�

Quickly, too quickly, the winter crept up on them, taking them in its cold grasp. Tendrils of icy air swept across their

necks, and Blaine had to dig out his old scarves and, reluctantly, hats.

�

�

But every morning he saw Kurt, and that was enough to warm him through. Well, the coffee helped. He had also taken to writing songs, something he hadn’t done for years, since he was in high school. But he had found his old guitar and had begun composing again.

�

He refused to acknowledge how the majority of his songs comprised of brown haired, blue eyed boys.

�

�

It was a Friday, and they had Christmas break for the next week. To Blaine’s relief, he was only given three essays to write.

�

To add to his mounting enthusiasm about Christmas, Kurt had given him his number. He had taken the small square of paper, his jaw hanging open, but he certainly did not protest.

�

Blaine would’ve hoped that once he had gotten to know Kurt he would be more relaxed around him. On the contrary, the more he found out, the more he tried to act casual, saying he was into the same bands. Luckily, Kurt was an avid Vogue reader, so they always had something to talk about.

�

‘Hey,’ Blaine gritted out through chattering teeth. Kurt turned from his small gathering of friends and greeted Blaine.

�

‘Doing anything nice for Christmas?’ He asked. Blaine shrugged.

�

‘My parents live in Ohio. I’ll probably just stay home with my roommate.’

�

Kurt was staring at him with an open mouth.

�

‘Ohio? Whereabouts?’

�

‘Oh, it’s just this little town, you probably haven’t heard of it.’

�

Kurt snorted.

�

‘You sound like a hipster.’

�

‘Lima.’

�

Kurt made another noise, which sounded close to a choke, and his eyes widened.

�

‘No way! I’m from there!’

�

Now it was Blaine’s turn to be shocked.

�

‘What school did you go to?’

�

‘McKinley.’ Kurt said, grudgingly, and Blaine thought he saw a hint of embarrassment on Kurt’s face. ‘You?’

�

‘Dalton Academy.’

�

Kurt stifled a laugh.

�

‘Of course. I should’ve guessed.’

�

Blaine gave him a confused look, and Kurt gestured to him vaguely.

�

‘Oh, you know, you speak kinda poshly. You look like a private school kid.’

�

‘And do you like private school kids?’ Blaine said quietly, then instantly regretted it.

�

Kurt raised an eyebrow.

�

‘Not particularly. My glee club was constantly beaten by the a capella groups.’

�

Wow, that attempt at flirting had gone successfully.

�

‘Oh, er, sorry?’ Blaine offered.

�

Kurt waved a hand. ‘Nah, don’t worry.’ He paused for a minute, looking at Blaine. ‘Would you like to go to Central Park with me tomorrow?’

�

Blaine’s heart leapt.

�

‘Yes!’ He tried not to sound too eager, but his voice came out more like a strangled squeal. He coughed. ‘I mean, yeah, sure, I’d like to go to Central Park. With you. Tomorrow.’

�

Kurt nodded, and turned back to his friends, leaving Blaine blushing from the tips of his toes to the top of his ears.

————-

�

‘Nooooooo, really?’ Rachel gazed at him under dark lashes. Blaine bit his lip.

�

‘You lucky boy.’ She sighed wistfully. ‘If he didn’t bat for your team, I would climb him like a tree.’

Blaine laughed, and hit her with a rolled up magazine.

�

‘What? Don’t pretend like you don’t want to.’ Blaine ducked his head and laughed again.

�

‘Oh, it’s going to be so romantic,’ Rachel continued, clutching her chest dramatically. ‘All the snow, and you can drink coffee, and hold hand-‘

�

‘Rachel! We’re not even dating. I don’t even know if he likes me.’ Then,

�

‘I don’t even know if he likes boys.’ He finished quietly.

�

Rachel only gave him a scathing look.

�

‘Have you seen him? He reads vogue, his trousers are tighter than yours, he is the epitome of gay.’

�

‘Fine, fine, maybe you have a point. But he only asked me out as a friend.’

�

Again with the look. Blaine got that look on a daily basis usually. It was Rachel’s ‘Blaine honey, you’re adorable, but you can be pretty stupid sometimes’ look.

�

‘No guy, who is almost certainly gay, would ask you out as a�friend.’

�

‘So…he wants to beat me up?’ Blaine grinned at her as she hit him lightly on the arm.

�

‘Now you’re just being stupid.’ She snuggled closer to him on the worn out couch. ‘Have you decided on an outfit?’

�

‘No, I was just going to wing it, you know? Who cares what I look like on the maybe date with the guy I’ve been mooning over for months.’

�

She was silent.

�

‘Yes, I have.’ He gave an exasperated sigh. Sometimes his intellectual sarcasm was wasted on people. He only hoped Kurt would understand.

———————-

‘RACHEL BERRY, WHERE HAVE YOU PUT MY BOW TIE?’

�

�

‘IT’S IN YOUR DRAWER WHERE IT ALWAYS IS.’

�

�

‘WELL IT’S NOT’

�

�

‘WELL I’M NOT WEARING IT. MAYBE IT’S UNDER YOUR BED.’

�

�

‘IT’S NOT I’VE ALRE-‘

�

�

‘WHAT?’

�

‘Found it…’

�

Rachel burst into the bedroom, clutching a towel around herself.

�

‘What?’

�

Blaine held up the limp bow tie, grinning sheepishly.

�

‘Where was it?’ Rachel glared at it, but she was hardly frightening when her hair was piled up in a shampoo mountain.

�

'..Under my bed.’ He looked away in shame and Rachel returned to her shower, mumbling under her breath about incompetent people.

�

Blaine hurriedly fastened the little red and green festive tie under his neck, and smiled proudly at his reflection.

�

He added the finishing touches of gel to his hair, grabbed a coat, scarf (and hat after Rachel’s pestering) and finally, finally,�he was off.

�

It was eleven on the dot when he arrived at the park. Then he panicked, because he realised they hadn’t set a time.

�

He had a small argument in his head which went something like:

�

'Wow you should have set a time dubass you're probably gonna have to wait here for hours in the cold and when he finally arrrives you'll have died of hypothermia. And I'm pretty sure Kurt prefers his men alive.' 'Yeah, but he can warm me up with a hug?' 'Oh my god, just call him you twat'

He dug his phone out and dialled the number with fingers shaking from the cold, nerves, or both.

�

It rung twice.

�

‘Hello?’ Oh, his voice was so nice on the phone. It was all silky smooth and sweet, Blaine felt like he could listen to it forever.

�

‘Hello? Who is this?’

�

Yes, a reply, that’s what needed to happen.

�

‘Oh, hi, it’s Blaine. Er, Blaine from campus.’

�

‘Oh hey Blaine! How are you?’

�

‘Cold.’�

�

‘Oh shit, sorry, I’m on my way right now. I’ll be there in,’ there was a pause, ‘ten minutes, I’m so sorry.’

�

‘Don’t worry, I’m fine.’ He wasn’t fine. His toes were losing feeling along with…other parts.�

�

‘Ok, see you soon! I’ll meet you by the North entrance?’

�

‘Yeah sure! Bye!’

�

The line went dead.

�

Blaine looked around for the nearest sign post.

�

South Entrance

�

Groaning, he began speed walking north.

———-

Blaine’s hair was awry, his face was red, and his legs hurt like hell. But he didn’t really care, because he saw Kurt, all rosy cheeked and fluffy haired, and he forgot most of his problems.

�

‘Hi!’ He gasped.

�

‘Um, are you okay?’ Kurt jammed his hands in his pockets, obviously cold.

�

‘Oh, yeah I’m fine, just, you know, trying to warm up.’ He grinned, hoping it wasn’t too manic.

�

They were quiet and Blaine noticed that it had started to snow.

�

‘Um, do you wanna go get a coffee? I didn’t know it would be this cold and, um, I can’t feel anything.’ Blaine said lamely.

�

‘Yeah sure! There’s this really nice place just round the block.’

Blaine smiled in answer and Kurt led the way.

—————-

Blaine sat down at the small table, his coffee clutched between numb hands. Kurt sat opposite and gave him a small smile.

�

There was silence, in which they sipped coffee and exchanged small looks.

�

‘Did you have lucky charms for breakfast? Because you look magically delicious.’

�

Kurt choked on his coffee, and Blaine smirked.

�

‘Are you a parking ticket? Cause you’ve got fine written all over you.’

�

Blaine no, turn back while you can, Blaine stop

�

Kurt covered his face with his hands but Blaine could hear his shaking laughter.

�

‘Are you wearing space pants? Because your ass is ou-‘

�

Fuck

�

‘Blaine,’ Kurt gasped out, lowering his hands. ‘Stop.’

�

‘Sorry.’

�

‘Are those meant to be pick up lines?’

�

‘Maybe?’ Blaine ventured.

�

Kurt rolled his eyes and drank some more coffee.

�

Blaine laughed internally at himself.

�

Then he remembered what Rachel had told him to do.

�

‘Kurt?’

�

‘Mmm?’

�

‘Um, I got you a Christmas present. Because it’s nearly Christmas and you know, you’re my friend and I get presents for my friends.’ He stopped talking, and rummaged in his bag.

�

He brought out a small, neatly wrapped box which he handed to Kurt.

�

‘Wow, Blaine, thank you so much!’ Kurt sounded surprised.

�

‘I didn’t get you anything, I’m really sorry,’ Kurt said as he opened the box, ‘Maybe I could go out tomor-‘

�

He stopped and stared down at the gift in his hands.

�

Suddenly, abruptly, he threw the box down, and fled, knocking his chair over, leaving Blaine perplexed and shocked.

�

The small bracelet with the words�Blackbird fly�painstakingly sewed into the fabric, lay on the table, discarded.

�