I think my lovely cohorts have basically said it all, so I'll try to keep this short!Â
Thank you all SO much for your participation and support, it has been so much fun to be part of this project!Â
I'm hoping that maybe we'll come up with another cool project to work on together in the future (this is pure hopefulness right now, but wishes do sometimes come true!) because I just love being part of things like this and my friends are truly awesome people to work with! (You truly are not only wonderful to work with but you're amazing people to have as friends <3)
I hope you all enjoyed this little project, and that maybe it brightened your day!Â
Love you all, and THANK YOU!
Kat
P.S. You're all welcome to stop by and say hello, new tumblr friends are the best.
Here I go 4/5 to nearly complete the...member thanks? Not sure. Anyhow, in all seriousness, thank you all so so much for being a part of this amazing experience and submitting, reading, writing, drawing, observing, getting mad that you didn't come up with the idea first, scrolling, drooling (what?), sniffling, laughing, crying, and most of all enjoying. We couldn't've done this without all of you and I hope you've all enjoyed this as much as we have. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and days leading up to it, with all the amazing works of submitters. I had an amazing day, spending time with my family and getting exciting news from members within...soooo, hope all of you did too! Happy Holidays whatever you celebrate and it's almost New Years, so have fun until then (you have 9ish days until making untruthful new years resolutions, so make the best of it!!!). But before leaving, I just want to say a brief thanks to those people involved in this "project" because they truly mean the world to me. I love you guys all so much and thank you for being there when I needed you, it's been a pleasure guys. One last time, happy holidays and thanks so much for being a part of this! Until next time, whrnever that shall be, Love, Leah
Yeah I know weâve already gotten two of our members giving thanks to all of you but Iâm going to add mine because I feel itâs necessary.
 Thank you all so much for being a part of this crazy event with us, and being willing to share your writing with us, spreading Christmas cheer and klaine of course, with all of the fandom!
I would also like to thank all of the other admins of this blog that made all of this possible. Kat, loulou, Julia, leah , this couldnât have been done without all of our conjoined effort and insistence to make this work. And thank you all for becoming my friends, I love you all very much <3
I wish you all a happy holidays and a wonderful Christmas!
I hope you had fun being a part of this and that we could bring you some pre-Christmas joy.
Like Loulou, I hope I'm not spamming but this has to be said.
THANK YOU
for drawing, writing and reading. Without you, this would have just been an idea in my head. But there are 4 other people who I have to thank especially because without them, this wouldn't have happened because I'm not that good at organising things.
Kat, Leah, Loulou and Sarah, thank you for putting up with me, for helping me out, for sticking together when a problem arose and lastly, thank you for being my friends.
I hope everybody got what they wished for under the christmas tree
And now, the moment you have all been waiting for...
IT'S CHRISTMAS!
Good morning/noon/afternoon/night everyone! I wish you all the most wonderful days and hope it's filled with joy and presents and love and wonderful food and snow (and presents, because presents are the freaking best WHAT?) However, there are small things I need to do first.
First, I would like to give a round of applause for all the people who have made this all possible. A big round of applause to our team of lovely admins, including Julia, who's idea this was. *Applause* However, we cannot have done this without the help of all our participants. There were a few little problems here and there, but overall everything went smoothly and perfect. so yay! *applause*
Though I would like to go a little further. As it is Christmas, and it is a holiday for spreading cheer and giving love, I would like you, yes you dear reader, to do a little something for me. I would like you to go and think about one fanfic, or one fanart that you really enjoyed, and then maybe, go follow that person, or send them a short message (I hope this doesn't spam people I SWEAR THIS IS A NICE IDEA IN MY HEAD OKAY?) expressing your love for them/their fic/their art. I think there are a lot of unknown talents that were discovered through this blog, and I think they deserve to be recognized. So yeah guys, if you liked someone's work, go tell them! And reblog it for old times sake. :D
ALSO, we have reached 170 followers! YAY! *party party time*
So basically, Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and this Christmas spread some cheer to your favorite participants. I know I have already!
Kurt opened one eye to look at the children bouncing on the foot of the bed. Â âWhatâs the rules?â
âNo jumping on the bed!â the chorused with an extra high leap to land between their fathers.
âBlaine? What time is it?â Â Kurt looked over at his husband, who was already sitting up in the bed, tickling their children - and wasnât entirely sure he was even heard over the sound of their squealing laughter.
He smiled, huddling under the blanket as he watched them tussle on the other side of the bed, the two four-year-olds squealing in their laughter before taking the break their Daddy gave them to tackle him back into the pillows, Jean holding down his hands, and Patrick with his huge grin tickling any bit of Blaine he could get. Â He winced in sympathy as Blaine let out a pained âOof!â when forty-six pounds of energy plopped onto his stomach.
âDaddy isnât a trampoline, Patrick,â Kurt said, pushing himself to sit up and pulling his sons into the bed.  âLetâs have  a lazy day.â
âNoooooo, Papa, itâs CHRISTMAS,â Jean said, brown eyes growing impossibly round.
âIs it? Â I thought it got cancelled this year,â Kurt said thoughtfully.
âDonât be mean, Papa,â Blaine said with a grin, rubbing his stomach and leaning in to steal a kiss.
âPapaâs tired, Daddy,â Kurt said with a yawn.
âItâs your fault for waiting up to see Santa so you could clean up after him,â Blaine pointed out, teasing.
âYou saw Santa?!â Patrick grabbed at Kurtâs t-shirt. Â âDid you tell him I was a lot a lot good this year, making lots of green choices? Â Did you tell him I made green choices, Papa? Â Did you?!â
âAnd me too, Papa, I made green choices in our white-school too. Did you tell Santa?â
Kurt scratched at his hair, trying to put it back in order and tapped his lips thoughtfully. Â âI donât know...â he dragged the word out. Â âI seem to remember two little boys getting into Daddyâs markers and drawing all over their door.â
âIt was art, Papa.â
âWhere do we draw?â
âOn paper?â
âWhat is the door made of?â
Patrick and Jean stared at each other a long moment before looking at their Papa. Â Kurt waited patiently for their reply. âMolmost-paper.â
Blaine threw his head back, laughing. Â âThey have a point.â
âSays the arts and crafts teacher.â
âSays the arts and crafts teacher,â Blaine said with a firm nod.
Kurt looked among them all, three pairs of brown eyes dancing, and three large smiles anything but innocent.
âOh fine, I told Santa you all made green choices,â he said, laughing and shaking his head.
âYay!â Blaine cheered, grabbing up the boys - one under each arm- and heading for the door. Â âRace you to the Christmas Tree, Papa!â
âCâmon Papa! Â You can do it, Daddyâs carrying us!â
âWeâll save you your stocking, Papa!â
âOh no, you donât!â Kurt cried, grinning, as he grabbed Jean out from under Blaineâs arm and swinging him onto his shoulders as Blaine did the same with Patrick. Â
âReadysetgo!â Blaine said, running before Kurt was fully settled.
âPapa, Daddyâs cheating again!â
âI guess heâs going to have his waffles without whipped cream, then!â
âBut itâs Christmas!â Blaine shouted over his shoulder as he darted around the corner while Kurt skidded on his sock feet before entering the Living Room.
The little boys shrieked in joy and wriggled to be put down, running directly for the stockings once they had been, as their fathers moved to sit on the couch to watch the chaos.
âThat one has a P! Â P is for Patrick!â
âAnd J is for Jean! Â That oneâs mine!â
Kurt smiled as he curled up next to Blaine, pulling him in close and resting his cheek against his curls as he watched them unwrap the gifts in their stockings, comparing them and starting to play together, even before the presents under their tree got touched.
That was all right. Â Christmas lasted all day, after all.
Kurt fiddled with the lock and rolled his eyes as the kids chattered away behind him and quickly opened their front door. "Alright, shoes off, coats hung up, accessories on the mat, and then maybe I'll make everyone some hot chocolate."
Kurt grinned at Blaine, who brought up the rear of their little group, and helped everyone out of their layers before he shooed them toward their kitchen. Kurt began to follow but felt himself yanked back as a pair of arms snaked around his waist and his back collided with the strong chest of his husband. "Hi there."
"Remember when I said I wanted a big family?"
Kurt knew exactly where the conversation was headed and tried desperately to hide his grin from Blaine. "I do. You wanted three or four kids and you wanted them to grow up knowing how to play outside of a television."
"Guess what."
"Not so much now?"
"I lied. Oh, sweet mercy, did I lie. No more. We're done."
"Oh, it's not that bad," Kurt murmured and turned in Blaine's arms to face him. "It's only bad when everyone gets together. I swear Finn raises them like wolves out in the wilderness."
"Kurt," Blaine whined pathetically and nuzzled the side of Kurt's face. "They're wild. They're going to infect us all with their primitive, wacko behavior."
"You know, it's interesting." Kurt trailed his fingers lightly up Blaine's arms before he draped them behind his neck. "On multiple occasions, by different family members, I have been given the role of drama queen in both sides of the Anderson-Hummel family. I'm beginning to think they have the wrong person."
"You think you're so damn adorable," Blaine mumbled into the side of Kurt's neck. "You didn't have kids climbing you like a jungle gym."
"No, only you're allowed to that," Kurt whispered before he leaned in.
"Ewwwww, are you gonna kiss? Boys are gross."
Blaine growled low in Kurt's ear and Kurt tried to hide his smile. "I swear to God."
Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek before he pulled away and walked toward the group of five. "Just wait until you grow up." He ushered them back into the kitchen and moved toward the fridge for milk. "You won't be saying that for very long. Or girls. Either way, you'll be singing a different song."Â
Kurt grinned at his husband as he stirred the milk in the large pot on the stove and watched as he pulled mugs and whipped cream and marshmallows out.
Five minutes later Blaine and Kurt were placing mugs in front of everyone at the table.
âDaddy! She has more marshmallows than I do!â
âStop trying to steal my mallows!â
âHey, no fighting. You both have the same number of marshmallows. Everything okay, Tyler?â
The smaller boy scowled and pushed his cup back to Kurt. âNot enough chocolate. More please.â
Kurt squeezed his eyes closed and counted to three before he forced a smile onto his face. I put more in than youâre supposed to have, Ty. Iâm not putting any more in.â
âButââ
âNo buts, Tyler." Kurt watched his son huff and pout and rolled his eyes before he sipped his drink. "So, did we all have fun in the snow at the park?"
A chorus of yeses rang through the room as everyone tried to talk over each other. He glanced at their daughter first and cleared his throat loudly. "Aubrey, what was your favorite part?"
The wavy-haired brunette gave a toothless grin before giggling. "Throwing snowballs at Daddy."
"That was fun but now I'm cold! Who's going to warm me up with cuddles though?"
"Me!" Aubrey and Tyler screamed out across the table and scrambled out of their chairs to climb on Blaine's lap while the three Hudson-Berry kids gazed on.
Kurt wrapped an arm around his family and noticed the other three as they stared at their mugs and each other. "Oh, get over here, you rascals. You know you're family." He chuckled at their enthusiasm as they raced over and collided into the circle as Blaine groaned from the force. They all snuggled in together in a huddle and Kurt looked over at Blaine. "See? Big families can be good."
"Yes, especially since three get returned in two hours."
Kurt rolled his eyes and hugged his nephew closer. "It's nice to have family, though."
He felt Blaine's hand sneak over and squeeze his tightly. "It's amazing to have family. Especially one as wonderful as ours."
Kurt rubbed his thumb on top of Blaine's hand and snuggled closer to the group, awkwardly perched on laps and chairs. There was nothing like family.Â
Christmas 2013
   âRachel! Come on!â Kurt stared up at the infernal plant or what ever the hell it was that was hanging from the overhead beam as Rachel tackled him for the third time in an under an hour and kissed his cheek. The ball of green leaves and white berries seemed to mock him. âHow many of those did you buy?â
   âTwenty. I got a good deal on them at the Christmas tree lot,â she shrugged. She pushed past him into the bathroom to put the finishing touches on her makeup before their guests arrived.Â
   âAnd how did you get such a good deal?â Kurt asked, buttoning his waistcoat as he made his way into the living room.
   âI may have flirted with the Boy Scout working there for a bit,â she answered. Kurt froze and turned towards the bathroom. He saw Rachel leaning towards the mirror, tapping her fingertip over her lipgloss.
   âIâm sorry, but did you just say you flirted with a Boy Scout? Youâve been spending too much time with Santana.â Kurt picked bottle of soda and poured himself a glass, adding a splash of rum.
   Rachel huffed, âHe wasnât a little kid, Kurt. He was easily seventeen.â He heard her heels clicking on the floor as she joined him. As he raised his glass to his mouth, Rachel threw her arms around him to give him another kiss, causing him to spill his drink down the front of his shirt and vest.
   âDamnit, Rachel!â He pushed her away and sprinted to his room. They only had a few minutes before people were due to arrive and the outfit he had spent the past week planning was ruined.
Day 18: Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Kid!Klaine)
Kurt doesn't look forward to Christmas. Not since his mother died the year before. She was the one who brought magic to the holiday for Kurt, but, despite his best efforts, it's exceptionally difficult to just ignore Christmas when your best friend is Blaine Anderson.
"Aren't you excited?" Blaine asks while they're playing superheroes in Blaineâs room. Kurt shrugs.
"Not really," he says simply. Blaine looks like Kurt just told him he has three heads.
"But-but it's Christmas!" he argues, "Santa's coming soon! If he hears you then you might not get any presents!" Kurt doesn't mention that Santa isnât real, he wants to, the words are on the tip of his tongue but the way Blaine's eyes gleam with hope stops him from saying them. He misses the days when he could believe as well.
Kurt smiles and goes back to playing with the action figure.
"I'm sure, he'll still come," Kurt says to reassure Blaine, "We've both been really good this year!" Blaine grins from ear to ear as he nods in agreement.
"Blaine!" Cooper yells, suddenly bursting through the door. He storms over to where they sit, playing on the floor, and snatches the superheroes out of his and Kurt's hands. "How many times do I have to tell you not to touch my stuff! These aren't toys, keep your snotty hands off of them!" Cooper growls.
"I'm sorry, Coop!" Blaine says, rising to his feet and following after his brother. "I don't mean to be bad! please don't tell Santa!" he begs. Cooper's always telling Blaine that he's bad when it comes to pretty much anything.
"Stop being such a baby," Cooper says, placing his hand on Blaine's forehead and shoving him away. Blaine falls to the floor but remains looking up at his big brother, "Santa doesn't exist, haven't you figured that out yet?" With that he slams the door shut behind him, leaving Blaine and Kurt alone.
Kurt makes his way over to Blaine, sitting carefully beside him. Blaine is staring at the door where Cooper just left, confusion etched onto his face as he calculates what he just said.
"Blaine?" Kurt says gently, placing a small hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Santa isn't real?" Blaine asks, looking to Kurt for either conformation or reassurance, Kurt isnât sure.
"Don't listen to Cooper," Kurt says, "he's just a stupid big-kid."
"But-but Cooper knows everything! He's always right!" Blaine argues. "Santa's really not real," he says dejectedly and Kurt's heart breaks. He knows exactly what it's like, to feel like all of the magic and the miracles come down to nothing. Last year he didn't feel like it mattered, not with everything else that had happened but now, with Blaine, he wants nothing more than for his best friend to be able to believe again.
"Of course Santa is real!" Kurt says, "But he only brings presents to kids, right? When you grow up, you forget about all the magic and become a boring grown up." Blaine frowns as Kurt speaks.
"Am I turning into a grown up?" Blaine asks in a panic.
"No! Of course not!" Kurt hurries, "Because Santa is still real, right?" Blaine nods slowly.
"Right," he eventually agrees.
~~~
Kurt rushes into his room as soon as he gets home and immediately begins rummaging through his closet. He finds a stuffed dog given to him by a distant relative a few birthdays before that he never really cared much for. It needs to be something Blaine isn't aware he owns.
He finds some wrapping paper, sticky tape and scissors and begins wrapping the toy as neatly as he can. Despite his efforts, it's still a little messy but Kurt places a bow over the small tear and flattens some of the uneven corners with more sticky tape. Lastly he writes the label. Using his best handwriting, Kurt addresses the present to Blaine and signs it from Santa.
He slips it into Blaine's bag at the end of school the next day as they're saying goodbye.
"Kurt!" Blaine says excitedly the next day at school, "You won't believe it!"
"What is it?" Kurt asks curiously though he has a feeling he knows what Blaineâs so excited about.
"Santa came early! He already gave me a present!" Blaine opens his bag and pulls out the stuffed animal Kurt had gifted to him secretly. Kurt feigns surprise, loving how happy Blaine seems. "He is real!" Blaine half whispers. "I asked my parents about what Cooper said and they said that he wasn't real too but...but he's real!"
"Well of course your parents would say that," Kurt says like it's obvious "They're grownups. They forgot about Santa ages ago! Only kids know about him," Kurt whispers as though it was a secret.
It's a few days before Christmas and Blaine's mother drops him off at Kurt's for the day while she has to work.
"Come on!" Kurt say, pulling Blaine into the kitchen.
"What's going on?" Blaine asks as he allows himself to be dragged away.
"We have to make Christmas cookies! I heard it makes Santa come early!" Kurt says, reciting what his mother used to tell him when they used to bake together at Christmas time. Kurt finds his mom's old cook book and opens it up on the recipe for Christmas cookies.
"I've never baked anything before..." Blaine says uncertainly as Kurt begins to take the ingredients out of the cupboards.
"That's okay," he assures Blaine, "I'll show you what to do."
Kurt measures out the ingredients and let's Blaine mix them together in the bowl. He's just a little too aggressive with the mixing as he manages to spill flour all over himself. Kurt chuckles at his hopelessness as he wipes up the mess on the kitchen top before cleaning Blaine up with a paper towel.
"Do it gently!" Kurt instructs and Blaine starts again much slower, getting the hang of it eventually. Once they have scooped the cookie dough onto the baking tray, Kurt calls his dad in to help put them in the oven.
"Decorating them is the best bit," Kurt says once they're cooked and cooled enough. Kurt had to chastise Blaine for eating one early. "The better they're decorated, the better presents Santa brings," Kurt tells him matter-of-factly. At that Blaine suddenly becomes significantly more interested in decorating the cookies, however art was neither boy's strong point. Kurt frowns at the cookies, they're nowhere near as pretty as the ones he used to make with his mom but, when he looks over at Blaine who is decorating his last cookie, he sees how proud he looks at their hard work.
"I think Santa will like them," Blaine says, admiring their work and Kurt nods, allowing himself to smile.
"They're perfect," he says and he means it.
Kurt works on his next surprise. He wraps up a small wooden carving of a bird he made in woodshop after deciding to engrave Blaine's name on it instead of his own and signs it from Santa as well. Deciding to go a step further, Kurt sneaks into his father's bedroom and finds one of his old boots.
Downstairs, he tiptoes to the kitchen so his dad won't be suspicious and, pulling open the freezer, he scrapes at the ice lining the freezer walls, filling a small plastic tray. Before he takes it upstairs, Kurt grabs a carrot from the bottom drawer of the fridge and takes a bite out of it, pocketing the rest of it. Blaine should be arriving soon, so he has to be quick.
Kurt doesn't know when this turned into such a big project for him. It suddenly felt like the only thing that mattered was making Blaine believe. When she was alive, Kurt's mom would always make sure Santa stayed real and now, doing the same for Blaine, Kurt felt that by keeping Santa alive, he was also keeping his motherâs memory alive. He may have had to grow up prematurely, as everyone says, but that doesn't mean Blaine has to put away his childhood early.
It's Christmas eve so it's his last chance at making Blaine's Christmas dreams come true.
Pressing the boot into the tray, Kurt begins making icy footprints on the floor of their upstairs hallway. It hasn't snowed all winter much to Blaine's disappointment.
The doorbell rings downstairs and Kurt hurries to answer it before his dad does.
"Blaine!" he says as Blaine is saying goodbye to his mother. Kurt pulls Blaine into the house as his dad chats with Blaine's mom. "You missed him!" Blaine, who is clutching at the stuffed dog Kurt had given him gives him an odd look.
"Missed who?" Blaine asks in confusion as he is led upstairs.
"Santa!"
"What!?" Blaine cries, "He was here?"
Kurt nods, "Uh huh! I told you the cookies work! He left some presents for you too, since you helped make them!" Blaine follows Kurt across the hall, freezing when he sees the footprints on the floor.
"He...He really was here!" Blaine exclaims.
"It must be really snowy in the North Pole," Kurt mentions, "He was covered!"
Blaine follows the footprints into Kurt's bedroom, eyes widening when he sees two presents on Kurt's bed. Kurt had decided to throw in the present he had bought Blaine himself with his saved up pocket money and say it was from Santa, too.
"I can't believe I missed him," Blaine mumbles sadly, "Did you talk to him?"
Kurt nods before pulling out the half eaten carrot from his pocket. "He let me feed his reindeer!"
"Are you serious?" Blaine asked, gawking at the vegetable. "I miss all the good stuff!"
Blaine can't stay disappointed after opening his presents though.
"Do you think this was carved by his elves?" Blaine asks, holding the wooden bird in his hand. The carving is shaky and uneven but Blaine doesn't seem to notice the flaws.
"Probably," Kurt agrees as Blaine tears off the wrapping of his second present.
It's a blue and grey striped bow tie. Kurt had seen the way Blaine marvelled over the ones he sometimes wore and thought this one would suit his best friend. He watches Blaine as he unwraps it, itching to know if he likes it or not. Blaine moves to stand in front of Kurt's mirror.
"It was sewn by hand by Santaâs elves," Kurt supplies as Blaine holds it up to his neck, smiling goofily as he looks at his reflection. Turning back towards Kurt, Blaine flings his arms around him, hugging him as tightly as possible.
~~~
That night, Blaine stays awake all night waiting for Santa to come. He needs to be sure and he'll do whatever it takes to know for certain. After his fourth glass of milk and the fifth telling from his mother to go to bed, Blaine reluctantly goes to his room but he doesn't sleep. He drags a chair to his window and sits beside it, curled up in a blanket and looks sleepily out at the sky. The night is clear, there are no clouds and the sky is littered with thousands upon thousands of glittering stars. But no Santa. There are no footsteps on the roof or bumbling noises from downstairs.
Eventually he falls asleep, head pressed against the cool glass of his window and wrapped snugly in his blanket.
The next morning, there are presents but he knows they're from his parents. They're not pretending any more. Santa is for kids.
Santa isn't real.
And for some reason, Blaine can't seem to stop smiling because if Santa isn't real then Kurt was the one who got him the bow tie. Itâs tucked into his pocket and Blaine promises to wear it every single day. It was Kurt who did everything, not Santa.
An hour into their drive back to Lima the snow starts blowing across the highway in front of them, just barely dusting the pavement with white. It doesnât take long for that same snow falling from the sky to start falling quicker and heavier, bigger snowflakes dotting the windshield and blurring Blaineâs view of the road. They keep driving until Blaine can barely see two inches in front of his car, the small flurries turning into a furious blizzard. When Blaine nearly fishtails across the ice, and both of them recover from their terrified shrieks, Blaine pulls to the side of the road slowly and they sit there, breathing heavily while the car hums from the heater.
âBlaine, I donât think we can drive in this.â
âYeah, no kidding,â Blaine answers. He squints his eyes, attempting to see the road to his side, but he canât, no matter how hard he tries.
âWell what do we do?â Kurt is rubbing his palms together, searching for his gloves on the floor of the car and pulling them onto his hands.
âWe could leave the car here and walk, but I donât know how far we are from the next town.â Blaine can see Kurt biting his lip nervously and watching the heavy snow out the window as though by glaring at it he might cause it to leave. âOr we can keep driving, go really slowly until we find somewhere to stop for the night. We canât sit here in the car either, we canât run the heat forever or weâll run out of gas. And all we have to drink is whatâs left of my hot chocolate from earlier.â
Blaine pauses for a moment, seeming to consider the situation. âOr, yâknow, we could always drink the snow.â
Kurt can hear the smile in the words, but refuses to look at Blaine. âNot the time, Blaine.â
He knows Blaine is just trying to lighten the mood, but Kurt is worried and not quite willing to play along at this very moment.
Blaine huffs regretfully. âSorry. I think we could drive just a bit farther if we go slowly. We must be getting close to something.â Kurt makes a gesture towards the road that clearly indicates that he wants to keep driving, but he doesnât say anything, placing his forehead against the near-freezing glass window and sighing.
They crawl along the road, peering through the snow for signs of a town where they can stop until the weather clears up. Blaine senses Kurt getting increasingly tense, and reaches across to squeeze his hand briefly in comfort before pulling back to focus on the precarious road.
After almost half an hour of slow progress Kurt nearly jumps in his seat, hands flailing in the air. âThereâs an exit coming up!â He says, some of the stress obviously draining out of him knowing they are close to somewhere where there will be food and heat.
They finally creep their way into the parking lot of the tourist information place just off the highway exit and make their way inside, hoping someone there might help them find a place to stay.
The woman at the desk looks startled when they barrel through the door covered in snow, clearly already in the process of closing up shop early.
âHello!â Blaine calls cheerfully, waving at the pleasant looking, middle aged woman who still looks a little shocked to see them. âI know you were probably closing because of the weather, but we obviously arenât going to make it back to Ohio tonight, so we were hoping you could help us find someplace to stay...â
âI donât know what there is likely to be available given that itâs the holidays and people have been pulling off the highway for hours to find places to stay because of the snow, but Iâll see what I can find!â She smiles kindly at them and settles in front of her computer, beginning to type and click rapidly. After a few phone calls and many minutes spent on the computer the woman shakes her head slowly, a slight frown marring her features.
âThere really isnât anything open,â she says. âThe only thing I could find was a cabin, but by the looks of you boys Iâd say youâre driving back from college for the holidays, and those cabins are pretty expensive.â
âI donât think -â Kurt begins, knowing that his bank account is pretty well empty, but he gets cut off by Blaine speaking directly to the woman at the desk.
âCan you book it for us from here?â Both Kurt and the woman eye Blaine for a moment, looking startled and unsure.
âUm, of course. Do you have a credit card to book it with?â Blaine quickly pulls out a gold card and hands it across the desk. He turns to Kurt with a shrug and a smirk tugging at his lips.
âChristmas present from my dad.â He murmurs to Kurt, quietly enough that the woman canât hear. Kurtâs eyebrows shoot up his forehead, and a sudden chuckle escapes him at the thought of the look on Mr. Andersonâs face when he sees the charge. He reaches forward to pull Blaine into a quick hug, hiding his laughter against his boyfriendâs neck.
It doesnât take long to find their way to check in and then to their cabin from there, dropping their suitcases in the bedroom and flopping on the bed.
âThey said we could order food from the kitchen and theyâd bring it out like room service right?â Kurt asks, sounding exhausted.
âYeah, want to shower and warm up a little first? Then weâll find something stupid on TV and order food.â Kurt nods into the pillow in agreement, face nearly buried in the fluffiness, but stress still apparent in his body. Blaine rubs his hand across Kurtâs back, trying to help him relax. He knows that Kurt had really wanted to get home to his family, excited to see them again after so many months in New York, but they both knew finding somewhere to stop had been the right decision.
They had called Burt already and told him where they were; heard him chuckle and try to sound stern when Blaine explained how he had paid for the cabin âwell itâs too late now isnât it?â Burt had said, before laughing again and telling them to have fun, to even stay the rest of the weekend if they really felt like it because Kurt didnât need to be home until Monday.
It takes them a little while to drag themselves from the bed, but eventually they were warm and clean, and the pair of them were curl up on the plush couch in the living room and flip on the TV. There are multiple Christmas movies on that they kept flipping through, but after switching through about fifty different stations they settle on âLove, Actuallyâ (because âColin Firth, Blaine!â and âNo, actually, Liam Neeson is the reason weâre watching this right now, Kurtâ). When the movie ended they just let the TV play in the background as they lay down and talk, noses close and brushing with every particularly ecstatic sentence or flirty comment.
âI donât even need the TV,â Blaine comments after a moment of silence, staring into Kurtâs eyes. Kurt was red from laughing at something he said, but still as attractive as ever. âYouâre more handsome than all the movie stars combined.â The hand brushing along his jaw combined with Blaineâs statement had Kurt simultaneously blushing and scoffing.
âOkay, Blaine,â he chokes out disbelievingly. âSure.â
âI mean it,â Blaine says, and Kurt canât help but believe and feel the sincerity of his words; feel it in his hands stroking up and down his back, see it in his eyes and corners of his mouth, feel it in his heartbeat, still steady even in their silence. His eyes twinkle with unbridled happiness, and their hands twine together in between them before Blaine takes Kurtâs arms, wrapping them around his own shoulders and cuddling him closer.
Kurt sighs, utterly warm and content, nuzzling his nose against Blaineâs chest. âYou know, this really isnât so bad.â
Blaine smiles, his lips brushing against Kurtâs neck, eyes closing, and then he thinks. Thinks of that day on the staircase, all of their Christmases together; their duets and breakups and makeups. And he also thinks of the ring he had hidden in his duffle bag, ready for Christmas day when they first wake up sleepy and warm and together. Â Blaine is ready to kneel and stutter through his proposal while Kurt cries (of course heâll cry, Blaine himself will be bawling like a fucking baby), and even through all of their hardships theyâll still be them.
âBlaine?â Kurt asked, squinting at the lamplight illuminating the piles of wrapping paper and ribbon laying on the floor and coffee table. Blaine looked up from his perch on the edge of the couch, sleeves of his red sweater pushed up to his elbows and wrapping paper dangling from a pair of scissors in his hand.
âHave you been up all night?â Kurt shuffled into the room and sat on the arm of the couch, stifling a yawn. Blaine resumed his cutting.
âWe got a whole bunch of last minute donations at the toy drive, and I wanted to make sure they were ready for today.â
Kurt surveyed the room, eyes widening at the piles of wrapped presents nearly blocking his view of their 6-foot Christmas tree.
âYou should have woke me. I would have helped,â Kurt said kindly.
âI know, but you have work early today," Blaine reasoned, smiling up at Kurt. "Iâm almost done,â Blaine added with an exaggerated pressing of a bow on the now wrapped box in front of him. He stood, set the present by the other piles, and grabbed another toy before sitting back down. Kurt slid onto the couch beside him and picked up the tape dispenser, tearing off a piece and holding it ready for Blaine.
âArenât you an industrious elf,â Kurt commented.
âI do have pretty good aim,â Blaine quipped, taking the tape with a smile.
âYour affinity for Lord of the Rings aside, I wasnât referring to that kind of elf, love.â
Blaine pouted playfully at Kurt, and that combined with the green Santa hat sitting lopsided atop his head made Kurt chuckle. When Blaine continued to pout, Kurt leaned in and pressed his lips to Blaine's. Blaine sighed, settling his palm against Kurt's jaw. The gesture sent tingling warmth throughout Kurt's body and he pulled Blaine closer, deepening the kiss.
When Kurt pulled away, tipping his forehead against Blaine's, both men were breathless. Kurt took a shaky breath and opened his eyes to fuss with the hat, smoothing Blaine's curls away from his forehead with a fond smile and a gentle touch. Blaine watched Kurt's relaxed expression with adoration, swiping his thumb across Kurt's cheek.
âWhat kind of elf were you referring to?â Blaine asked softly.
âThe kind that works hard," Kurt answered with a final tug on the hat, "and spreads cheer during the holiday season.â
 âI do have some experience with cheer.â Blaine leaned over and picked up another box, smirking as he jiggled it in front of Kurt so the cheerleading doll's pompoms shook.
âSo do I,â Kurt reminded.
âWell, then, itâs a good thing weâll have matching hats when we give out the toys tonight.â Blaine proffered another hat from behind him on the couch, this one a bright red.
âOh, no," Kurt warned, leaning away from Blaine's mischievous expression. "I draw the line at tacky Santa hats.â
Blaine slipped his legs under him on the couch and followed Kurt's retreat, attempting to set the hat on Kurt's head. Kurt batted Blaine's hands away, only to laugh when Blaine again pouted and tried to get the hat on. Blaine advanced until Kurt was lying back on the couch, wrapping paper crinkling under him, but still he fended off Blaine's attempts.
âOh, come on, Kurt," Blaine entreated when Kurt had stilled Blaine's hands with a firm grip. "Whereâs your holiday spirit? Please?â
âIâll show you holiday spirit,â Kurt teased suggestively. Blaine's forehead wrinkled in curiosity as Kurt blindly reached out, grabbed a bow from the coffee table, and pressed it to Blaine's sweater, over his heart. Blaine's eyes widened as Kurt pulled him down atop him, kissing Blaine hard. Kurt nipped at Blaine's lower lip and slid his hands under the sweater, sweeping his hands along Blaine's lower back. Blaine relaxed under Kurt's ministrations, tilting his head to deepen the kiss and settling between Kurt's legs.
When Kurt pushed the sweater up, letting his fingers play across Blaine's sides, Blaine pushed up only to dip back down for a quick kiss when Kurt whined.
âAre you unwrapping me?" Blaine inquired with a tilt of his head. Kurt dipped his fingers under the band of Blaine's pajama pants and smirked when Blaine's eyelids fluttered. "I donât recall this being part of the holiday spirit,â Blaine protested weakly.
âIt is now.â
Kurt drew Blaine back down, kissing him again and wrapping a leg around Blaine's, all thoughts of hats forgotten.
And later, with children jumping up and down with excitement, the grandest feast the homeless shelter has ever had, and a wide smile on Blaine's face, Kurt wore the hat.
âNo, Blaine,â Kurt laughed, âI will not get out on that ice.â He grasped his hot chocolate mug with one hand and the wall with the other. The skates were wobbly on the ground, but he was perfectly content wobbling rather than having slippery ice beneath him.
âPleeeeease? Pretty please, Kurt? âŠWith a bow tie on top?â Blaine stuck out his bottom lip, pouting.
âYouâre ridiculous. I canât go ice skating because, uh, because I havenât finished my hot chocolate!â
âWell, then I guess it will just have to join us for the ride, wonât it?â Blaine raised an eyebrow, and before Kurt even had any time to wonder, Blaine took his hand and dragged him out onto the ice and they were skating fast, too fast for Kurtâs liking.
âBlaine, whatâs going on- BLAINE!â Kurt shrieked as he skidded across the ice, but Blaine caught him just in time. The hot chocolate, unfortunately, was not as lucky. The cup had fallen onto the ice, and the splattered hot chocolate was slowly beginning to freeze.
âHey, no hot chocolate on the ice!â A guard came rushing over to the side of the rink, looking at both of the boys. He turned and attempted to jog, as fast as he could on ice skates, to the opening of the rink where he could go to catch the culprits.
Kurt looked at Blaine, terrified of what would happen, but Blaine just looked him in the eyes, his emotional unreadable, âDo you trust me?â
âYes, Blaine, of course, I- I trust you⊠But what are we doing? Donât we have to wait for the guard to-?â But Kurt couldnât finish his question. Blaine grabbed Kurtâs hand once more and was quickly skating him across the center of the rink, dodging people left and right. The rules stated you were only to go in circles, but they were being chased.
The guard yelled about more safety violations and made everyone else clear off of the ice. But Blaine and Kurt had already escaped, and were throwing their rented ice skates on the ground. They ran down the block to Kurtâs apartment, and didnât stop until they were safe inside.
Kurt, out of breath, began to laugh, âI cannot believe we just ran away from a security guard because we spilled hot chocolate at an ice rink. Not to mention, we were in our socks, running down the streets of New York! Youâre lucky I was wearing last yearâs boots.â
Blaine chuckled. âMe neither. I guess we shouldnât show our faces there for a while.â
They both gazed at each other for a minute as the heavy breathing slowed, and when their breathing finally steadied, Blaineâs lips formed a smirk. âShouldnât you be thanking me?â
âThanking you?! I didnât even want to skate in the first place!â Kurt acted defensive, but there was a sparkle in his eye that showed he was joking.
âHey, I saved your life! Besides, I think we are the only people in this world that can say a whole ice rink was cleared just because we are criminals on the run, charged with spilling hot chocolate!â
Before Kurt could respond, there was a knock at the door. Both of their expressions went from playful to serious. Â âOh my god, Blaine, itâs him, heâs here, weâre so screwed. What are we going to do, I canât be arrested now, oh my god!â
âKurt, Kurt, calm down. Itâll be fine. Even if it is him, we arenât going to get arrested for spilling hot chocolate and skating in the wrong direction. Speaking of which, wasnât the ice in the center so much smoother? We should do that more often.â
âBlaine, stop! We left the scene, that could- that could be a felony or something!â
âYouâre thinking car accidents. Trust me, itâs not that serious. Iâm going to go get the door, it will be just fine.â
Blaine opened the door, his heartbeat admittedly higher than usual, and let out a sigh of relief when Rachel and Brody walked in.
âRachel, you scared us half to death!â Kurt came running and wrapped his arms around Brodyâs neck, even though they had only met a couple of times.
âUhhâŠâ Brody just looked down at the man grasping him tightly and patted his back awkwardly. âItâll be, er, itâll be okay Kurt.â
Rachel dropped a few grocery bags on the kitchen table. âOkay then, moving on. Hey, did you guys see that they made all of the people clear off of the ice rink down the street? I wonder what that was about!â
Both Kurt and Blaine shared a glance and began laughing hysterically. This earned them strange looks from Rachel and Brody, but some stories are better left unsaid.
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