Blaine never was too fond of tacky Christmas cards but the one Kurt made him a part of for their first Christmas together was something special. They took a selfie one day while walking through the park in the snow. It was nice and sweet as it was but Kurt tastefully edited it on his laptop and wrote Merry Christmas right above their heads, claiming that they were going to send it to their friends and families. The card was a success and Blaine had it all over his apartment, keeping one piece of it for their scrapbook after Christmas. He was very surprised to see it on his parent's fridge when he came home for the holidays that year. As far as he was concerned, they hadn't had anything on the fridge since Blaine stopped drawing crayon pictures…

The Christmas went great at first. He finally got the chance to spend some time with his parents which was probably the best Christmas gift he received this year. He had to admit that Cooper's presence could make the holiday even more special but he wasn't going to dwell on it. He would take whatever he was given and enjoy it while it lasted. Which, of course wasn't that long. The whole seven days he was supposed to be at home with his mom and dad shortened into just two. He was promised family time but he was left alone the day after Christmas. As much as his parents were apologetic, he couldn't bring himself to believe them that there wasn't anything to be done about their work schedules.

Being alone in a big house sucked. When he woke up in the morning, his parents were already gone and they didn't come back until after seven in the evening. Blaine did his best to kill the time with watching Christmas movies but it got boring after five hours. He tried to contact his old friends from high school but none of them were in Westerville for the holidays and Kurt had his own plans so he didn't want to bother him. He wished he was in New York already. His parents probably wouldn't even notice that he was gone since they were busy with a big case and charity planning.

The next day was even slower than the previous one. By noon he was utterly desperate for some action so he turned their basement upside down in an attempt to find his old ice skates. When he came back to the living room, his phone was bouncing on the coffee table, screaming for attention.

"Hello?" He picked the device up, not looking at the display who was calling.

"Hi baby!" Kurt's cheerful voice echoed in the speaker. "What are you doing? I've been trying to reach you for a while."

"Oh, hi! I was in our basement looking for my ice skates. I didn't have my phone on me."

"So I assume you're busy…" Kurt noted, hiding a disappointment.

"Not really. I'm just trying to kill some time before my parents come back from work. How is your shopping trip with girls?"

"I didn't go with them. I have something more important to do."

"But you were looking forward to it…"

"Well, I changed my mind. Do you think your parents could spare you for dinner tonight?"

"What? Why?"

"My dad wants to meet you so I was thinking that maybe you could come to Lima and stay the night. We can go ice skating tomorrow with my friends. What do you say?"

"Your dad wants to meet me?"

"Yeah. Carol is already planning the menu. Please, don't say no."

"O-Okay." Blaine said hesitantly. "I have to let my parents know though."

"Sure. Text me your adress and I'll pick you up."

"I can drive to Lima. You don't have to come for me."

"Too late, baby. I just crossed into Westerville. Send me the adress and I'll be with you soon, okay?"

"You what?!"

"Blaine, the address. Bye!" After those words, the line went dead.

Blaine sent a message with his address to Kurt before calling his mom. He was a bit uncertain about the whole situation. He went outside to wait for his boyfriend but mostly he just needed the fresh air to clear his thoughts.

He was standing in front of his house for fifteen minutes when Kurt parked his car on the street. He could see his boyfriend's bright smile as he hurried to hug him.

"I missed you so much!" Kurt murmured into Blaine's shoulder, holding him tightly in his arms. "I missed you, too." Blaine breathed and shuddered. The cold was really getting under his skin since he was wearing just his sweater without a coat or scarf.

"Let's go inside." Kurt ordered and took his hand, letting Blaine lead him to the entrance. "You didn't have to wait for me outside, silly."

"I didn't want you to miss my house."

"Where is the kitchen? I'm gonna make you some hot tea. You go and pack your things and we can go."

"About that," Blaine started reluctantly and Kurt immediately sensed a problem. "My mom was very thrilled when I called her and she asked if we could stay here tonight so you could meet my parents and then go to Lima tomorrow morning...I said your family is expecting us but you know, it's very hard to say no to my mom. She's even going to make my dad come home from work earlier so we won't eat so late..."

"Okay." Kurt nodded and took his shoes off before going further into the house. "Now, show me your kitchen!"

"Okay? Just like that?" Kurt looked at Blaine funny. He came up to him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, kissing his lips sweetly.

"Just like that. I mean, it makes sense since I'm already here. You'll have to give me something to sleep in and clean underwear in the morning. Now, I'm gonna make you tea and then I'll call my dad about the change in our plans."

They ended up making hot chocolate instead of tea and then they seated themselves on the big sofa in the living room, just beside the fireplace. Blaine absently ran his hand up and down Kurt's arm while Kurt's fingers were playing with his loose curls.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked timidly. "Can I ask one question?"

"Hmmm…"

"We've never talked about it but I'd like to know what I'm up against tonight."

"Up against?"

"Well, I know you were in a relationship before. But you never gave me any details. Did your parents meet your ex? Did they like him? Was he a precious sweetheart? How hard it will be to convince them that I'm better than him?" Blaine pulled away from his spot on Kurt's chest to look him in the eyes. The confident, always in control Kurt was biting his lower lip and Blaine could swear there was distress in his features.

"Kurt, are you nervous?"

"A little." Kurt admitted quietly. "My dad never really liked my ex so you scored some good points just for not being him and then you're your father's son. And let's not forget that you are the boy who makes me happier than I've ever been. My parents worship you and they haven't even met you. I want your parents to like me, too."

"They will. I promise."

"It would really help if your ex-boyfriend was an asshole."

"He wasn't." Blaine replied and Kurt sighed heavily. "We were high school sweethearts. We got together halfway through our sophomore year and stayed together until we left for college. Our break up was a mutual decision because we didn't want to let the distance get between us. He was accepted to UCLA and I was going to NYADA. It was great while it lasted but in the end, neither of us was willing to compromise our dreams for the other one. So we split. My family knew him, they loved him but they were happy when we decided to follow our dreams instead of following each other."

"Do you regret not trying to work it out?"

"No. He was my first love but they aren't made to last, are they? He is happy where he is and I'm happy in New York. Continuing our relationship and constantly missing on each other would make us sad and it would prevent us from gaining new experiences. We did the right, mature thing and I'm proud of it."

"What if he changes his mind?"

"He won't. But even if he did, it wouldn't mean anything. I'm taken. I'm with you. I love you now." Kurt moved forward and pressed his lips against Blaine's firmly. He opened his mouth a little, his tongue slipping out to meet Blaine's as his boyfriend surrendered to him and let Kurt kiss him breathless. Blaine felt the tension in Kurt's body slowly disappear with every kiss they exchanged. It was the first time Kurt showed any insecurities around him and Blaine hoped he eased his mind through the affection they were expressing with their bodies.

The dinner was great. Kurt impressed Blaine's parents with his manners and intelligence and Blaine was so proud to have him by his side. Everything went smoothly over dessert in the living room as they shared their views on politics and Blaine was wondering if it wasn't too perfect to last like everything else when it came to his family.

"I guess I'm going to call it a night." His mom said around ten o'clock and stood up from the armchair she was sitting in. "Kurt, I'll prepare the guest room for you."

"Mom, it's not necessary. Kurt can sleep in my room."

"Sweetie, Kurt is our guest tonight and he is going to have his own room."

"But," Blaine tried to object.

"No buts. Come on, you're gonna help me get the blankets from the closet." Blaine huffed, not happy about their sleeping arrangements at all. He leaned closer to Kurt and whispered I'm sorryto his ear so no one would hear. Kurt just smiled and kissed his cheek.

"It's okay, baby." He whispered back.

"Goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Anderson. See you in the morning." Kurt watched his boyfriend and his mother go upstairs, completely forgetting about Mr. Anderson still being in the room. Blaine's father poured himself a glass of whiskey and turned around from the alcohol cabinet to face Kurt.

"Would you like one?" A sudden voice startled Kurt.

"Oh, no. Thank you."

"Would you prefer wine? Or beer? I know your father never drinks anything but beer."

"I'm fine. Thank you." Kurt declined the offer politely again. The awkward silence surrounded them and Kurt couldn't miss how Blaine's father started to play with his glass, the same way his son did everytime he was anxious.

"I'm glad you stayed for dinner tonight." The older Anderson stated. "Blaine talks about you very fondly and I'm happy we got the chance to finally meet you."

"Pleasure was all mine. It just seemed fair to be introduced to you since Blaine is meeting my parents, too."

"I have to thank you for taking him away from here. I know he expected more from his break and I really want him to enjoy it instead of sitting here and waiting for us to come home. Our work schedule is very busy and some things came up right before Christmas that need our attention."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Sure."

"Your son needs your attention as well."

"Blaine understands…"

"Of course he does, because he is amazing like that. It doesn't mean he likes it. Sorry, if I'm overstepping but he would give anything for a day spent with you and your wife."

"I'm doing this for his future. I'm trying to make this a better place to live for him. I want him to be safe when he comes home. He knows that."

"I really appreciate what you do for the gay community in Ohio. You've made a difference but with all the respect I have for your work, there is a long way to go until we'll be treated equally. By putting so much effort in making Blaine's future bright, you're missing important parts of his present. One free day isn't going to cost you a case. You are the best civil rights attorney in Ohio. Hell, you are one of the best in the country! You can afford to spend some time with your son without it having an effect on your job."

"It's not that easy, Kurt."

"Everything is as easy or as difficult as we make it."

"You're just like your father. Determined, adamant and stubborn." Mr. Anderson remarked and Kurt nodded.

"Yes, I'm exactly like my father. I would fight tooth and nail to make people I love happy. I love your son, Mr. Anderson. And I'm going to do everything to make him happy. But however much I'll try, there'll still be something missing and it's you and your actual presence in his life. He doesn't need much and he isn't going to ask for it. I just thought you should know. I know you are a reasonable man so I'm not afraid that you're going to despise me now just because I ran my big mouth. We both want the same thing for him."

"I'm not going to despise you for caring about my son. I would appreciate if you stayed out of our family business, though. There is a lot you don't know and your harsh words aren't gonna help anyone."

"I can't promise anything. I'm sorry in advance for everything I may say in the future that might be offensive. I plan to be around for a long time and I tend to be very outspoken when it comes to things close to my heart." Mr. Anderson observed his son's boyfriend with a serious face. Kurt didn't avoid the eye contact. He sat there with his head up and his back straight, keeping his ground.

"How close is Blaine to your heart?" Blaine's father asked after while.

"He is right in the center of it."

"Then I guess I can say, I accept your apology for your possible future rudeness." They both broke into a smile and before one of them had a chance to say something more, Blaine walked into the room.

Mr. Anderson drank the rest of his drink and said goodnight to them, leaving two young lovers alone.

"We should go to sleep." Kurt suggested. "Puck is throwing a party tomorrow night. We'll need to be well rested."

"Okay." Blaine laced their fingers as they made their way upstairs to their respective rooms.

"I'm so sorry she forced you to sleep in a guest room."

"Don't worry about it. I fought with my dad for hours until he agreed to let you sleep in my bed."

"You fought with your dad about me?"

"Yeah. I won. I get to hold you in my arms tomorrow night. We can manage to be apart for tonight. Especially, if it's your mother's request. I respect your parents' wishes." Blaine sneaked his arm around Kurt's waist to bring him closer, kissing him tenderly.

"I love you so much, Kurt."

"I love you, too." Kurt sealed his words with another sweet kiss and then stepped out of Blaine's embrace and into his room for the night. Blaine stayed in the hallway until the door on Kurt's room was closed. He waited for a moment whether Kurt wouldn't change his mind after all and come to sleep to his room but nothing like that happened. His boyfriend stayed the night in their guest room, meeting Blaine with a cup of coffee in the kitchen the next morning.

To this day, Blaine never told anyone about the conversation between Kurt and his dad that he accidentally witnessed the day his boyfriend met his parents.