Kurt wanted to pretend that he didn't know the exact moment when things changed, but he did. It started two nights before Christmas. He and Blaine were double dating with Jeremiah and Sebastian at a local Sushi restaurant. "So, Kurt, how's beauty school treating you? Have you learned how to feather hair yet?" Sebastian asked as he stabbed at a piece of sushi. His voice dripped with amusement.

Blaine answered before the dancer could think of a witty reply. "Maybe you should consider beauty school, Sebastian. If you did, then you'd know that Zack Morris hair went out in the 90s." Every head at the table turned towards him. Blaine never made sarcastic comments. Blaine was always one to turn the other cheek. Not that day, however. Blaine snarked back and Kurt couldn't help but feel just a bit proud of the man.

"Actually, Sebastian," Kurt cut in quickly, "I've decided to forego my cosmetology education in lieu of other opportunities." Sebastian chuckled to himself. Jeremiah joined in shortly thereafter.

"Other opportunities, right!"

Jeremiah turned to his fiancé and smiled. "Babe, he's a beauty school drop out." The man then turned his gaze to Kurt quickly and smirked as he sang. "No graduation day for you. Beauty school dropout. Missed your midterms and flunked shampoo."

A moment later, Sebastian joined in. "Well at least you could have taken time to wash and clean your clothes up, after spending all that dough to have the doctor fix your nose up."

The dancer sank back in his seat as the two men sang loudly. He wanted to be anywhere but there. People were turning in their chairs to stare at the scene. He hated it. Unwanted attention was not something he appreciated. He may have been a dancer but no one at the club picked on him. They knew better. Will, repulsive as he may have been, did not tolerate customers that mocked or chastised his performers. Kurt didn't have that in the restaurant. Gone was the shield that protected him from ridicule. Or so he thought.

"Well, guys. Thank you for this but Kurt and I have to leave. The atmosphere isn't very welcoming anymore." Kurt watched as Blaine stood from his chair and pulled out his wallet. He tossed a few dollars on the table as he glared at the men. "That should cover our food."

Surprise of the pleasantest kind spread through Kurt's body as Blaine pulled his chair out. He'd never had his chair pulled out for him before. Kurt stood quickly and shot a disapproving look at the seated men. "Thanks for the evening ,guys." He smiled just before turning and following Blaine out of the restaurant. He wasn't sure why but he was very pleased with the pharmacist's reaction to his ex's teasing.Maybe he's finally seeing the light.

"I'm so sorry about what happened back there." Blaine said once they were parked in front of Kurt's recently decorated house. Kurt smiled at his friend.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

"It doesn't matter. They had no right to treat you like that."

Kurt shrugged. "They're probably just jealous. I mean, Sebastian has been jealous of me from the start –me being so fine and all- and Jeremiah might be coming around. So, maybe this," he motions to them, "is working finally. Jeremiah is getting jealous and he'll be running in slow motion towards you soon."

Even if he wanted to, Kurt couldn't miss the way Blaine's smile faltered. It dropped like a rock before bouncing back in the most insincere way possible. "Yeah....maybe this is working." His words were hollow and emotionless.

The pair sat silently for a moment; each contemplating the future of Blaine's love life and Kurt's life in general. Soon enough, if things worked out, Kurt would be New York living his dream and Blaine would be in Lima - alone.

After hours of contemplation on his own, Blaine wasn't sure he was willing to forgive Jeremiah for everything he put him through. He wasn't sure if Jeremiah was worth forgiving. Then, there were his feelings for Kurt. Feelings that he refused to acknowledge in the younger man's presence. Those feelings would go nowhere. Kurt was leaving; plain and simple.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Kurt spoke up. "Are you still coming to my New Year's show? It's going to be amazing. It's our third biggest show of the year, behind Christmas and Father's day."

Blaine smiled, grateful for the change in topic. "Of course. Of course I'll be there."

Christmas Eve came quicker than expected. One day the men were braving checkout lines at grocery stores for more cookies and cheap decorations and the next they were crowded amongst friends in the Hummelberry –I don't know where Rachel comes up with these damn names- living room.

For the first time, Kurt and Rachel's Christmas Eve festivities included outsiders. Everyone brought someone. Santana and Quinn brought Puck and Sam and Blaine brought Doo Wop. Their five-some turned into an eight-some in no time flat. The performer and his waitress sidekick were exponentially pleased.

As the group sat around the coffee table, passing around booze and holiday treats, they listened to Rachel tell story after story about her 'glory days' –as she proclaimed them to be. "...and then Finn Hudson –do you remember Finn Hudson, Kurt-" Rachel slurred. While Kurt had politely declined each offer to drink, Rachel had not. She indulged in a way that let Kurt know that she was still raw from her loss. Unlike him, she hadn't lost parents before. Years later, she was still trying to hide it by drinking too much from time to time and exercising her flare for the dramatic. The dancer nodded.I try to forget him every damn day. "Yeah...I bet you do. You had the biggest crush on him."

"That's enough, Rachel." Kurt finally interjected. Finn Hudson was a thing of the past and Kurt wanted to keep him there.

"Right...so anyways, Finn Hudson just leaned over and kissed me. I mean, we were in front of our families, and New York, and God, and everyone and he just leaned over and kissed me. Needless to say, his act of unprofessionalism cost of the competition, but....it was worth it. So worth it."

One look at the dreamy expression on Rachel's face and Kurt knew she was gone. She'd hopped on whatever rocket or magic carpet she could find and traveled back to that moment in time, the moment Finn Hudson kissed her. So, doing what he did best, Kurt cleared his throat and directed attention towards himself. "In the spirit of Christmas, and the talent you all are amongst," Kurt announced.

Rachel's ears perked at the word 'talent'. "Thank you, Kurt."

The dancer shot his friend a disapproving look. "No, Rachel. Just no."

"I think we should sing some Christmas songs." The buzz bore of excitement and anticipation filled the room.

Santana was the first to comment. "Will you be naked while we sing,Kurt?" She added emphasis to his name. Only recently had she found out that Kalvin was not his given name. When she confronted the dancer about it, he made her figure it out for herself.

"I'm saying it as fast as I can and I still don't get it."

"So say it again. You will."

"Kalvin Climbs."

"Faster."

"Kalvin Climbs. Kalvin Climbs. Kalvin Climbs. Oh...Calvin Klein."

The dancer shook his head. "I shall remain fully clothed if you don't mind."

"I do mind." She muttered. "But whatever, I'm all about showing you Gringos about Christmas." She motioned for Sam to sit next to her.

"You were born in Arkansas, Santana." Quinn quipped as she scooted closer to Rachel. Surprisingly, Rachel was the one that closed the distance. The girl was hot and cold. Sometimes she pushed Quinn away and other times she pulled her close. Whether it was the alcohol or the merriment of the season, Quinn didn't care. She was infatuated with Rachel so the closeness was welcome.

"Shut up, Anglo Saxon. Now, my song." She whispered into the blond man's ear and he began to play. The group instantly perked up. The mood was definitely a festive one.

"Feliz navidad
feliz navidad
faliz navidad
prospero ano y felicidad

Feliz navidad
feliz navidad
faliz navidad
prospero ano y felicidad

I wanna wish you a merry Christmas! I wanna wish you a merry Christmas I wanna wish you a merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!"

The group clapped and sang along as the doctor belted out the lyrics in a way that only she could. When the song finished, the group clapped and their drinking and festivities commenced. Midway through Sam and Puck's rendition of 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer', Blaine leaned over and whispered in Kurt's ear. "You have a lovely voice. We should sing together."

The dancer turned to him and smiled. "How do I know if you have a lovely voice? You may have an awful voice." The pharmacist shrugged and grabbed his drink from the coffee table. Just as they had been the entire evening, the boys were seated cross legged in front of it.

"I guess you'll just have to take a chance." The words rang through Kurt's head like a bell. Take a chance. He could do that.

"You're on." The pharmacist smiled and placed his untouched drink back down. There something about Christmas and, more specifically, Kurt's presence, that made him want to forego drinking.

"Fine, what song?" He asked in all seriousness. The song had to be perfect. No too romantic –less Blaine was ready to admit his feelings- but not too dreary –less Blaine wanted to be depressed. He wanted neither, so song selection was key.

"How about 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'?" Kurt suggested. The pharmacist blanched.There is no way in H-E- Double hockey sticks. We can't sing the song.Kurt noticed the reaction. "Too much? Okay, how about 'Let It Snow'? That's a cute song." It was.

"Nahhh... How about 'White Christmas'?" Kurt's face lit up.

"Perfect." The dancer stood and walked to the front of the room. "Okay...no Rachel, you are not singing again. Put your hand down." The girl's face flushed and her hand lowered to her lap. "Now, Blaine and I are going to sing a Christmas song together." He turned to his friend and cued for him to start the music. The dancer stood back as his friend began the song.

"Ba do ba do bow bow bow ba dow
Ba do be do bow bow bow ba dum

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten,
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow, the snow..."

Blaine's voice was amazing, that was clear. It was low and smooth in ways that Kurt always assumed was attributed to synthesizers and Autotune. There were no synthesizers or Autotune machines at Kurt's house. Thus, he was left to believe that the beautiful sounds coming out of Blaine's mouth were the results of natural talent.

"Said, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white, whoa, whoa"

The pharmacist danced around the couch and towards the spot that his friend stood in. Playfully, Kurt dashed away. He ran to the opposite side of the room and watched Blaine's expressions change. First, he looked let down. That look quickly turned to one of excitement. It was a game; cat and mouse. Well, I'll be the cat then.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten,
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow (bow be do be do)"

The group watched as Blaine dashed towards Kurt again. This time, the dancer was so enthralled with Blaine's voice he didn't move. He stood stock still as the elder slipped his hand around his shoulder. When the next verse came up, Kurt decided to take over. I can't let Blaine have all the fun.

"I...I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write, oh
May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright (oh, let them be bright!)
And may all your Christmases be white"

The breath rushed out of Blaine's lungs the moment Kurt began to sing. Obviously he'd heard the young man sing before, but this was different. It wasn't sultry or sensual. It was light and fun; angelic in every sense of the word. He watched the dancer skip away from his grasp and to the other side of the room. The game was on again.

The pair continued to chase each other around the room like children. As the song reached its climax and completion, the two forgot that there were other people present. They got a pleasant reminder when Quinn and Santana started shouting. "Damn! Who knew you had that in you, Anderson?" One shouted at the same time that the other shouted, "That is completely unacceptable. You see these? Cavities; you guys just gave me cavities." Kurt and Blaine weren't sure who said what, but they were both pleased. Praise was always a welcomed reaction.

The night pressed on. Quinn, Santana, Puck, Sam, and Rachel sat around the couch talking while Kurt and Blaine stayed to themselves in a far corner. It was more about intimate conversation than it was about anti-socialization. "Like I said before, your voice is amazing. You're going to kill them in New York."

Usually, Kurt's face lit up like their gaudy Christmas tree when someone mentioned New York; his New York. It didn't then, however. He managed a weak smile at best. "Yeah....just yeah."

"I'm serious, Kurt. You have a spectacular voice."

"Well, what about you? I almost fell over when you opened your mouth. If I wasn't fake dating you, I'd ask you out." The dancer gushed. He noticed a shy smile form on the pharmacist's face. He shook his head.

"It's nothing special; especially not compared to yours." When Kurt opened his mouth to disagree, he was cut off by the sound of a throat clearing. It was Santana.

"As much as I'd love to continue watching you to tip toe around each other, Doo Wop and I are exhausted. We're going to head upstairs and cuddle with Quinn." The men looked around. With the exception of the three of them –four if Doo Wop was counted- the room was empty. When did that happen? Kurt questioned. He hadn't heard a single person leave. "And FYI, Rachel is asleep in the doorway between her room and the hall, Puck and Sam are asleep on the floor in the basement, and Quinn is in Rachel's bed."

Each man nodded absently. They were still trying to figure out when every else left the room. "Also, I wasn't going to say anything but..." She nodded her head towards the ceiling, "Merry Christmas, guys." With that, she turned towards the stairs. She left the men staring in shock in her wake.

Mistletoe; how could I forget we put up mistletoe? Shit.

Blaine's mind wasn't nearly as calm as Kurt's.Oh crap. Really? Maybe I should tell him it's not necessary. Yeah. I'll just blow it off. But what if he wants to kiss me? I ate those onion rings. I wonder how my breath smells. Did I put on too much Old Spice? Does Old Spice make me smell old? Oh darn. He's staring at me. Is he waiting for an answer? Does he want permission? What am I waiting for? Should I walk away? Oh....

As quickly as lightning would strike, Blaine's mouth was covered with Kurt's. A million synapses fired at once and he was certain he wasn't in Kansas anymore. Kurt's lips were soft and the tiniest bit moist.Well, damn!

Kurt's heart beat out of his chest and across the room. Blaine's mouth felt amazing. His lips were slightly chapped but Kurt didn't mind. They were perfect.And he smells amazing.They slotted against his like a puzzle piece and the dancer was certain that he was going to have trouble pulling that puzzle piece apart. Alas, all good things had to end. Slowly, the younger man pulled back. For a moment, it was at the top of his 'hardest things I've ever had to do' list.

When they were an acceptable distance apart, Kurt opened his eyes. Blaine was staring at him with wide eyes and a dopey grin plastered across his mouth. Chancing a look at the clock on the wall, Kurt smiled. "Merry Christmas, Blaine."

The pharmacist nodded. "Merry Christmas, Kurt."