“So…who is coming over?” Burt asked as he took a long drink from his beer. 

“My neighbor Blaine,” Kurt replied shortly, pulling the turkey out of the oven to check. “He owns the bakery across the street.”

“Is he cute?” Kurt shot up and glared at his father. 

“He’s my neighbor and he was spending Christmas alone,” With another glare, Burt shrugged and leaned back into the couch. 

The buzz from the intercom was a welcome distraction and Kurt opened the door downstairs with the press of a button. As soon as there was a knock at the door Kurt rushed to open it. 

“Hi!” Blaine grinned, holding up several boxes. “I brought food!”

“Good, we don’t have enough,” Kurt laughed and stepped aside to let him in. 

“Is that the neighbor?” Burt called from the living room, getting up from the couch. 

“Yes sir!” Blaine smiled and quickly placed his boxes on the kitchen counter before reaching a hand out to shake Burt’s. “I’m Blaine Anderson.”

“None of this sir business. Call me Burt,” He shot Kurt a quick look over Blaine’s shoulder. 

“Of course Burt,” Blaine shook his hand before turning back to the boxes. “So I brought sweet potato casserole, not the gross one with the marshmallows but with brown sugar and sugared pecans. I also brought cupcakes. Now Kurt told me you were a meat and potatoes kind of guy so I made a chocolate and beer cake with beer buttercream topped with crushed pretzels.”

“Well I like you already!” Burt clapped him on the shoulder and took one of the cupcakes. “You watch basketball Blaine?”

“Absolutely!” 

“Kurt, I like him,” Burt gave his son another long look, getting an eye roll in response. 

“Sorry,” Blaine gave Kurt a small smile. “I’m kind of the guy who brings too much stuff to parties.”

“No it’s nice,” Kurt laughed. “And you totally won my dad over with the cupcakes.”

“Well, I wanted your dad to like me.”

Burt handed a beer to Blaine as they joined him on the couch. After just a few minutes Kurt was bored enough to start flipping through a magazine and ignored the two men next to him jumping and shouting at the television. 

“So…Blaine,” Burt said slowly after Blaine has disappeared to the bathroom. 

“Uh huh,” Kurt turned the page. 

“He’s nice.”

“He is.”

“I like him.”

“I can tell.”

“Is he single?” Kurt lowered the magazine.

“Oh dad, I know he’s cute but you have Carole,” He fought a smile. 

“You know what I mean!” Burt slapped his shoulder. “It’s been a long time since your last boyfriend. He’s a nice, thoughtful guy.”

“Who just went through a horrible breakup,” Kurt put down the magazine. 

“Is that why you keep looking over at him over your magazine?”

“Shut up,” Kurt scowled as Blaine walked back into the room. 

The game ended with both Blaine and Burt standing and getting progressively closer to the television. When their team won they both cheered loudly and Burt grabbed Blaine, lifting him up in the air. 

“Yay,” Kurt grinned. “Ready for dinner?” 

“Let me help,” Blaine waved Burt off to the small dining table and within moments they were getting all the food on the table. 

Kurt couldn’t fight the smile on his face during dinner. It all seemed so comfortable and easy with Blaine eating with them. He couldn’t stop glancing up to look at Blaine and felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw Blaine smiling back at him. 

A few hours later Kurt and Blaine were enjoying a few glasses of wine after Burt had gone to bed. Soft Christmas music played from Kurt’s iPod and the fire crackled from Kurt’s rarely used fireplace. 

“Thanks for inviting me,” Blaine nudged him with his shoulder. “This was really fun.”

“Well my dad loved you.”

“He’s great!” Blaine’s face lit up. “Seriously, I wish my dad was like that.”

“Are your parents still in Ohio?” Kurt frowned when Blaine sighed. 

“I think so. I haven’t actually talked to them since I went off to college,” At Kurt’s expression he shrugged. “I’m kind of the fuck up of the family.”

“Oh…”

“I’ve known it forever. My brother was the attractive, straight actor who everyone loved. I was shy, gay and bullied like crazy. I had to spend two weeks in the hospital once after bullies came after me and a date with baseball bats and my parents visited twice. Cooper spent every minute with me but they just visited to tell me how I embarrassed them and how I was going to a new school.”

“I’m so sorry,” Kurt’s eyes widened and Blaine took a long drink. 

“Of course I dropped out of college because my boyfriend convinced me to and opened a bakery so I wasn’t the perfect kid,” He shrugged. 

“But you wanted to do it!” 

“Oh for sure,” Blaine laughed. “My grandma would visit all the time and bake with me. I think she was trying to make up for the fact that my own parents were never there. She taught me how much fun baking could be. We would mix crap into the batter and frosting and usually it would suck but it was fun.”

“Well you’re really good at it,” Kurt smiled when Blaine laughed loudly, reaching to gab the wine bottle. “I do have to ask though, why superheroes?”

“Superheroes are awesome!” Blaine gasped. “They’re just people who want to help others and be the best they can be. They’re a symbol of hope, someone who can save you no matter how dark things can get.”

They lapsed into another long silence, just enjoying each other’s company and drinking their wine. 

“I just wanted to let you know that Jenny canceled the cake,” Kurt said softly. 

“Good.”

“You didn’t call her did you?” 

“No,” Blaine shrugged. “I didn’t want that news to come from me. I knew if Remy thought I had told her he was going to run home and start apologizing instantly.”

“I am sorry it happened.”

“I’m sorry I spent so long with him! I’m also sorry that I refused to listen to you,” Blaine gave him a small smile. 

“You were understandably mad at me.”

“How about, since it’s Christmas, we just…move on?” Blaine took a long drink. 

“I’ll cheers to that,” Kurt raised a glass to clink on Blaine’s. 

“I hate to say it but I should head out,” Blaine sighed and drained the rest of his wine. 

“Yeah, yeah, now that you drunk most of my wine,” Kurt stood up with Blaine. 

“Of course not,” Blaine grinned. “But I do need to stagger across the street or I’ll just fall asleep here.” 

“Well, thanks for coming,” Kurt gave him a shy smile. 

“No thank you.”

They stood by the door for a long moment, not sure what to say when Blaine glanced up and made a small noise. 

“Really Kurt?”

Kurt jumped and looked up to see mistletoe. 

“Oh…well…it’s just a decoration and it’s pretty,” Kurt felt his cheeks burning. “I mean…”

He was cut off as Blaine’s lips pressed against his. Kurt had been kissed a few times before but had never described any of them like fireworks. 

This was like fireworks. 

This was like being struck by lightning. 

This was like every part of him suddenly came alive. 

Blaine pulled back and looked into his eyes for a long moment before clearing his throat and stepping away, blushing slightly.

“Tradition,” He sounded slightly breathless. “Isn’t it bad luck if you don’t kiss?”

“I don’t know,” Kurt could have kicked himself for how stupid he sounded. 

“Well then,” Blaine smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you too,” Kurt smiled shyly back and quietly shut the door behind Blaine, leaning against it with his eyes shut. 

“So you found the mistletoe,” His father’s voice startled him. 

“I hate you.”