You’re My Christmas Miracle (one-shot)
Title: You’re My Christmas Miracle
Genre: a dash of angst, a drop of fluff
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own Glee or its characters. I just play with them.
Word Count: ~3800
Summary: Blaine lives all alone in his big house, and he's lonely
A/N: This is a fill for this prompt from glee-angst-meme. I’m not exactly happy with the end product, it’s not perfect, but if I spend any more time editing it, I’ll be too frustrated to publish it at all, so here it is; I hope crycrywolf likes it. And it’s unbeta-ed, sorry…
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YOU’RE MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
The last few days before the Christmas break was always a time where nothing much was achieved academically at McKinley. Everyone knew that and even the strictest of teachers learned to accept it eventually. There were Christmas decorations appearing randomly in classrooms and hallways, and everyone was distracted by holiday plans and Christmas spirit. Some students wore Santa hats or Christmas-themed accessories to school, some burst into carols or Christmas songs out of the blue.
Kurt let himself be swept away by it all. Last year, at Dalton, he’d been surprised by how bad he’d missed the crazy. It was all much more organized and kind of majestic there. No one even thought about going easy on students just because there were holidays approaching. And it just hadn’t been a good time for Kurt, all things considered. With so many changes at home - newly extended family, a new house - and still being basically an outsider at Dalton, with his quiet crush on Blaine and memories of Karofsky’s threats still fresh in his mind, he’d felt lonely and out of place most of the time, so it had been hard to really get into the spirit of Christmas.
But this year, it was a dream come true. Kurt had all his friends and his amazing boyfriend around him, and he was going to spend wonderful Christmas with his family. He wouldn’t get to see Blaine for a couple of days, but it was okay. It was family time after all, and with Blaine’s parents so busy, Kurt wouldn’t dare disturb their time together at Christmas, even though Carole suggested inviting his boyfriend over for dinner on Christmas Eve. Kurt understood it all too well: family time was precious.
***
Blaine felt a little uneasy confronted with all the pre-Christmas crazy at McKinley. It wasn’t just because of the chaos; he didn’t really mind that. What got to him was people talking, sharing their plans and family stories openly, and asking, always asking. It had been different at Dalton; many students there came from families that highly valued their privacy for whatever reasons - affluent families, famous families, complicated families. It was something that wasn’t discussed at Dalton. You just didn’t talk about your family.
Here? No such thing. Family stories, Christmas plans, outright questions - it was absolutely normal. Blaine didn’t want to stick out, so he smiled and answered vaguely enough to sound convincing but not reveal much. It wasn’t like he could lie anyway - Kurt always said Blaine was the world’s worst liar. But he didn’t want people to know about his real home situation. It would only cause uncomfortable questions, funny looks, pity. And pity was the last thing Blaine wanted.
So he said he’d be spending Christmas the usual way, at home; no, he wasn’t going anywhere, he never did. And yes, of course he’d love to meet for coffee with Kurt on the 27th. No, no, his parents wouldn’t mind. Yes, he was sure.
Because Kurt didn’t know, either. That was probably the hardest part of it all. He just knew that Blaine’s parents were busy people, working from dawn till dusk, often going away on business, and not very warm or affectionate, either. Kurt had never met them, but he had no idea Blaine hardly ever met them himself, their contacts restricted to occasional emails and texts while they traveled the world constantly, for business or passion or fun, or sometimes all three at once, just because they could.
When Blaine had summed it all up, it turned out they were home for 59 days last year, and that’s if he counted the days of their departures and arrivals, too. And it hadn’t even been the worst year. Blaine basically lived alone most of the time, he had for several years, ever since he was old enough to take care of himself. His family never really celebrated Christmas, just like they didn’t celebrate birthdays, because these were family things and the Andersons weren’t a traditional family. In fact, you’d have to accept a broad definition of family to be able to apply the term to them at all, judging just by the reality of their lives.
Kurt didn’t know any of this and he wouldn’t know as long as possible, preferably ever. Because Blaine didn’t want pity. He didn’t want to worry Kurt, who was so emphatic and compassionate, and would undoubtedly have his own family time spoiled by the thought that his boyfriend was alone in the big empty house, spending Christmas just like any other free day, with music, books and movies, and take-out pizza or Chinese, unless he felt like cooking for himself, while his parents were… somewhere. Hawaii this time? Or Greece? Blaine stopped trying to remember long ago.
It wasn’t easy to hide it from Kurt, of course, but fortunately his boyfriend was so busy planning and organizing, and chattering happily about strings of lights and new stockings he made for everyone in his family, and this special recipe for cinnamon rolls he used every year but wanted to modify a bit, that Blaine managed to pull it off. And yes, when Kurt said how Carole asked to invite Blaine over on Christmas Eve, all Blaine wanted to say was Yes, yes, please, I’ll gladly leave the empty house and see what’s it like to have a real Christmas, if only for a little while. But he didn’t, of course, he just nodded solemnly when Kurt added that he understood it was impossible because family time was sacred, especially when Blaine’s parents got to spend so little time with him, working late so often. So in the end they embraced and kissed, exchanged gifts to drop in their stockings and open later, wished each other merry Christmas and parted for four days.
And Blaine managed to keep his smile on till the moment Kurt’s Navigator disappeared around a corner. Only then did he move; slowly, morosely, he drove home where no one ever waited for him.
***
Kurt stood up from the sewing machine and sighed contentedly; done just in time. He hadn’t managed to finish the last Christmas stocking before the break started, so he gave up on the project. But when his dad told him this morning he’d be in Blaine’s neighborhood around noon today, Kurt sat down, determined to finish the surprise gift and deliver it himself. His dad agreed to take Kurt with him and drop him by the Andersons’ house for the 10 minutes he needed to visit one of his employees with a Christmas care package.
On the way, a moment later, Kurt started to have second thoughts though. He just hoped Blaine’s parents wouldn’t mind his coming by on Christmas Eve. It was still early, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but they were all probably busy with preparations, like everyone in Kurt’s own home, or maybe just having some family time. Oh well, in the worst case he’d just quickly give the package to Blaine and go wait for his dad in the street. Or, if nobody’s home…
But by then they were on Blaine’s street and Kurt could see that he didn’t need to worry about that after all. His boyfriend’s car stood on the driveway and the lights in the house were on. With his dad’s reminder to be back out in exactly 10 minutes, Kurt walked through the frozen garden to the front door.
It felt a bit strange, now that he looked around - there were no decorations at all outside, not even strings of lights in the garden, like at their house. Everything was white and still, the fresh snow cover from yesterday’s snowfall lay untouched and pristine, as if no one went out of the house all day. It probably meant they were sitting home enjoying family time. Kurt realized he knew nothing at all about Christmas traditions and habits in his boyfriend’s home. He made a mental note to ask him when they meet for coffee in a couple of days. After all, who knew - maybe one day they’d need to somehow fuse their different traditions to create something new, together? No, Kurt chastised himself, it’s much too early to think so far ahead.
Reaching the door, he rang the bell and waited for the answer.
***
Blaine rose from the couch, irritated. Who could it be? It was too early for the children to go caroling, wasn’t it? And he didn’t expect anyone else, everybody was busy cooking and decorating, and having family time today. Well, whoever it was, Blaine wasn’t in the mood to get his date with Tangled and Cheetos interrupted just to see them. Actually, he’d gladly hibernate through the holidays, but after twelve hours in bed his body refused to sleep anymore.
He felt more miserable than he had in a long time. He thought he was used to being alone, always alone, but this whole week at school must have gotten to him more than he expected. Because everyone was celebrating, one way or another. Everyone was excited, if only for some time spent with family and friends. Even people whose parents were divorced or dead, even those who lived with some distant relatives, they all had someone to spend this time with. Blaine? Blaine had his music, and his Disney, and the internet… But it wasn’t enough. Not now, and frankly, not ever. Even if he didn’t like to admit it.
He pulled the door open, ready to snap at whoever stood there, but the snarky words quickly died on his lips. Because there stood Kurt; smiling and beautiful in his grey coat and high boots, his face a little pink from the cold. He held a red paper bag in his hand and looked a bit hesitant.
Immediately, Blaine regretted he hadn’t bothered to change out of his pajama pants and t-shirt this morning. God, he didn’t even shave, or comb his hair - his wild curls probably stuck out in every direction. He raked his fingers through it self-consciously. It wasn’t how he wanted Kurt to see him.
He realized that he hadn’t said anything yet and Kurt was evidently starting to feel uncomfortable, waiting for his reaction, so he shook out of the shock and smiled.
“Hi. Wow, I didn’t expect you here today.”
Kurt looked at him anxiously.
“Will your parents mind? I just dropped by for a moment, to give you something I’ve finished this morning. My dad will pick me up in... wait… seven minutes.”
Through the surprise and the surge of joy from seeing Kurt, Blaine suddenly registered the question. Oh shit.
“No, it’s okay, they’re out right now.”
“Oh, good then,” Kurt smiled, wide and happy. “I can personally hang my creation. May I come in for a moment?”
“Um, sure?” Blaine was starting to panic. It wasn’t like he could deny Kurt entry, could he? It would be really weird. But how was he supposed to explain the lack of Christmas tree or any decorations, no holiday smells from the kitchen, just yesterday’s Chinese on the table?
Sure enough, Kurt’s confused voice came from the living room.
“Blaine? What… Why… Are you spending Christmas somewhere else?”
Standing in the doorway, Blaine sighed heavily. He wouldn’t be able to lie his way out of this, Kurt was like an expert detective when he wanted. And judging by his expression, now he really wanted to know what was going on. There was no other way but to tell him the truth and try to convince him it was fine. Blaine forced a smile.
“No Kurt, I’m just not celebrating Christmas.”
“What?” He couldn’t shock his boyfriend more if he told him he washed his face with soap. Which he did, but was way too smart to admit. Kurt looked horrified now. “But you said…”
“I said I’m celebrating it the usual way. This is the usual way. My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. That’s all.”
“And you’re not even eating any kind of fancy dinner with your parents tomorrow?”
“Well, we might eat together, which would be fancy enough, if they were in town.” Blaine couldn’t take the pity that would inevitably appear in Kurt’s eyes now, so he looked down, studying the hardwood floor like it was the most interesting image in the universe. So he didn’t see Kurt’s expression when he heard a gasp.
“You’re alone for Christmas?”
Blaine shrugged.
“Yeah, but… It’s no big deal. It’s not the first time.” It was the second, actually. The first one had been two years ago, and his parents had paid a neighbor then to look in on him every other day, so he wasn’t so completely alone. Now, nobody cared.
“But Blaine, it’s Christmas!” He looked up and could see Kurt just didn’t understand; he could hardly blame him, it wasn’t exactly a normal situation.
Right then, a car horn blared outside and Kurt startled.
“It’s my dad, I need to go… Carole is waiting for us to put up the tree.” He looked clearly torn and Blaine regretted he had to learn like that. That he had to learn at all. “Are you… Will you be okay?”
It cost Blaine a lot to keep the smile on his face when tears were stinging, waiting just under his eyelids to escape.
“Of course, Kurt. I’m fine. We’ll meet in three days, okay? Have a wonderful Christmas.”
His boyfriend moved to hug him tightly, his face distressed, and Blaine inhaled the warm, spicy smell that was so inherently Kurt, before they pulled away and reluctantly, Kurt moved towards the door. He turned to look at Blaine once again, his eyes tearful.
“I love you, Blaine.”
And with this, he was gone.
Blaine sat heavily down on the couch and hid his face in his hands. Now that he didn’t need to pretend anymore, the tears flew immediately, hot and bitter. A few minutes later, mostly collected, he looked up and red paper on the coffee table caught his eye. The bag Kurt brought with him.
Blaine reached for it and looked inside, taking out something colorful and pretty. He unrolled the soft fabric and gasped. It was a Christmas stocking, but unlike any he’d ever seen. It was sewn from pieces of different fabrics, red, navy-blue and white, the inside made of red satin. On one side, on a white piece of something silky, Blaine was embroidered carefully in navy thread, with silver and navy beads here and there. Underneath, there was a small, heart-shaped silver pendant.
Blaine felt his eyes tear up again, but it was different this time. Yes, his parents may not care about him, but at least he had Kurt. Kurt who loved him and cared about him enough to not only remember about a gift for him, but plan and make something special like this, just because. This Christmas funk didn’t matter, it would pass quickly, and then he’d have school and Glee and friends to occupy him again, and Kurt would still be there. And in the meantime, Blaine would hang his special Christmas stocking and put Kurt’s gift in there to open it tomorrow morning, and it would be his own little Christmas.
***
Kurt shot out of the door and down the driveway in a run, tears staining his face. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, it was so… he couldn’t even find a word for it. Blaine could try to keep a brave front if he wanted, but Kurt wasn’t one to fall for it. He knew his boyfriend’s face - every line, every expression, every flick of emotion in his amber eyes. He saw clearly just how sad and lonely he felt, all by himself there. There was no way in hell Kurt would let him spend Christmas this way.
When he reached the car, his dad was already tapping the steering wheel impatiently. Kurt got in, but didn’t fasten his seatbelt or close the door.
“Dad.”
“Kurt, you were supposed to be here five minutes ago. You know we have a lot to do today.”
“Yes, I know. Dad, can Blaine spend Christmas with us?”
His father looked at him as if he lost his mind.
“What? Kurt, I know you two can’t live without each other but it’s family time. Come on, shut the door, we’re going.”
Kurt didn’t move. He was desperate; he had to do something, make his father understand.
“But dad, he’s spending Christmas alone. His parents are away and he’s not even celebrating in any way, he says they never do. Dad, please, we can’t leave him like this…” Kurt could feel tears threatening again. He was ready to plead, if necessary, his pride be damned, but the shocked look on his father’s face showed clearly it wouldn’t be necessary.
“Oh. Go on then, tell Blaine to pack his overnight bag. I’ll call Carole.”
Kurt flew back to the door and rang urgently.
When Blaine opened the door, his eyelashes were still wet and his eyes washed warm honey by fresh tears, and it broke Kurt’s heart. Blaine held his new Christmas stocking to his chest like it was the biggest treasure in the world. His eyes grew wide when he saw Kurt.
“Kurt? Did you… forget something?”
Kurt grinned.
“Nope. I came back for you. Come on, grab some clothes, you’re going to spend Christmas with us.”
For a moment, Blaine looked like a kid who got his dream gift, but then he stiffened, his face suddenly closed.
“Kurt, thank you, but it’s really not necessary. I don’t want to intrude on your family time. I’m fine, I promise. Thank you for the stocking, it’s absolutely wonderful and I love you so much, but now don’t let your dad wait.”
Oh no, Kurt would have none of this.
“Blaine Anderson, if you think that I can’t see right through you now, you are sorely mistaken. I’m not offering you pity, honey. This is an invitation approved by my dad, so you have a choice: you can spend the holidays here, watching TV all by yourself, or you can have a magical, family Christmas with someone you love and people who care about you. Have you ever tried this?”
Blaine hung his head, defeated.
“Not really. No. But Kurt, I don’t want to be a problem.”
Kurt entered his personal space without hesitation and pulled him into a tight embrace, whispering softly in his ear.
“Stop that right now. It’s not a problem, it would be a blessing for us to have you there. Really. Do you need to hear it from my dad to believe? He’ll tell you just the same. Go, pack your things and change.”
Blaine looked him in the eye, as if looking for a drop of insincerity that he wouldn’t find there, before nodding and running upstairs to pack his bag.
***
Ten minutes later Blaine was sitting in the back of the car, beside Kurt who was holding his hand. His head was still reeling from the surrealism of the situation. He knew he was keeping a polite conversation with Mr. Hummel - Burt, as he insisted again - but for the life of him he had no idea what it was about. His mind was too busy convincing itself it wasn’t a dream. He still wasn’t sure.
He was going to have real Christmas. With the tree and decorations, with Christmas dinner and what’s most important, with people. With someone who loved him; someone whom - if Blaine was absolutely honest - he wanted to spend all his future Christmases with. With Kurt’s family, by which he was accepted and well-liked. And he’d get to help with decorating and preparations, which was so amazing he couldn’t believe it. Blaine let out a happy little sigh and Kurt smiled knowingly, a silent I knew you needed this in his eyes.
Later, it was like a fairytale. Carole hugged him and told him to feel at home, and soon they were setting up a live, potted Christmas tree and decorating the house with Kurt and Finn, the air permeated by the heavenly smells of pies and spices. They ate dinner, chatting happily, and there were plans and laughter, and the house sparkled red and silver with all the lights and decorations, and Blaine was saving every little thing in his memory forever. The way the fire in the fireplace burnt in the evening, the five stockings hung on the mantel - Kurt grabbed his solitary one before they left the house earlier. Playing board games with everyone, Christmas songs cheerful in the background, Kurt humming along. And soon Carole joined him, and then Finn, and Blaine couldn’t stop himself too, so they sang through a couple of numbers before Carole grabbed Burt to dance with him and Kurt decided it was their signal to go to bed. Before they did, however, Kurt made sure to set a glass of milk and a plate of carrots and low-fat oatmeal cookies by the fireplace. Blaine’s fit of giggles was answered with amused What? I think Santa needs to take better care of his heart and arteries too!
Blaine slept in a guest room and Burt made sure he understood that even though he really liked his son’s boyfriend, this may still change if he caught them making any night visits, and just so he knew, the floor was creaky and Burt slept lightly, so no funny business, boys. Blaine didn’t even think about trying his luck, honestly, because as much as he loved holding Kurt in his arms, all this was way too amazing and precious to risk spoiling it in any way.
The morning came bright and early, Finn waking everyone up at seven with loud Come on, it’s Christmas, people!. The rest of the day was like the magic Christmas of Blaine’s childhood dreams that had never come to be.
Unpacking presents among laughter and chatting, sitting on the floor by the bright, sparkly tree - and somehow there were several thoughtful packages for Blaine too, which actually made him tear up a little. Hot cinnamon rolls and cocoa for breakfast. Kissing Kurt under a mistletoe. All day spent in a warm, sparkly holiday bubble, with music playing and fire burning. Amazing Christmas dinner and a walk to the nearby park afterwards, because Kurt ordered exercise after the feast and wouldn’t accept pleas for mercy. Trees and grass covered in white, snow drifting lazily from the heavy grey sky, streetlamps glowing warmly in the dusk and Kurt’s hand in his.
It was all so calm, so beautiful it felt surreal, and Blaine was thankful, so so thankful for the Christmas miracle that rescued him from the lonely house this year.
Genre: a dash of angst, a drop of fluff
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own Glee or its characters. I just play with them.
Word Count: ~3800
Summary: Blaine lives all alone in his big house, and he's lonely
A/N: This is a fill for this prompt from glee-angst-meme. I’m not exactly happy with the end product, it’s not perfect, but if I spend any more time editing it, I’ll be too frustrated to publish it at all, so here it is; I hope crycrywolf likes it. And it’s unbeta-ed, sorry…
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YOU’RE MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
The last few days before the Christmas break was always a time where nothing much was achieved academically at McKinley. Everyone knew that and even the strictest of teachers learned to accept it eventually. There were Christmas decorations appearing randomly in classrooms and hallways, and everyone was distracted by holiday plans and Christmas spirit. Some students wore Santa hats or Christmas-themed accessories to school, some burst into carols or Christmas songs out of the blue.
Kurt let himself be swept away by it all. Last year, at Dalton, he’d been surprised by how bad he’d missed the crazy. It was all much more organized and kind of majestic there. No one even thought about going easy on students just because there were holidays approaching. And it just hadn’t been a good time for Kurt, all things considered. With so many changes at home - newly extended family, a new house - and still being basically an outsider at Dalton, with his quiet crush on Blaine and memories of Karofsky’s threats still fresh in his mind, he’d felt lonely and out of place most of the time, so it had been hard to really get into the spirit of Christmas.
But this year, it was a dream come true. Kurt had all his friends and his amazing boyfriend around him, and he was going to spend wonderful Christmas with his family. He wouldn’t get to see Blaine for a couple of days, but it was okay. It was family time after all, and with Blaine’s parents so busy, Kurt wouldn’t dare disturb their time together at Christmas, even though Carole suggested inviting his boyfriend over for dinner on Christmas Eve. Kurt understood it all too well: family time was precious.
***
Blaine felt a little uneasy confronted with all the pre-Christmas crazy at McKinley. It wasn’t just because of the chaos; he didn’t really mind that. What got to him was people talking, sharing their plans and family stories openly, and asking, always asking. It had been different at Dalton; many students there came from families that highly valued their privacy for whatever reasons - affluent families, famous families, complicated families. It was something that wasn’t discussed at Dalton. You just didn’t talk about your family.
Here? No such thing. Family stories, Christmas plans, outright questions - it was absolutely normal. Blaine didn’t want to stick out, so he smiled and answered vaguely enough to sound convincing but not reveal much. It wasn’t like he could lie anyway - Kurt always said Blaine was the world’s worst liar. But he didn’t want people to know about his real home situation. It would only cause uncomfortable questions, funny looks, pity. And pity was the last thing Blaine wanted.
So he said he’d be spending Christmas the usual way, at home; no, he wasn’t going anywhere, he never did. And yes, of course he’d love to meet for coffee with Kurt on the 27th. No, no, his parents wouldn’t mind. Yes, he was sure.
Because Kurt didn’t know, either. That was probably the hardest part of it all. He just knew that Blaine’s parents were busy people, working from dawn till dusk, often going away on business, and not very warm or affectionate, either. Kurt had never met them, but he had no idea Blaine hardly ever met them himself, their contacts restricted to occasional emails and texts while they traveled the world constantly, for business or passion or fun, or sometimes all three at once, just because they could.
When Blaine had summed it all up, it turned out they were home for 59 days last year, and that’s if he counted the days of their departures and arrivals, too. And it hadn’t even been the worst year. Blaine basically lived alone most of the time, he had for several years, ever since he was old enough to take care of himself. His family never really celebrated Christmas, just like they didn’t celebrate birthdays, because these were family things and the Andersons weren’t a traditional family. In fact, you’d have to accept a broad definition of family to be able to apply the term to them at all, judging just by the reality of their lives.
Kurt didn’t know any of this and he wouldn’t know as long as possible, preferably ever. Because Blaine didn’t want pity. He didn’t want to worry Kurt, who was so emphatic and compassionate, and would undoubtedly have his own family time spoiled by the thought that his boyfriend was alone in the big empty house, spending Christmas just like any other free day, with music, books and movies, and take-out pizza or Chinese, unless he felt like cooking for himself, while his parents were… somewhere. Hawaii this time? Or Greece? Blaine stopped trying to remember long ago.
It wasn’t easy to hide it from Kurt, of course, but fortunately his boyfriend was so busy planning and organizing, and chattering happily about strings of lights and new stockings he made for everyone in his family, and this special recipe for cinnamon rolls he used every year but wanted to modify a bit, that Blaine managed to pull it off. And yes, when Kurt said how Carole asked to invite Blaine over on Christmas Eve, all Blaine wanted to say was Yes, yes, please, I’ll gladly leave the empty house and see what’s it like to have a real Christmas, if only for a little while. But he didn’t, of course, he just nodded solemnly when Kurt added that he understood it was impossible because family time was sacred, especially when Blaine’s parents got to spend so little time with him, working late so often. So in the end they embraced and kissed, exchanged gifts to drop in their stockings and open later, wished each other merry Christmas and parted for four days.
And Blaine managed to keep his smile on till the moment Kurt’s Navigator disappeared around a corner. Only then did he move; slowly, morosely, he drove home where no one ever waited for him.
***
Kurt stood up from the sewing machine and sighed contentedly; done just in time. He hadn’t managed to finish the last Christmas stocking before the break started, so he gave up on the project. But when his dad told him this morning he’d be in Blaine’s neighborhood around noon today, Kurt sat down, determined to finish the surprise gift and deliver it himself. His dad agreed to take Kurt with him and drop him by the Andersons’ house for the 10 minutes he needed to visit one of his employees with a Christmas care package.
On the way, a moment later, Kurt started to have second thoughts though. He just hoped Blaine’s parents wouldn’t mind his coming by on Christmas Eve. It was still early, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but they were all probably busy with preparations, like everyone in Kurt’s own home, or maybe just having some family time. Oh well, in the worst case he’d just quickly give the package to Blaine and go wait for his dad in the street. Or, if nobody’s home…
But by then they were on Blaine’s street and Kurt could see that he didn’t need to worry about that after all. His boyfriend’s car stood on the driveway and the lights in the house were on. With his dad’s reminder to be back out in exactly 10 minutes, Kurt walked through the frozen garden to the front door.
It felt a bit strange, now that he looked around - there were no decorations at all outside, not even strings of lights in the garden, like at their house. Everything was white and still, the fresh snow cover from yesterday’s snowfall lay untouched and pristine, as if no one went out of the house all day. It probably meant they were sitting home enjoying family time. Kurt realized he knew nothing at all about Christmas traditions and habits in his boyfriend’s home. He made a mental note to ask him when they meet for coffee in a couple of days. After all, who knew - maybe one day they’d need to somehow fuse their different traditions to create something new, together? No, Kurt chastised himself, it’s much too early to think so far ahead.
Reaching the door, he rang the bell and waited for the answer.
***
Blaine rose from the couch, irritated. Who could it be? It was too early for the children to go caroling, wasn’t it? And he didn’t expect anyone else, everybody was busy cooking and decorating, and having family time today. Well, whoever it was, Blaine wasn’t in the mood to get his date with Tangled and Cheetos interrupted just to see them. Actually, he’d gladly hibernate through the holidays, but after twelve hours in bed his body refused to sleep anymore.
He felt more miserable than he had in a long time. He thought he was used to being alone, always alone, but this whole week at school must have gotten to him more than he expected. Because everyone was celebrating, one way or another. Everyone was excited, if only for some time spent with family and friends. Even people whose parents were divorced or dead, even those who lived with some distant relatives, they all had someone to spend this time with. Blaine? Blaine had his music, and his Disney, and the internet… But it wasn’t enough. Not now, and frankly, not ever. Even if he didn’t like to admit it.
He pulled the door open, ready to snap at whoever stood there, but the snarky words quickly died on his lips. Because there stood Kurt; smiling and beautiful in his grey coat and high boots, his face a little pink from the cold. He held a red paper bag in his hand and looked a bit hesitant.
Immediately, Blaine regretted he hadn’t bothered to change out of his pajama pants and t-shirt this morning. God, he didn’t even shave, or comb his hair - his wild curls probably stuck out in every direction. He raked his fingers through it self-consciously. It wasn’t how he wanted Kurt to see him.
He realized that he hadn’t said anything yet and Kurt was evidently starting to feel uncomfortable, waiting for his reaction, so he shook out of the shock and smiled.
“Hi. Wow, I didn’t expect you here today.”
Kurt looked at him anxiously.
“Will your parents mind? I just dropped by for a moment, to give you something I’ve finished this morning. My dad will pick me up in... wait… seven minutes.”
Through the surprise and the surge of joy from seeing Kurt, Blaine suddenly registered the question. Oh shit.
“No, it’s okay, they’re out right now.”
“Oh, good then,” Kurt smiled, wide and happy. “I can personally hang my creation. May I come in for a moment?”
“Um, sure?” Blaine was starting to panic. It wasn’t like he could deny Kurt entry, could he? It would be really weird. But how was he supposed to explain the lack of Christmas tree or any decorations, no holiday smells from the kitchen, just yesterday’s Chinese on the table?
Sure enough, Kurt’s confused voice came from the living room.
“Blaine? What… Why… Are you spending Christmas somewhere else?”
Standing in the doorway, Blaine sighed heavily. He wouldn’t be able to lie his way out of this, Kurt was like an expert detective when he wanted. And judging by his expression, now he really wanted to know what was going on. There was no other way but to tell him the truth and try to convince him it was fine. Blaine forced a smile.
“No Kurt, I’m just not celebrating Christmas.”
“What?” He couldn’t shock his boyfriend more if he told him he washed his face with soap. Which he did, but was way too smart to admit. Kurt looked horrified now. “But you said…”
“I said I’m celebrating it the usual way. This is the usual way. My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. That’s all.”
“And you’re not even eating any kind of fancy dinner with your parents tomorrow?”
“Well, we might eat together, which would be fancy enough, if they were in town.” Blaine couldn’t take the pity that would inevitably appear in Kurt’s eyes now, so he looked down, studying the hardwood floor like it was the most interesting image in the universe. So he didn’t see Kurt’s expression when he heard a gasp.
“You’re alone for Christmas?”
Blaine shrugged.
“Yeah, but… It’s no big deal. It’s not the first time.” It was the second, actually. The first one had been two years ago, and his parents had paid a neighbor then to look in on him every other day, so he wasn’t so completely alone. Now, nobody cared.
“But Blaine, it’s Christmas!” He looked up and could see Kurt just didn’t understand; he could hardly blame him, it wasn’t exactly a normal situation.
Right then, a car horn blared outside and Kurt startled.
“It’s my dad, I need to go… Carole is waiting for us to put up the tree.” He looked clearly torn and Blaine regretted he had to learn like that. That he had to learn at all. “Are you… Will you be okay?”
It cost Blaine a lot to keep the smile on his face when tears were stinging, waiting just under his eyelids to escape.
“Of course, Kurt. I’m fine. We’ll meet in three days, okay? Have a wonderful Christmas.”
His boyfriend moved to hug him tightly, his face distressed, and Blaine inhaled the warm, spicy smell that was so inherently Kurt, before they pulled away and reluctantly, Kurt moved towards the door. He turned to look at Blaine once again, his eyes tearful.
“I love you, Blaine.”
And with this, he was gone.
Blaine sat heavily down on the couch and hid his face in his hands. Now that he didn’t need to pretend anymore, the tears flew immediately, hot and bitter. A few minutes later, mostly collected, he looked up and red paper on the coffee table caught his eye. The bag Kurt brought with him.
Blaine reached for it and looked inside, taking out something colorful and pretty. He unrolled the soft fabric and gasped. It was a Christmas stocking, but unlike any he’d ever seen. It was sewn from pieces of different fabrics, red, navy-blue and white, the inside made of red satin. On one side, on a white piece of something silky, Blaine was embroidered carefully in navy thread, with silver and navy beads here and there. Underneath, there was a small, heart-shaped silver pendant.
Blaine felt his eyes tear up again, but it was different this time. Yes, his parents may not care about him, but at least he had Kurt. Kurt who loved him and cared about him enough to not only remember about a gift for him, but plan and make something special like this, just because. This Christmas funk didn’t matter, it would pass quickly, and then he’d have school and Glee and friends to occupy him again, and Kurt would still be there. And in the meantime, Blaine would hang his special Christmas stocking and put Kurt’s gift in there to open it tomorrow morning, and it would be his own little Christmas.
***
Kurt shot out of the door and down the driveway in a run, tears staining his face. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, it was so… he couldn’t even find a word for it. Blaine could try to keep a brave front if he wanted, but Kurt wasn’t one to fall for it. He knew his boyfriend’s face - every line, every expression, every flick of emotion in his amber eyes. He saw clearly just how sad and lonely he felt, all by himself there. There was no way in hell Kurt would let him spend Christmas this way.
When he reached the car, his dad was already tapping the steering wheel impatiently. Kurt got in, but didn’t fasten his seatbelt or close the door.
“Dad.”
“Kurt, you were supposed to be here five minutes ago. You know we have a lot to do today.”
“Yes, I know. Dad, can Blaine spend Christmas with us?”
His father looked at him as if he lost his mind.
“What? Kurt, I know you two can’t live without each other but it’s family time. Come on, shut the door, we’re going.”
Kurt didn’t move. He was desperate; he had to do something, make his father understand.
“But dad, he’s spending Christmas alone. His parents are away and he’s not even celebrating in any way, he says they never do. Dad, please, we can’t leave him like this…” Kurt could feel tears threatening again. He was ready to plead, if necessary, his pride be damned, but the shocked look on his father’s face showed clearly it wouldn’t be necessary.
“Oh. Go on then, tell Blaine to pack his overnight bag. I’ll call Carole.”
Kurt flew back to the door and rang urgently.
When Blaine opened the door, his eyelashes were still wet and his eyes washed warm honey by fresh tears, and it broke Kurt’s heart. Blaine held his new Christmas stocking to his chest like it was the biggest treasure in the world. His eyes grew wide when he saw Kurt.
“Kurt? Did you… forget something?”
Kurt grinned.
“Nope. I came back for you. Come on, grab some clothes, you’re going to spend Christmas with us.”
For a moment, Blaine looked like a kid who got his dream gift, but then he stiffened, his face suddenly closed.
“Kurt, thank you, but it’s really not necessary. I don’t want to intrude on your family time. I’m fine, I promise. Thank you for the stocking, it’s absolutely wonderful and I love you so much, but now don’t let your dad wait.”
Oh no, Kurt would have none of this.
“Blaine Anderson, if you think that I can’t see right through you now, you are sorely mistaken. I’m not offering you pity, honey. This is an invitation approved by my dad, so you have a choice: you can spend the holidays here, watching TV all by yourself, or you can have a magical, family Christmas with someone you love and people who care about you. Have you ever tried this?”
Blaine hung his head, defeated.
“Not really. No. But Kurt, I don’t want to be a problem.”
Kurt entered his personal space without hesitation and pulled him into a tight embrace, whispering softly in his ear.
“Stop that right now. It’s not a problem, it would be a blessing for us to have you there. Really. Do you need to hear it from my dad to believe? He’ll tell you just the same. Go, pack your things and change.”
Blaine looked him in the eye, as if looking for a drop of insincerity that he wouldn’t find there, before nodding and running upstairs to pack his bag.
***
Ten minutes later Blaine was sitting in the back of the car, beside Kurt who was holding his hand. His head was still reeling from the surrealism of the situation. He knew he was keeping a polite conversation with Mr. Hummel - Burt, as he insisted again - but for the life of him he had no idea what it was about. His mind was too busy convincing itself it wasn’t a dream. He still wasn’t sure.
He was going to have real Christmas. With the tree and decorations, with Christmas dinner and what’s most important, with people. With someone who loved him; someone whom - if Blaine was absolutely honest - he wanted to spend all his future Christmases with. With Kurt’s family, by which he was accepted and well-liked. And he’d get to help with decorating and preparations, which was so amazing he couldn’t believe it. Blaine let out a happy little sigh and Kurt smiled knowingly, a silent I knew you needed this in his eyes.
Later, it was like a fairytale. Carole hugged him and told him to feel at home, and soon they were setting up a live, potted Christmas tree and decorating the house with Kurt and Finn, the air permeated by the heavenly smells of pies and spices. They ate dinner, chatting happily, and there were plans and laughter, and the house sparkled red and silver with all the lights and decorations, and Blaine was saving every little thing in his memory forever. The way the fire in the fireplace burnt in the evening, the five stockings hung on the mantel - Kurt grabbed his solitary one before they left the house earlier. Playing board games with everyone, Christmas songs cheerful in the background, Kurt humming along. And soon Carole joined him, and then Finn, and Blaine couldn’t stop himself too, so they sang through a couple of numbers before Carole grabbed Burt to dance with him and Kurt decided it was their signal to go to bed. Before they did, however, Kurt made sure to set a glass of milk and a plate of carrots and low-fat oatmeal cookies by the fireplace. Blaine’s fit of giggles was answered with amused What? I think Santa needs to take better care of his heart and arteries too!
Blaine slept in a guest room and Burt made sure he understood that even though he really liked his son’s boyfriend, this may still change if he caught them making any night visits, and just so he knew, the floor was creaky and Burt slept lightly, so no funny business, boys. Blaine didn’t even think about trying his luck, honestly, because as much as he loved holding Kurt in his arms, all this was way too amazing and precious to risk spoiling it in any way.
The morning came bright and early, Finn waking everyone up at seven with loud Come on, it’s Christmas, people!. The rest of the day was like the magic Christmas of Blaine’s childhood dreams that had never come to be.
Unpacking presents among laughter and chatting, sitting on the floor by the bright, sparkly tree - and somehow there were several thoughtful packages for Blaine too, which actually made him tear up a little. Hot cinnamon rolls and cocoa for breakfast. Kissing Kurt under a mistletoe. All day spent in a warm, sparkly holiday bubble, with music playing and fire burning. Amazing Christmas dinner and a walk to the nearby park afterwards, because Kurt ordered exercise after the feast and wouldn’t accept pleas for mercy. Trees and grass covered in white, snow drifting lazily from the heavy grey sky, streetlamps glowing warmly in the dusk and Kurt’s hand in his.
It was all so calm, so beautiful it felt surreal, and Blaine was thankful, so so thankful for the Christmas miracle that rescued him from the lonely house this year.