Chapter 12: Precious Gifts

By the next Friday, December 17th, Kurt had finally started acting like himself again. They'd had the week off from school because of the two-week-long Christmas break, so he'd had the time he needed to recover.

On Friday night, Kurt and Blaine went with Burt to pick the perfect Christmas tree. Kurt wanted to cry because he remembered how important the tradition had been to him and his dad ever since their first Christmas after Elizabeth's death. It had been the first time since the funeral that Kurt had smiled. It had also been the first time that Burt realized things were going to be okay; eventually. And they became closer through the tradition of, every year, picking out that one special conifer that would stand in their corner and fill the house with the scent of pine needles and spice mixing together with the warm aroma of warm milk and gingerbread.

"What about this one?" Burt asked, pulling Kurt out of his thoughts of the past.

Kurt eyed the tree carefully, trying to picture it fitting in with their setup. He squinted doubtfully. "I'm not so sure. It seems too short. And not full enough. Let's keep looking."

Burt nodded rolled his eyes fondly when he caught Blaine's eye. Blaine grinned. "He's very particular when it comes to choosing the perfect one."

"Dad, don't pretend like you don't stress about getting here early every year just so we can snatch up the best one," Kurt retorted, not looking behind him to see his father's reaction. He kept walking, searching through the aisles. "I just want it to be perfect."

Burt chuckled but, seriously, he understood. He knew how much it meant to Kurt, how it made him feel closer to his mom during this melancholy month. "It will be, Kurt. It always is."

Kurt smiled and kept looking. Blaine and Burt fell into a steady pace a little behind Kurt and Burt cleared his throat, catching Blaine's attention. Blaine looked over at him with curious eyes.

Burt smiled at him. "I know he forgets to say it with how excited the decorating gets him, but I know he's really glad you'll be spending Christmas with us. And I'm glad, too."

Blaine blushed and bit his lip shyly. "I'm glad, too. I… I really love Kurt and I'm so thankful to you after everything you've done for me. You and Kurt have given me a family."

Blaine's eyes shone with gratitude and love and even a little surprise at how much he'd been given. It made Burt tear up a bit. He smiled and cleared his throat to stop the tears. "I couldn't ask for a better man for my son to bring into the family. We all love you, Blaine. I love you for the amazing young man you are and because you've brought the light back to my boy's eyes. You truly are like a son to me, Blaine."

Blaine felt his heart swell and he closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the love he felt for this family. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Mr. Hum—uh, I mean Burt."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Burt answered with a soft smile before patting Blaine's shoulder and nodding towards Kurt who was sizing up another potential tree. "Alright, enough with the sentimental stuff. Let's choose a tree. Or better yet, smile and nod while Kurt chooses the tree and we all love it." Blaine laughed and let Burt sling an arm over his shoulders as they walked.

"This is the one," Kurt said with a happy sigh as Burt and Blaine reached him. Kurt looked back at the two most important men in his life and saw their joyful smiles. He smiled curiously. "What?"

Blaine just shrugged, grinning. "Nothing. It's perfect." He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist, leaning into Kurt's chest as Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine started humming and Kurt laughed softly, happily, before singing along softly.

O, Christmas tree; O, Christmas tree…

Thy leaves are so unchanging…

O, Christmas tree; O, Christmas tree…

Thy leaves are so unchanging…

Not only green when summer's here…

But also when it's cold and drear…

O, Christmas tree; O, Christmas tree…

Thy leaves are so unchanging…

Burt stood beside them, smiling lovingly at his two boys as Kurt sang and Blaine hummed. He found himself wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to have two such wonderful boys dropped into his life. He hadn't expected it. He hadn't even known how much he wanted it until it was there and now he was unwilling to let it go.

He had a sinking feeling in his gut, though, when he remembered that he wouldn't have a choice.

…

Once they had the tree set up, Kurt and Blaine cuddled by the fireplace while Burt reclined on his big chair. They all sipped hot chocolate and reveled in the feeling of warmth and peace spreading around the house.

"I don't ever want to forget this moment," Kurt said to Blaine when Burt had dozed off. "I just want to freeze time and stay with you. Right here; forever; I don't want to move. Why does love have to be so complicated? Why can't I just love you and be happy and never have to go back? I love you so much, with every part of me, but it doesn't seem to be enough. It should be enough."

Blaine sighed, setting his hot chocolate down and resting against Kurt's chest. He pulled the blanket tighter around their shoulders and closed his eyes. "I know it's not fair. Sometimes I feel like my love for you should be enough to keep you here because sometimes I can't even fathom just how much I love you. I feel like our hearts are so connected that we shouldn't be able to be separated so easily, but I know it doesn't work like that. As much as I hate it, I know you have to go back. I'm starting to… accept it."

Catching Blaine off guard, Kurt threw his arms around him and started sobbing quietly. He'd set his hot chocolate down, completely forgotten at this point. "Please… Please don't," he begged. "Don't accept it. Don't let me leave." Blaine frowned in confusion and held Kurt tightly against him, not sure what to say. "I-I wasn't going to tell you, but there's a reason you can feel my heart beating when you've never felt it before. I—Sonia thinks I'm… coming back, somehow. I don't know… I don't know how it's possible, but somehow your love is making me alive again."

Blaine's eyes were wide when he heard this, shocked by the theory. He didn't know if it was true or not, so he didn't want to get his hopes up. But he couldn't think of anything else he could ever want more than Kurt staying with him forever. "Kurt, I—"

"I know it sounds crazy, and impossible, but maybe… maybe it's enough. Maybe you're enough. Please, Blaine, please love me enough. I need it to be enough…" He whimpered into Blaine's shoulder.

"Kurt…" Blaine said. His voice was strained with suppressed tears. He hated seeing Kurt so upset. It physically hurt him to see the desperate tears in Kurt's crystal eyes. "Kurt, I love you so much. You have no idea. I don't know how I could possibly love you more than I do. I don't think anybody has ever loved anybody as much as I love you. You're everything to me."

Kurt let out a choked sob that sounded half relieved and half terrified, reaching with trembling hands to grab Blaine's wrist. He pressed Blaine's hand against his chest, shivering slightly at the touch. "Do you feel that?" he whispered in between shaky breaths. "I-It's beating. It's beating for you. Blaine, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Blaine said, because how could he not? It was so natural to say those words, so right, so real.

"I need you, Blaine," Kurt whispered, sounding small and afraid. "I-I can't leave you."

"If what Sonia said is true, then you won't have to," Blaine said softly, kissing Kurt's forehead. Because, if it was true and all it took was Blaine's love to bring him back, then he had no doubts whatsoever that Kurt would stay with him. If there was one thing he was completely and unwaveringly certain of, it was his love for Kurt.

With that, Kurt fell asleep soon after. Blaine smiled softly and picked him up, walking towards Kurt's bedroom. On the way, he nudged Burt. "Burt, wake up. You should head to your bed. You won't be comfortable sleeping here."

He grumbled but slowly sat up, scratching his bald head. "Thanks, kid. Goodnight." He walked upstairs and Blaine walked downstairs, gently setting Kurt onto his bed and crawling up next to him to hold him close and hopefully keep the nightmares away. "Goodnight, Kurt. I love you so much you wouldn't believe me even if I tried to explain how much. Sleep well, my love."

Sleep well, my heart; my soul; my everything. Sleep well.

In the next week, things went mostly smoothly around the Hummel house. Kurt and Blaine barely left each other's side, and no one said a word about it. Cookies were baked and caroling was done even trudging through snow because it was a tradition. And, of course, on Christmas day, presents were exchanged.

Kurt was the first to hand out presents, excitedly awaiting each receiver's reaction.

Burt got a cook book, and Kurt was only mostly joking when he said that Burt shouldn't ever attempt anything other than cereal and ice cubes. It was really a good thing he had Carole. Let's just say, Burt once burnt a pot roast. How that was possible was still a mystery to Kurt and everyone else, but he'd managed it somehow.

Next was Finn, who got the latest Call of Duty game. He was easily pleased, saying, "Dude! Kurt, you know me too well. How'd you know this was the one I wanted?"

"Finn, I'm pretty sure there is only one game called 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' and you've been terrible unsubtle in the past few weeks every time you've mentioned it."

Finn just laughed and hugged him. "Thanks, dude."

"Anytime," he said with more affection, smiling.

"My turn!" Carole said cheerily. She opened her present to find a new blender and she smiled gratefully at Kurt. He smirked knowingly. Her old one had shattered when she'd "accidentally" knocked it to the floor. But really, Kurt knew it was just an excuse to buy a new blender and he was more than happy to save her the trouble of a trip to the store if it meant more gift shopping.

"Your turn, Blaine," Kurt said, handing him two small boxes. Blaine's eyes widened and his mouth opened a little in shock.

"Kurt, I—you didn't have to—I mean—"

"Don't be silly," Kurt chided gently, scooting closer to Blaine and leaning his head on his shoulder. "I couldn't possibly leave you out. Besides, you know how much I love gift shopping."

Blaine laughed softly and turned his head to kiss Kurt's nose before opening his gifts. The first one was a bowtie-shaped pin that was meant to be fastened to a bowtie, and Blaine laughed loudly at that. "You know me too well, sweetheart. I love it."

Kurt grinned. "I knew you would. Now open the next one."

Blaine opened it eagerly, being careful just in case it was fragile. What he found was a small jewelry box with a necklace in it. The necklace was a silver chain with a locket in the shape of a feathery wing, like an angel's wing. Just like an angel; just like Kurt. It made Blaine wonder what Kurt would look like with big, beautiful white wings.

"Open it up," Kurt urged, and Blaine did. Inside was a picture of Kurt; on the opposite side was a picture of Blaine and Kurt together. In the first picture, Kurt was smiling softly, conveying love and compassion through just his eyes. It was clearly meant just for Blaine. The second picture was one that Burt or Carole must have taken because neither Kurt nor Blaine seemed to know the picture was being taken. They were laughing happily, Blaine kissing Kurt's cheek while Kurt blushed and grinned all the way to his eyes, which were squinted in that adorable way they do when Kurt is unrestrictedly happy and carefree. Blaine looked between the two pictures before his eyes finally settled on the picture of just Kurt and a single tear rolled down his cheek as he smiled shakily.

He looked up at Kurt and brought a hand up to cup his cheek. "It's perfect. Thank you."

Kurt smiled softly and turned slightly to kiss his palm, reaching up to gently hold Blaine's hand there. "It's to help you remember me, just in case it isn't enough," he said, knowing Blaine would understand even as the rest of the room frowned in confusion.

"I could never forget you," Blaine whispered before throwing his arms around Kurt, hugging him tightly. "You're the love of my life. I'll always remember you and love you even if you're gone."

"Can we save the tears for later?" Burt asked lightly, smiling sadly at the boys. "It's Christmas. You're supposed to be happy.

Kurt pulled back to wipe at his eyes, smiling shakily. "He's right. We—we'll talk in private later. Let's open more presents."

Blaine nodded but still clung to Kurt's side as the rest of the room opened their presents. When it finally came time for Kurt to open Blaine's present, though, he sat up to watch Kurt's reaction nervously. "I know it isn't much… But I know you said that you can sometimes see what's going on down here when you're up there, and I don't know if you can take anything with you when you have to go, so I wanted to get you something that could make you happy even when you're not here anymore." Kurt smiled sweetly at him and opened the gift to find a CD case. He looked at Blaine in confusion and Blaine blushed nervously, stuttering out an explanation. "I put together a playlist a-and I thought I could keep the music playing for you so you could hear it and think of me… I-I know it's silly but—"

Kurt shook his head, throwing his arms around Blaine's shoulders. "I love it. It's perfect. You're perfect. Thank you."

Blaine's shoulders relaxed, relieved, as he hugged Kurt's waist and rested his head on Kurt's chest. Falling into silence, they sat together peacefully while the others opened their presents. Blaine shifted so that he could rest more fully against Kurt's chest and so that he could hear his heart beating. The sound relaxed him.

It reminded him that Kurt, in some way, was still alive.

They spent the next week they had off of school going back and forth between studying, family time, and just watching movies, cuddling, or talking with each other.

They were each other's first New Year's Eve kiss, and it was perfect.

Then, when they returned to school on Monday, January 3rd, things went on as if nothing had changed at all. And there was one specific thing that hadn't changed even a little bit.

Almost as soon as they walked into the school building together, they were surrounded by five guys from the football team. It was still early so not very many students roamed the halls yet, and most of the teachers were in their classrooms preparing lessons. They were alone.

"Surprise, Hobbit. I see you're still with Tinker Bell over here," Karofsky sneered, smirking when the other jocks laughed. Kurt tensed immediately, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly. Blaine knew that he was still hurting after having all of the memories of his attack brought back, and there was no way he was going to let these jerks hurt him even more.

"Leave him alone, Dave," Blaine said forcefully. "He hasn't done anything to you."

"Except peek at my junk in the locker room!" Karofsky retorted stupidly, making Blaine scoff.

"Oh, please. Like either of us would waste our time on you. Like I said, he hasn't done anything to you. To any of you."

"But he—"

"Made you look like an idiot? No, I think you've done that all on your own, you dimwit." Blaine wasn't sure where his boldness was coming from, but he credited his protectiveness over Kurt.

"Blaine," Kurt hissed, gripping his arm nervously. "It's not worth it. Stop."

Karofsky growled angrily, glaring viciously at Blaine. "I would take that back if I were you," he warned, balling his hands into fists.

"Or what? You'll hit me?" Blaine asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do your worst. I've faced worse than anything you can dish out."

"Wow, Anderson, I never thought you were this stupid," Karofsky laughed, a nasty smile spreading across his face. "Grab 'em, boys." Two went to grab Blaine and two went to grab Kurt, but Blaine was quick. He swung his leg out and tripped the guys going for Kurt.

"Run, Kurt!" he said as the other two grabbed him by the arms. "Go get help. I'll be fine." The last two guys seemed to give up on chasing after Kurt so they grabbed Blaine's legs so he couldn't struggle as much.

Karofsky led the group out to the football field where the goal post was. Blaine's feet were released and he was shoved against the pole, wincing. But before he could slide down to the ground, his arms were held up and he was being lifted off the ground by the guys on either side of him while Karofsky smirked at him. "This'll only hurt a lot, don't worry," he said and Blaine would've rolled his eyes if he wasn't too busy trying to escape the hold they had on his arms. It made him wish he wasn't so short.

Just as Karofsky was pulling his fist back for a punch to Blaine's jaw, a firm voice stopped him. "Hey!" Coach Bieste shouted with authority, walking quickly out onto the field with Kurt following closely behind. Blaine breathed a sigh of relief but grunted indignantly when he was dropped to the ground in a heap. He stood up and brushed himself off, glaring at one of the jocks when they shoved him while he walked towards Kurt. When he reached his boyfriend, he smiled and took his hand.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Looks like I got here just in time," Kurt whispered back.

"You're free to go, boys," Bieste said to them, smiling kindly before turning her anger on the jocks. "Five extra laps around the field for all of you today at practice! I suggest you run fast because we aren't waiting for you. Now get to class!"

"But—"

"No 'buts,' Karofsky," she cut him off. "I am not above kicking you off the team if I see another incident like this."

"Coach, you can't do that!"

"Watch me," she said before turning and leaving.

After that, Blaine had a feeling that Karofsky and his friends wouldn't be bothering them anymore. He'd never been more grateful to have Coach Bieste around.

A/N: A bit of a filler chapter, but don't worry! The next few chapters will wrap things up and I hope you guys enjoy it :) I've got it mostly planned out. It all just depends on when I get the chance to write. Thanks for being so patient with me and my spontaneous updating habits. I appreciate you all :)

Also, to hopefully ease Charleygyrl's worries: Kurt will not be dying (not again, anyway). You know I always have a happy ending in store for our two favorite boys :) I know it seems impossible right now, but it'll work out. After all, it doesn't need to be logical; I mean, we've already had Kurt sort of come back to life which can't actually happen, so why can't I make him come back to life for real? Authors make magic ;)

Love you, my lovelies!

Review please :)