Blaine didnt want to get out of bed that morning, even though Kurt had left his side hours ago. His legs and arms were tangled in blankets, but he shivered, anyway, almost as if he could feel the coolness from outside. February had come too soon, and before he even realized, it was his birthday. He was turning nineteen, but he still felt like a child, one that had thrown a temper tantrum and cried so hard that his throat swelled so that he was choked up on his own words. He still had no idea how to stand up for himself when people sneered at him, and he was scared of everything, which made him the biggest freak. Without Karofsky, he didnt seem to have a voice at all.

His frustration over himself and how strange he was always seemed to get worse on his birthday, the one day he should have celebrated with friends, the one day he didnt have to be glared at. But he hated birthdays, everything about them. His parents had never been around on his birthdays, always traveling or smothered with paperwork. He didnt have any friends, either, so he spent his birthdays alone. Hed always known it wasnt normal, that other children had birthday parties, got presents, and ate cake.

Hed sometimes go up to his mom or his dad and ask why he couldnt have a party, and theyd just grunt that maybe next year, they were busy that year, that he could buy himself the biggest toy in the store the next time they went shopping.

The only birthday hed really liked, just for five minutes, was when he turned nine. Coop had canceled almost everything on his full schedule and come home. It was pretty late and Blaine had been asleep, but he remembered waking up to the feeling of his brother lifting him against his chest and giving him a hug. Hed handed him a box that hed ripped apart, and hed found a bowtie inside. Hed worn it on his wrist for a while, unaware that it was actually supposed to go on his neck, but Coop had just smiled at him with humor.

He didnt want to get up and face disappointment again, not after so many years-even from Karofsky, who had always wanted to know what Blaine was up to. After Blaine had told him when his birthday was, Karofsky had shrugged it off. It had been like a bullet to Blaine that his birthday was ignored even by a man who had seemed obsessed with him. But he had a new friend, a new family who cared for him, a boyfriend who loved him. And when hed told Kurt his birthday was coming up, hed squealed and chattered about all of the good things that would happen on his birthday. He just had to trust Kurt after all that he had gone through to be with Blaine.

Sliding his legs off the bed, he boosted himself to his feet, staggering on his way over to the door. He stumbled up the steps on hesitant feet, knowing how heartbroken he would be if he opened the door and found that Kurt had forgotten about him, too. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open, seeing nothing in the living room. Not even the TV was on, but Burt usually slept in on days that there wasnt a game playing.

He jumped when he heard a noisy chirp from the kitchen, and he turned his head in that direction. A small shadow moved around under the kitchen door, catching Blaines interest as he moved closer to the kitchen. He laid his fingers on the wood, but he didnt press on it, listening to the soft patting of feet across the hard floor. Another chirp rang through the air, and Blaine raised his brows at the sound of a giggle, "Oh, Pavarotti, youre my silly bird!" He made out the pop of a kiss, and one last tweet from Pavarotti.

Cracking open the door, Blaine peered through the small hole he made, his eyes instantly falling on Kurt. His pale skin was smudged with white flour, spots of it on his elbows, hands, and forehead. He was wearing one of Blaines tee shirts, but nothing else, and Blaine thought he looked adorable. He stretched on his toes to see what was in the fridge, and after a moment of searching, he pushed his bottom lip out in a pout. "Oh, dear, I cant find the cranberries! Those are Blaines favorites!" Putting his hands on his hips, Kurt turned around and said, "We cant leave those out, can we, Pavarotti?"

Pavarotti pawed at Kurt, bringing a smile back onto his lips. He padded across the room and stroked his bird, "You just like the pecans, dont you? Youve eaten more pecans than I put in the cake, but youre still my favorite helper." Pulling a pecan out of a bag, he held it out to Pavarotti, who took it in his beak and crunched on it. "Its yummy, isnt it? Do you think your daddy will like his birthday cake? If only I could find the cranberries!"

Realizing that Kurt was making a birthday cake for him, something hed never had, Blaine gasped, a sound that must have surprised Kurt. His blue gaze lifted and his eyes got very round, "Oh!"

Immediately feeling bad for frightening Kurt, he pulled back and muttered, "I-Im sorry-" He was cut off by the sound of a shriek. A little body was pressed against his before he got in a full breath, and he looked down at the top of Kurts head as he burrowed under his chin.

Tilting his head so he could look at Blaine, Kurt smiled up at him, still hugging him as tightly as he could, "Happy birthday, my Blaine!" He squeaked, "You look so well." He puckered for a kiss and stretched to reach Blaines face, so Blaine quickly pecked his lips.

After he got his kiss, he scurried away from Blaine and returned to the cake batter, "Ive been making your cake all morning, but Im afraid that I cant find the cranberries. The cake might not be as yummy as I wanted it to be." He frowned at his lack of cranberries, still looking around for the container.

"It would be good with or without cranberries... because youre making it." Blaine said lowly, his own voice startling him. He sounded strained and raspy, as if he was having trouble speaking. He reached up to his neck and felt a lump under his hand as he swallowed thickly, getting nothing down his throat because his mouth was so dry. "But Ill help you find them, sweetheart."

"That would be so nice of you." Kurt chirped, dropping a few more pecans into the batter and whipping them in. Blaine walked over to the fridge and opened one of the doors, pushing aside a few pop cans and finding a small tub of the pink stained fruits.

Pulling it out, he popped the lid off and scooped a messy fruit out. He threw it into his mouth and chewed, wincing at the tartness. He carried the container over to Kurt and held it out, "Here you go, baby."

"Oh, thank you for finding those!" Kurt took it from him and set it down by his bowl, spooning a few cranberries into the batter. After he mixed those in, he poured the goo into a pan and put it in the oven. "Mm... it smells so good, doesnt it? I just love warm cranberries... especially on a chilly day." He picked one of the leftover cranberries and put it between his lips, chewing very slowly. The fruit burst between his teeth, staining his tongue and lips with a deep red color. Blaine helplessly smiled at him as he licked his lips.

Leaning against the counter, Blaine picked up the bowl and stuck it in the sink, wanting to help clean up. "Thank you... for doing this, Kurt. You didnt have to go to this trouble... but I appreciate that you did." He kept his eyes away from Kurt as he moved to his other side, also using the water to wash off the measuring cups.

"Oh... what do you mean?" Kurt reached up to Blaines arms, curling his fingers around the strained muscles. They tightened under his little hand, making it obvious that Blaine was tense. Any second now, he was expecting to wake up from a dream and realize that he was back with his parents, who had disregarded him again. "Blaine, its your birthday. Its a very special day... We must celebrate it." When Blaine didnt say anything because hed always thought differently about his birthday-hed been forced to or else he knew he would have to face disappointment year after year, Kurt rubbed his skin, "Blaine? Why do you look so sad?"

Blaine wondered if he would have liked birthday parties when he was a child, if the smell of his birthday cake baking in the oven would have made his stomach rumble, if his curiosity over what could be under that wrapping paper and ribbon would have driven him insane. But birthday parties would have been wasted on him because he didnt have any friends. He supposed that not having a birthday party at all was better than having one but sitting all by himself, waiting for guests who would have never shown up because he was a freak.

Kurts soft voice pulled him from his head, and he lowered his eyes to Kurts sad face, "Blaine... youve never had a birthday party, have you?" He still didnt know how Kurt could figure him out so easily, even when he was silent.

Blaine shrugged, trying to show Kurt that he let it roll off his shoulders, that it didnt bother him, that when he was little, he didnt cry into his pillow about it. "My parents didnt have time to give me birthday parties. They were busy with work. My brother tried to make things better for me, but... it was never the same without my parents. I got used to it after a few years." At least he hadnt lied about any of that, but he still felt just as awful. Talking about his childhood out loud just made him feel that much more pathetic.

Kurts eyes instantly filled with tears, which alarmed Blaine. No one had ever cried over him before. "My poor Blaine." He cooed, wrapping his thin arms around Blaines broad chest as best he could. "You dont know how wonderful the day you were born is. If you had never been born, I would never, ever be this happy, my love." Snuggling under Blaines chin, Kurt closed his eyes when Blaine slowly hooked his arms around his waist. This was so new to him that he didnt have a clue what to do. Sniffing, Kurt lifted his head and gave Blaine a very kind smile, "Well, Im going to make this birthday amazing for you. Ill give you lots of snuggles and kisses and presents. Youll be happy."

Much to his surprise, a warm feeling started boiling under his skin when Kurt tugged away from him to check on the cake. All he could do was stare at Kurt, still speechless-as usual, and wonder how his life had changed from being so terrible that he worried he might die from pain, to something so wonderful that he wondered if he would die of happiness. Raising a brow at Kurt and clearing his throat, which felt itchy, Blaine took a step toward Kurt. He smelled his flowery perfume that still choked him, and he made a low sound when Kurt peeked up at him.

Kurt gave him the prettiest smile that made Blaine helpless, a puddle of mush on the floor, and he took Kurts hips between his hands. "Oh, Blaine." Kurt squeaked with surprise, easily coming toward Blaine when he tugged him. "I cant forget the cake! It will burn, silly man."

Blaine didnt tell Kurt that he was burning for him, even though his body was on fire. Closing his eyes so he couldnt see Kurts reaction, if he would refuse him or not, he ducked his head and paused before he touched Kurts lips. He heard a high pitched giggle from Kurt, one that sounded nervous, "Blaine, youve never been this daring before. Youre making me blush."

Blaine opened his eyes so he could see Kurts pink cheeks, his eyes glowing with amusement but his lip caught between his teeth, anxiously gnawing it. Leaning closer, Blaine touched his mouth to Kurts, and Kurt quickly let his lip go. "Oh, dear..." Kurt whispered on Blaines mouth, his voice quivering, "your kisses are so warm..." His soft voice faded away, and he went limp against Blaines chest. His fingers curled into Blaines shirt so he didnt fall down.

Deepening the kiss with a nudge, Blaine wrapped Kurt in his arms and hugged him tightly. He remembered all of the birthdays that hed spent alone, sitting in his windowsill and watching other children play on the street. Hed wanted to invite them in to celebrate with him, but hed never had the voice to do it. With Kurt, he didnt have to have a voice. He knew everything about him, anyway, and even though he should have been fearful of that, he wasnt. He trusted Kurt and everything hed ever given to him, including his first birthday party.

When he opened his eyes again and came back to reality, he realized that he hadnt breathed in a while. He didnt know how long he and Kurt had been kissing, but from how suffocated he felt, it was probably more than a minute. Parting from Kurt to inhale, Blaine fell back against the counter, both terrified and enthralled that Kurt had been able to take him away from himself. Hed never left his own mind during a kiss, just counted the seconds until he could pull away. Kurt was a trembling mess himself, touching his damp lips and breathing heavily. He looked concerned about something, and Blaine was immediately worried that hed done something wrong.

"What is it?" He muttered, grabbing his neck as soon as he said it. His voice was much deeper than usual, thick and croaky, as if hed become a frog in that past thirty seconds.

Kurt held out his hands as if to plead, "Oh, no, please... its nothing, really. Its just..." he smiled to himself at some unknown thought, "your kiss made my knees weak." One of Blaines brows raised because he didnt understand, but Kurt giggled and wrapped his arms around himself. "Its silly... you see, when a princess and a prince love each other, hell take her into his arms and kiss her with such passion... its as if he could never let her go." His eyes sparkled at that last, and he lifted a hand to his forehead and tilted his head back. "And then her knees go weak and she falls against his chest. Its so romantic, isnt it? Ive dreamed of a man making my knees weak ever since I was little... taking me into his strong arms and kissing me until Im dizzy."

Blaine thought back to the first moment hed ever seen Kurt, so different than anyone hed ever come across before. He remembered struggling to understand him, from the graceful way he moved to the way he never got mad at anyone, even people who pushed him over. He also remembered the way Kurt always surprised him, no matter what he thought he figured out. He always managed to be so exciting to Blaine, even though he stayed the same in his gentle, kind manners. He realized now that he would never know what to expect out of Kurt, and that thrilled him, because no matter how little he pieced together about Kurt, he knew he would always be safe with him. He opened his mouth, and then he closed it, and then he opened it again, but the only thing that he managed to get out was, "I love you."

Kurts beautiful smile almost made him collapse, and an embarrassing sound that he didnt even know he could make gurgled out of him. Padding over to him, Kurt lifted onto his toes and kissed his cheek, just a small peck that made Blaines toes curl. "I love you, too, my darling." Kurt whispered in his ear, kissing the lobe. The pop deafened Blaine for only a second, making him that much more anxious. "Let me give you your gifts now. My dad is still sleeping so hell give you his later this afternoon. Right now, it will be just us, and we can cuddle."

Blaine swallowed thickly, privately relieved by the offer. All he wanted was to be close to Kurt. Kurt took both of his hands and whirled toward the living room, "Come, Blaine." He peeped, and Blaine followed on his heels.

The two of them sat together on a couch in the living room, and Blaine gathered Kurt up and set him on his lap. After Kurt tucked himself under his chin, he tilted his head and kissed the soft spot under Blaines jaw. "Your gift has been the only thing on my mind." Kurt told him softly, his eyes wide with concern. "There were so many things I wanted to give you, but I decided on something just as beautiful as you are." He turned to Pavarotti, who had waddled in from the kitchen. "Pavarotti, would you be a sweet baby and get your daddys gift? You remember where I put them, dont you?"

Pavarotti chirped and fluttered away from them, and as soon as he vanished down the stairs, Kurt looked up at Blaine. He lifted a tiny palm and covered Blaines eyes with it, which alarmed him. All he could see was pink skin, and it felt so smooth on his face. "You must close your eyes!" Kurt peeped at him, and Blaine managed a small grin.

"Okay, okay... theyre closed." He surrendered, squeezing his eyes shut. Kurt peeled only part of his hand away, obviously to check, and then Blaine didnt feel the warmth on his face anymore. He almost wanted Kurt to put his hand on his face again. "When can I open them?"

He heard Kurts pretty giggle, "No peeking! Oh, heres Pavarotti!" Turning his head at the sound of shuffling and rustling, Blaine tried to crack open one eye, but all he saw was the back of Kurts shirt. "Thank you for bringing those to me, Pavarotti. Youve been a very good bird. Youll get extra treats tonight!"

When Kurts hand brushed his, Blaine twitched and tried to grab his palm, but a pile of wrinkled paper was in the way. "What is..." he touched the crinkled paper again, "What is this?"

Kurt handed him the pile of papers, and he tried to memorize every crease, "Open your eyes, Blaine!" Blaine slowly peeled his lids apart, immediately flicking his eyes down to the paper in his hand. He saw a bouquet of flowers in his hand, red and yellow roses wrapped up in blue paper. They were tied with a gold ribbon.

Blaine had never gotten such a good gift, and it made him smile, "Kurt... these are beautiful. Thank you."

Purring, Kurt nuzzled Blaine with the tip of his nose, "A red rose is for romance... and I do love you very much. The yellow is for friendship, and youre my best friend!" He cupped Blaines cheeks in his hands, so Blaine closed the distance between them and kissed him. They parted with a soft pop, but Blaines peacefulness with Kurt was interrupted when a knock on the door jerked them out of their dazes over each other.

Whipping around, Blaine frowned at the door, and Kurt seemed just as confused because he glimpsed up at Blaine with a fretful expression. "Who-?" He glanced at Kurt before he got up, "Honey, did you invite friends over?"

Kurt shook his head, letting go of Blaines hand. Blaine went over to the door and opened it, surprised to see a man with a box on the other side. "Ive got a package for Mr. Anderson." The guy said, holding it out.

Blaine took it from him, waiting until he left before he shut the door again. He looked the box over, seeing his brothers name on the outside. Helplessly smiling, he carried the box to Kurt, who was more than curious about it. "Its from my brother, beautiful."

"Oh, open it!" Kurt said excitedly, bouncing on his bottom. "Your brother always does the nicest things for you. Hes very sweet."

Ripping off the tape, he flipped the flaps apart and pulled out a letter. He set that aside and went through the other things first, a few pictures of him and Cooper hugging each other, and a couple of his bowties. His first CD player was near the bottom, and his very first doll, one of Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast.

"Oh..." Kurt reached for the doll, picking it up and admiring it. "Blaine, was this yours? This is so cute."

Blaine picked up one of the smaller bowties, one that wouldnt fit him anymore. "This was my first bowtie. Coops the reason I love them so much. He gave it to me. I wore it as a bracelet for a while because I didnt know what it was."

Kurt looked very pleased with Blaine telling him about his childhood, "Blaine... this is perfect. We must call your brother and thank him for sending all of this."

Reaching for the piece of paper, Blaine held it up and read it to himself.

Blaine,

I wasnt sure if Id have time to call you, so I put this together. I hope you like everything. You were the cutest as a baby! Id send a few pictures of you with your chubby cheeks, but I know that would embarrass you if Kurt saw them.

The babys doing great. He gained a little weight, but the doctors still convinced hell be short like his uncle. Archers a really great name for him.

I love you more than anything. Your favorite brother,

Coop

He couldnt help but grin at the letter, but when he lifted his head, he saw that Kurt looked shocked, his hand to his mouth and his eyes wide. "Whats wrong, sweetheart?" He muttered lowly.

"You had chubby cheeks as a baby?" Kurts voice was very high pitched with his excitement. Bouncing up and down, he clapped his hands, "Cooper has to send those to me!" Patting one of Blaines cheeks, he cooed and made a shrill sound. "Ill be back after I speak with Cooper." He hopped off the couch and scurried out of the room before Blaine could catch him.

"Kurt!" He pleaded, not sure if he wanted to flush with embarrassment or snort with laughter.