He turned it over in his hands; it even felt warm. "It's lovely. I'm just glad it's not one of your precious gift cards."

"Yeah, I figured you'd want clothes, but I didn't know any of your sizes. Seemed like a safe bet."

He wrapped it around his neck. "It's perfect… I mean, it fits perfectly. Thanks."

"No problem. That's what Christmas is about, y'know: trying to impress the fuck out of everyone else with your shopping insight." The two chuckled. There was another silence. "Merry Christmas, Kurt." A simple declaration, but the voice was practically a hoarse whisper.

Kurt fought not to read too much (or anything) into it. Instead, he settled for the only thing he could say, the only thing that would carry the kind of meaning he wanted. "Merry Christmas, Dave."

Next: Hope you enjoyed the fluff, because coming up is "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle," and many events that will be significant to the course this AU takes...