AN: It's snowing, a swan couple has moved into the lake behind my flat, and I have an exam tomorrow morning... So here's a Christmas chapter... enjoy!

Chapter 6 - Don't Forget to Be You

"And so this is Christmas. And what have you done?" The holiday season is once again upon us. It is now a time for friends and loved ones, for merriment, for rediscovering that dusty playfully named playlist hidden somewhere on your MP 3 player. But it is also a time for reflection. The year is coming to a close, and we start to reminisce about the year that has passed. We remember our victories, our losses. We look to the future and the hopes of what is yet to come. We find time, this season, in our busy schedules of togetherness to spare a thought for those less fortunate than us. By the same token, this is a time to be grateful for what we do have. The people in our lives, the achievements we have made. I may not be here much over the next week or so, as, I suspect, most of you won't either. So I will take the time now to say happy holidays to all my dear readers, and all the best to all of you this new year.

- 2BaBumblebee

The airport was busy. The little shops were covered in over-sized bubbles and multi-colored trees. The people milling about wore expressions varying from overly stressed to very exited. There was a constant buzz of voices hanging in the air, underpinned by yet another replay of iconic Christmas songs. Blaine found himself sitting by a little indistinct coffee shop by the arrival section of Columbus airport, clutching a little-more-than-lukewarm cup of cinnamon scented coffee in his hands while he watched the people around him. A smile crept over his face as he watched a rather tall man bouncing on the spot, standing beside a plump middle aged woman wearing a hesitant smile. They were clearly waiting for someone, their eyes fixed on the gates from where travelers were appearing in a steady flow. Warmth crept into the woman's smile and the man waved with exaggeratedly large sweeps of his arms a short while later, and Blaine observed how a lean, rather handsome, man was greeted with nothing but warmth. A stab of something related to jealousy seeped into Blaine's heart as the little group made their way to the exit. He had arrived from New York about an hour and a half ago to find that his mother had mixed up his date of arrival despite of his friendly reminder the day before. Rather than giving in to his sullen mood, Blaine rebooted his tablet to finish up that entry he had meant to upload to his Blogger.

Blaine let himself fall face first onto the mattress. It was in times like these he missed his violin the most. He rarely brought it with him to Ohio, despite having a hard time surviving without it, because he would rather avoid his parents remarks on the cost of bringing an instrument on an aircraft. Annoyingly they were right, the cost was rather steep, and it was only for a few weeks anyway. And his parents did still have their piano, though his father claimed to get a headache every time Blaine played it. All in all he would have to wait until the next day to let out his frustration through music.

It was the 25th of December, and the Anderson Christmas lunch had (finally) come to a close. Blaine felt drained after a whole day of dusty businessmen uncles and stuffy housewife aunts. Despite being an image conscious family, they had all been relatively supportive of him when he came out. It didn't stop relatives from commenting on the length of his hair or the insensible choice of career he had made; comments that were always phrased in a way as to sound friendly, even helpful. His parents followed the same pattern as the more distant relatives. Once he and Cooper had moved out their parents had filled the hole once occupied by their children with other hobbies and more work. They were not uncaring, they had always done their best to ensure that their children were provided for. Now that the children had grown up, it was as if the parents saw their job as complete, was all. Christmas was the only time, really, that the family was gathered. Being in his old room always made Blaine feel oddly out of place, and he spend the holiday trying to make up excuses for not being in his childhood home.

Having allowed himself five minutes of self-pity, Blaine pulled himself into a sitting position and grabbed his tablet. Flicking through the comments section of his blog he was delighted to see that one of his more favoured blog buddies had replied to his Christmas post. VonTrappChild didn't comment all that often on Blaine's posts, but when he did, his responses always reflected contemplation and gained insight.

"Yet again a well presented, well thought out entry. The holiday season is a very special time of year, and means something different to each of us as humans. The idea of reflection as a signifier of the season is interesting to me, and not without weight. To me, out of personal reasons, the Christmas days (which I celebrate) are filled with the memories of the past, and the importance of remembrance holds a significant place for me. This concept of dual reflection, of the past (the year that ends) and future (the year about to begin) meeting at this time, I find inspiring. So in the spirit of these thoughts let me say thank you for your inspiring and thought provoking entries, and wish your all the best for the new year.

VonTrappChild"

A few days later found Blaine sitting on a worn couch, beer in hand, watching his old high school friends goofing around. It was the annual Warbler get together, conveniently held on New Years Eve. The party was the highlight of Blaine's time in Ohio, and the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends like Nick and Jeff who had gone to LA for college or Thad who now lived in Austin, Texas.

"Hey Blainykins," Jeff, a highly energetic, tallish man, who both looked and acted a few years below his age, dumped into the seat next to Blaine, "What are we doing about the Wedding? Can you believe one of us is actually getting married? Insane!" Blaine subtly side-eyed his friend. Jeff had been with his partner, Nick, since their High School days, and there seemed to be no reason to suspect them breaking apart any time soon.

"Yeah, crazy days." he agreed, with only a slight hint a sarcasm. "And I don't know what we're gonna do about the wedding. I suppose we need to have a meeting at some point soon; make some plans."

"For sure," Jeff agreed. "So when are you going to come visit us in LA? It's amazing this time of year, compared to here! No snow, man. It's this close to heaven!" Jeff illustrated his point by holding up his hand, thumb and pointer spaced only an inch apart.

"Don't know. Depends on work and all that," Blaine replied, as Nick joined them by placing himself in Jeff's lap.

"David said you're playing at the reception," Nick said as Jeff placed a few kisses to his neck, "You know what you want to play yet?"

"Wait what?!" Jeff interrupted before Blaine got the chance to answer, "we get to hear you play? Yes! It's been ages," Jeff fist pumped enthusiastically.

"It has not!" Blaine tried to defend himself, though he knew it had.

"We're really looking forward to it, Blaine. You're really good, plus having your friend play on a day like that is even more special." Nick, the more sensible and calm of the two said, running a calming hand through his boyfriend's blond hair. Just then Wes cranked the music up as he called out: "Remember this one guys?", prompting the gathered warbles to cheer and start singing loudly.

AN: And so we have reached the halfway point. Being European, I am not entirely sure how airports are decorated in December in America. I have based it on my experiences with Edinburgh and London, where they were filled with colour... Chapter 7 details an anticipated event for the characters... It will probably be up tomorrow sometime, unless something unexpected happens... As always, if you have any questions, related to the story or otherwise, let me know. I'll be happy to answer.