When Rachel opened her front door to find a sheepish looking Kurt standing there holding up a wrapped package, she fought the urge to slam the door in his face. "I'm still mad at you, Kurt," she announced.

It was pretty clear to Kurt he had some major damage control to do, luckily he was in a determined mood. "I know, just as I know how much I deserve your cold shoulder treatment right now. Which is why I've come bearing gifts..." Kurt replied as he held his arms out. "Not only did I bring your Christmas present early, but there's also freshly baked Christmas cookies as well," he enticed, making his eyes big and sad. "Did I mention how sorry I am?"

Rachel tried to resist her friends' woeful look but it wasn't long before she was squirming and then let out a long breath in defeat. She pulled Kurt inside and closed the door behind him, taking her peace offering presents. "Fine, you can come in. I'm sure you've been paying for you stupidity already," she sassed.

"More than you could begin to guess," Kurt said as he followed her down to the basement. He got the feeling Rachel was going to cash in on his apology by getting him to help clean up after the party. If it would help mend the little rift between them Kurt was fine to do it, the menial task might help him in the long run. Just the sight of the aftermath of another drunken Rachel Berry train-wreck brought back more memories from that night. "Rachel, please tell me I didn't get fully naked last night?" he begged, fearing the answer.

"You kept your underwear on, thankfully but you almost lost that too. Good thing I managed to stop you... by asking you to sing with me. So you put your clothes back on but you still made a show of that too. Brittany joined you and started to strip, since she was really drunk and you guys..."

"We made out didn't we? I was hoping that part wasn't real," Kurt groaned.

"It wasn't for that long, but everyone cheered you on. We sang half a duet, threw up on me and then you passed out," Rachel explained.

Kurt's face when from shock to horror as she filled him in on what his choppy memory was lacking. He wanted to disappear off the face of the planet; instead he collapsed onto the ground dramatically. "It's worse than I thought," he cried.

Rachel might be quite the diva but right now Kurt was outdoing her, "You did stay asleep from there on... and that made it easier for Blaine to carry you to his car," she added.

At the mention of his boyfriends name Kurt lifted his head up, "Did you call Blaine to come and get me?"

"Yes, I didn't know who else to call. He came right away, even when I could tell he was pissed at you. Are you two okay? Please tell me you worked things out," Rachel asked hesitantly.

As much as Kurt wished he had good news, no such luck (yet) so he shook his head. "Not exactly no. But before you turn to dramatics, we're not breaking up or anything. We just fighting right now... but I'll deal with him next," Kurt assured. Rachel didn't seem thoroughly convinced and Kurt shook his head with affection, coming to give her a light hug. "Don't worry, we'll be okay... so no pouty face Miss Berry, I'll have none of that," he sassed.

"If you're this cheerful then I guess I am over reacting a bit," Rachel said with a smile.

Kurt stood up and started to help her clean up the countless discarded bottles and paper cups scattered around the room. Many of which were drunk by him and Kurt made a silent vow never to drink that many beers in one night ever again. "I'm really sorry I threw up on you Rachel..." he apologized.

Rachel came up to Kurt and linked her arm into his, snuggling up beside him. "It's okay Kurt, this means we're even now. Because I remember another party I threw in our junior year, where I was the one who got drunk..."

"Oh yeah... I don't think I'll ever forget how you got me for spin the bottle and kept making moves on me all night. I still can't believe you managed to make out with me against my will!" Kurt finished for her with a mock shudder.

That snarky remark caused Rachel's sweet smile to turn to annoyance and she poked Kurt in the side. "Hey! Look who's talking, cause now we know all it takes for you to kiss a girl is to get drunk because you sure made out with Brittany willingly, with tongue!" she threw back.

"Fine, we'll call it a tie then and put both experiences behind us," Kurt appeased.

"Deal," Rachel chimed but then she saw Kurt's smile fade. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked.

Before Kurt bothered to give his answer he sat down on the couch, "It's Blaine... he might have started this whole mess but I'm the one who screwed things up. How does this always happen to me? There he is... acting all charming and bending over backwards to please me. But here I am, failing at every turn... I swear Blaine doesn't even try half the time, he's that much of a perfect boyfriend!" Kurt whined.

It didn't take much for Rachel to realize this was a sore spot with Kurt and not one she should dismiss. But this was not the time to treat Kurt like a little hurt puppy, what he needed was a dose of tough love. "Kurt, I don't even know Blaine that well yet but I can tell wallowing in self pity won't help you here. Nothing I've seen, or heard, when it comes to you two lovebirds over the last month supports that crazy theory. But I have seen you and Blaine gush away over Skype, phone and via text message and one time... in person. So I know first hand how much chemistry you have. When Blaine came by last night I could tell he was angry but he still showed up. You would have done the same thing too," she lectured.

"Oh course I would have!" Kurt scoffed.

"You see, the one thing I am sure of is that you and Blaine are too perfectly matched to let this be a big deal. If you can handle long distance, then this is nothing but one of you needs to make the first step to reconcile."

"That will be me, I promise and thank you, Rachel. I suppose it's time for me to deal with the final clean up," Kurt said as he brought out his cell. He wasn't sure if Blaine was still at his uncle's or even willing to listen to him yet so he didn't call him outright.

Blaine, I want to see you, are you free?

Blaine's response came back a few moments later and for the first time in almost a full day, Kurt found himself smiling.

Yes, I'm more than ready to listen Kurt.

Good, I'll be right over, wait, where are you?

At home, I was being a buzz kill at my Uncles, so they sent me home. I'm alone too, so we can talk without interruption.

I'll be right over, I'm so sorry...

Me too, I miss you baby.

Miss you too. I'll see you soon.

With that first reaching out achieved, all that was left was for Kurt to head off and see his boyfriend in person. He was very eager to start the making up process, until something caught his eye. Kurt leaned over to fish out a cellphone that was wedged between the couch cushions and he brought up the screen to see who it belonged to. "Oh, Santana left her phone..." Kurt said as he was about to hand it to Rachel but stopped. "Hold on..." he muttered as he snooped through her photos.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"Knowing her, I bet she took photos... oh my god, this is humiliating! I cannot delete these fast enough!" Kurt shouted as he vigorously scrolled through each photo and deleted them straight away.

Both Rachel and Kurt were too busy with the phone issue to notice its owner was coming down the stairs with her usual swagger. "Oh look, the stripper has his clothes back on," she announced.

Kurt turned around to smirk at her, "Coming from you Santana, that's not much of an insult," he sassed. He normally wouldn't have been so blunt, but after seeing all the photos she had taken of him during his strip show, he felt no need to be civil. "And at least I made a killing off you, thanks for the twenty," Kurt taunted.

"Damn, I thought they were all ones, oh well, keep your dirty money," Santana said with a shrug. "I'm looking for my phone..."

Kurt saved her the trouble of searching when he held up the item in question. "You mean this? Good thing I found it before you tried to make a profit off those photos," he said, tossing it back to her.

Santana, never one to let anyone get the upper hand but her own, merely shrugged as he placed in down her cleavage. "I gotta say Lady-Hummel, you have a nice ass. Wanky," she assessed.

It felt nearly freeing for Kurt not to give Santana the satisfaction of his becoming embarrassed from the obvious taunt. Having a hot boyfriend to lust over was teaching him a thing or two about how to deal the subject on a whole. So he took the jab as a compliment instead and gave Santana a warm (but sarcastic) smile in response. "Why thank you Santana, that is high praise indeed," he replied. Kurt made his way past the two ladies, with his head held high. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's another sweet ass I need to deal with. If I have any hope of tapping it one day," he said casually and headed up the stairs. _______________________________________________________________________

Blaine was anxiously awaiting for Kurt in his living room and the second he heard the doorbell ring he leapt up and sprinted to the door. As soon as he saw Kurt standing there, holding up his phone he was already melting. But then he realized there was music playing, which was 'Friends Never Say Goodbye'. "Kurt..." Blaine breathed.

Kurt's smile was kind but a little unsure, "I didn't think I'd need to use this song so soon," he admitted weakly.

There was no helping it, how could Blaine stay mad at Kurt well all he wanted to do was hold him close. The need for physical contact was as present as ever, fight or not and they rushed together. At first they didn't say anything, it would be easier to just forget everything and make up right then and there. But there were deeper problems to root out and ones that couldn't be simply bandaged up and left alone to heal. "Kurt, I'-" Blaine began, only for Kurt to cut him off with a passionate kiss.

Kurt fluttered his eyes at Blaine when the kiss was over, "I want to say sorry first Blaine and we are not going to pass the blame back and forth all night. We each have reasons to be sorry over and we both made mistakes, some I really regret... but, we can't stumble over this. I don't want to fight with you but, there are clearly some issues we need to deal with."

The suggestion held merit and it was one Blaine agreed with completely; so he stepped back to let Kurt inside. "Before we say anything else Kurt, I don't think you're not pulling your own weight in our relationship," Blaine said.

So they were going to get right to Kurt's biggest fear then, so be it. "Are you really sure? This is a really sensitive topic for me... as you've guessed. I need you to see where I'm coming from..."

"Then tell me Kurt, help me to understand. I promise I'll listen and keep an open mind, no interruptions," Blaine pressed.

Kurt sighed, while touching; Blaine's kind reply was a pure example of his whole dilemma. Since it would take a while for Kurt to express everything he lead them both over to the couch and sat down next to Blaine. "I'm not use to having someone give me so much attention. No one's ever showed any sort of romantic interest in me... and you've done so many wonderful things for me without asking for anything in return. You're so giving Blaine, you don't even realize by how much and your humility is just another of your many positive traits. Sometimes I swear every word out of that mouth of yours just makes me want to melt into a puddle of goo. You say the cutest things, do the sweetest things and I'm so grateful and feel so treasured. But, on the other side it makes me feel... so inferior to you. That no matter how hard I try I'll never add up and you could do so much better than me. I don't want to think that I don't deserve you, not when you've been such a gift to know and be with," Kurt explained, pausing to catch his breath.

Blaine was surprised with some of the things Kurt confessed to him; he'd had no idea. "Still here," he whispered softly in encouragement.

"We're in a long distance relationship, so most of the time I'm off living my life in New York and trying to do without you. I can already tell you're ready to argue and go on about how you don't agree with my claims so thank you for letting me finish. I know I'm being too insecure but I can't help it. My air of superiority and confidence isn't as strong as people may think, I have fears and insecurities just like everyone else..." Kurt continued, getting choked up with emotion. "But I don't know how to show you how much you mean to me Blaine. Nothing I can do, or could express will ever come close to what you've done for me," he finished.

There was no helping it, Blaine might be able to hold back the urge to touch Kurt but he couldn't keep back the tears. So he didn't, Blaine openly wept in front of Kurt without holding back, proof to how much he trusted his boyfriend. "Clearly I'm not perfect Kurt, please don't put me on a pedestal. I can say cute things and sometimes I'm trying to be a good boyfriend more than you realize. But the reason for that goes way deeper than you would think. For most of my life all I've wanted is to make other people happy. Because I want them to like me, not because I'm some sort of saint. It's because I'm really insecure too. When it comes to other people I give it my all and with you, I go into overdrive at times. I swear it's not on purpose and I'm sorry if it's made you feel inferior. But you do that to me Kurt, I'm so happy to have you in my life... you mean so much to me. I want to be there for you all the time, I need to give you everything I can and then-some... so I won't loose you," Blaine explained.

Kurt wasn't the only one who hadn't considered how his boyfriend really felt on the inside and now he too was battling tears. But this time he didn't feel sorry for himself or that he was the worse off between them. "Blaine, I'm never giving up on you... you're not going to loose me," he assured softly.

"You say that but honestly neither of us knows for sure. Things happen Kurt; I know right now we could never imagine it. But you have this amazing life in New York that I keep thinking could take you away from me. What if when I finally get there it won't be enough?" Blaine asked.

Kurt's heart was aching; there was a lot of ground to cover and where to start? "That's very true and this is some pretty heavy subject matter. But I think it's okay if we don't have all the answers yet, or any at all. What I do know is that we've both learned something about each other now that make a lot of sense. It seems we have some legitimate reasons for how we reacted yesterday night, some. But that doesn't make it right, I shouldn't have gotten drunk, that was the worst way to deal with my resentment towards you," Kurt confessed.

"I thought you said we weren't going to lay blame?" Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled, happy that their talk was becoming a bit lighter and thus easier to tackle. "I'm not, I'm apologizing, and there's a difference."

"I wasn't much better off, so now it's my turn to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ditched you like that. I just... my dad and I tried to spend some quality time together but that fell apart pretty quickly. What I should have done was call you... but I didn't want to bother you at the time-" Blaine explained.

"You wouldn't have bothered me, Blaine!" Kurt interrupted.

"I know... but I'm kind of jealous of the relationship you have with you dad. So in my moments weakness I let myself get petty over that... big mistake," Blaine said.

It was time to tell Blaine yet another story from his high school days; even if it was difficult to share it would help them right now. "You may find it hard to believe but I actually can relate to that. Something similar happened to me in my sophomore year of high school... involving Finn and my dad and I did not handle it well at all. I didn't tell my dad how I felt and I bottled it up inside and started acting like someone else. None of it worked, only when I was honest was I able to heal..." Kurt admitted.

Blaine nodded, he would happily listen to Kurt's story later on but right now he wanted to go back to their current problem. "Nick called me up and invited me to a party and I went to it. I stupidly turned my phone off so my dad couldn't call me too..."

"You forgot about our Skype date didn't you?" Kurt dared to ask.

First came a look of guilt from Blaine, then another nod of conformation. "I did, it hardly seems possible but I managed to keep you out of my mind for a while there. I guess I was trying to prove I could manage things on my own; I won't always be able to turn to you. We have our own lives to deal with and sometimes no matter how much we plan our schedules will conflict. If I were to be totally honest... I sort of thought if something like this were to happen it would be the other way around..." Blaine said, hoping he hadn't made a big mistake in admitting that to Kurt.

Kurt didn't get angry at the claim, he looked a little tense but was still acting very mature all things considered. "You mean that I would be the one who could forget about you?"

"Oh lord, when you say it out-loud that sounds so selfish," Blaine moaned with embarrassment.

Kurt rubbed Blaine's shoulder's affectionately to offer some assurance. "Blaine, you're not wrong... that very well could happen," he added.

"Well, what did end up happening was me breaking our our Skype date... and for no good reason."

"I beg to differ, fighting with you dad is justifiable, or nearly so."

This time the young couple weren't exactly arguing, just giving counter remarks to prove their point. Which was a big contrast to the night prior.

"It still wasn't enough, I really scared you didn't I? You thought something might have happened to me..." Blaine said.

"Yes I did, because it's not like you to be so tardy without any word... but then I called your home. Your mom told me you were off at a party and then... I got angry... and my night when downhill from there," Kurt commented.

"The same thing happened to me when I tried to call you."

"I guess the short of it is: we both made some stupid mistakes and are equally sorry. Anything else we need to cover?" Kurt asked Blaine playfully.

Blaine smiled; this was a side of Kurt he couldn't get enough of. "I wish I could say no... But... did you do anything... with any of your..." he started to ask but couldn't and missed key words to make any sense.

Kurt knew what he was asking anyway, "I didn't have sex with my female friends, thankfully. But I did strip for them, save for the last layer and according to Rachel... I made out with Brittany for a second. But I sure hope no matter how drunk I get I'll never fully cross that line..." he explained.

Blaine let out a large sigh of relief, "Oh, thank fucking god!" he moaned.

Kurt laughed, he couldn't judge Blaine for his outburst, because he knew if the tables were turned he would have reacted the exact same way. "Turns out I'm a lousy drunk but I guess that's inexperienced teenagers for you."

After Blaine and Kurt shared a therapeutic laugh, they very much wanted to make full amends so they could resume their normal and happy relationship.

"Can I hold you now? Going almost half a day without talking to you is like torture," Blaine asked.

"Oh please yes, get over here!" Kurt whined as he let Blaine grab onto him tightly.

A kiss soon followed and the pair let the conversation drop for a while. But this was the first time they'd had a real fight and where they were both in the same intimidate area too. Blaine kept Kurt close as they locked lips, holding onto the sides of his face. Kurt was really getting into things, so much that he hardly noticed how Blaine was slowly moving him. Bringing him to end up right on top of Blaine and where he was now straddling Blaine on the couch with his legs.

Kurt didn't bother to move because he was enjoying the position but he still felt the need to comment. "Wow, do I really deserve this yet?" he asked with a laugh.

Blaine kissed Kurt aggressively before making any reply, "Forget about you, this is for me... I need to remind you that you like cock, Kurt," he growled.

Kurt wasn't about to complain but the side effect of not keeping things tame meant they couldn't last as long as usual. He ignored the warning signs at first and he let out a throaty moan as Blaine pulled him closer still. Friction was starting to build around their lower regions and soon no matter how good their making out was, it could no longer be ignored.

"Kurt, I'm getting hard..." Blaine finally moaned a short while later.

"I've noticed, so am I... I guess that means we should stop," Kurt suggested.

"Not necessarily, would frottage right now be so bad?" Blaine said. "Say no and I'll stop though, no pressure," he quickly added.

Kurt threw his head back and blinked at Blaine, whose lips were still puckered from just kissing his boyfriend's neck. "Oh please don't make me decide. You how what we want and what we should do usually conflict!" he hissed.

Blaine nearly panicked at how forward he was being, for a second time, what in the world was he doing? His parents wouldn't be gone for much longer and they weren't even in the privacy of his bedroom. He promptly pushed Kurt up off of him and started to pace back and forth, unsure how to punish himself. "How the hell am I suppose to deal with all this sexual desire you're triggering in me?" he blurted. "I mean, without us doing anything before we're ready to... this is almost scary," he quickly added.

"If I'm not allowed to feel inferior to you romantically, then you're not allowed to think your the bigger horn dog either. Never once did I tell you to stop, heck I was the one who started with the hip movements. We're going to turn each other on and sometimes it will be by accident," Kurt pointed out.

"Yeah I guess... and there's always riding the alone train... but fuck," he swore. Blaine rarely used profanity but it was becoming more needed lately.

Kurt gave his boyfriend a certain look that stopped him in his tracks, and when Blaine sat back down he gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Blaine, we can say all the right things and act mature as possible... but we'd be stupid it we don't acknowledge that it could all be blown to hell in an instant. I was ready to hump away with you until I came..." he admitted. "What am I even saying, ugh!" he blurted out in embarrassment.

Blaine laughed, unable to hold his amusement in for any longer, Kurt looked too cute to resist. "Just kiss me," he urged.

The resulting kiss was far more romantic and tender than passionate and it helped the pair move past an awkward moment.

When it was over Kurt let out a content sigh, drinking Blaine in with his eyes. "I'm crazy about you," he breathed, mirroring Blaine's confessions from before.

Blaine smiled and kissed him again, "Right back at you," he whispered.

"Should I go?" Kurt asked, because he himself knew his body hadn't fully recovered from their near laps in judgement. If he stayed any longer, not matter how hard they tried to keep things under control, things would escalate.

"I think it's for the best, we still think we need a bit of space right?" Blaine reaffirmed.

Kurt nodded, "But I still want to Skype tonight... just later," Kurt said shyly.

Blaine laughed in delight and he hugged Kurt, kissing one more time. "You are too cute," he declared. Which was always a safe way to end a conversation, no matter what the scenario was. _________________________________________________________________________________

"So, do we ignore the fact that we totally masturbated after you headed for home? Or just admit it, since it's not like that's a bad thing," Blaine questioned cheekily.

"I certainly hope having reached orgasm is the reason you're so spry right now, Blaine," Kurt teased.

"Guilty as charged, how about you?"

"Oh yes, I'm not ashamed to admit you got my motor going there Blaine, even if I had to ride solo. Because I'm not doing that with you in my parents house, even through a computer! Knowing my luck, someone would hear me... or worse!" Kurt sputtered off, his mind panicking at the very idea.

"Calm down Kurt, I'm not going to suggest that!" Blaine said.

"Good, then let's go to safer subject matter," Kurt pleaded.

"Hmm sure, what are you plans tomorrow? It's Christmas Eve after all."

"I've agreed to help Finn go Christmas shopping, because he chose to ignore my advice and left it all to the last minuet! Though I'd be lying if the idea of having to face the crowded mall for bargains doesn't excite me. Nothing here compares to the blood baths I've faced looking for a deal in New York! I'm ready for it and I just hope Finn won't fall to ruin while he tries to keep up with me," Kurt explained.

"Nice, as for me, I think I'm being carted around to entertain my many relatives. Oh, and Cooper's suppose to come home tomorrow," Blaine explained.

"Oh I can already picture the duets you must have had over the years..." Kurt said dreamily.

"Kurt, now stop that, I have enough brother issues as it is!" Blaine begged.

"What, can you blame me? It's hot..."

"For you maybe, but how would you like if I were suddenly start to imagine you and Finn..." Blaine interjected.

"Blaine! That's entirely different! Oh god, considering how I use to have a crush on him, no, don't go there!" Blaine sputtered off in horror.

"I'll stop if you will," Blaine offered.

"Fine, no more talk of Cooper," Kurt insisted. 'But try telling that to my subconscious, it's not my fault if I keep dreaming about it,' Kurt thought to himself, not daring to voice it, as he had that much sense.

The couple kept skyping away until they finally admitted they were too tired to continue and quickly went through how much time they'd put aside for each other tomorrow. Blaine and Kurt decided to go the spontaneous route for once and go with the flow. Of course that plan could easily go wrong knowing their track record but they both still wanted to try. They'd play things by ear and send texts to see if they were free enough to talk on the phone or Skype. The decision made both boys were fine to get some sleep and focus on their families and Christmas for now. ___________________________________________________________________________

Kurt's ability to tolerate others was tested to limit when he and Finn went on their Christmas shopping excursion the following day. Considering how little Finn needed to purchase the whole thing shouldn't have become such an ordeal. Kurt kept on having to remind himself he was there to help Finn and for his credit, he did the best he could. By the time they were half way done, all that remained to find a gift for was Carole. "You can always go with bath items as a fail safe," Kurt suggested.

"I got her that kind of thing last year, Kurt," Finn reminded.

"Oh right... hmm... let me see then," Kurt began to ponder.

"Not like it will matter, whatever I get it won't be as awesome as your gift. Because you got it in New York," Finn grumbled.

Kurt rolled his eyes; there was no way he was going to feel guilty about his gift buying skills. Wasn't that the whole reason his brother had asked him to come along in the first place? But it was true the dress he'd gotten Carole from an outlet store was simply stunning and was a steal of a price. "Would you just relax, this doesn't need to be so trying. Heck, the effort you're giving is already making a big difference," Kurt said.

Finn let out a tired sigh; he knew Kurt was right so he managed to calm down. "One upside for me not having a girlfriend right now is I don't have to freak out over what to get her," Finn said with a chuckle.

"Well Rachel always was willing to tell you what she wanted," Kurt started to joke, only he saw his stepbrother's pained response. "Sorry, too soon?"

"I know it's been almost two months now but she was such a big part of my life. I'm trying to move on but it's tough. Just knowing she's back here and is so close... it's hard not to go see her. This time last year we were still together... and I bought her that silly pig," Finn said, managing to smile at the memory.

"Two months isn't a lot of time and feelings just don't go away. But look at where I was last year... I was alone, like all the years before. Now I have Blaine, so it's also true that a lot can happen in a month's time," Kurt said.

"So what did you end up getting Blaine for Christmas then?"

"A plane ticket to New York, I know it's not very sentimental, but we have an agreement to be practical," Kurt answered.

"He's coming to New York?" Finn asked in surprise.

Kurt nodded, "We leave on the 28th, he'll be there with me for a whole week. Then I'll come back here and spend the last week of my vacation in Lima to be with him," Kurt explained.

"I didn't realize things were so serious already, didn't you guys just get together?" Finn admitted.

"I think we sort of need to be, since we're doing most of this long distance. I am well aware how fast things are going... believe me," Kurt replied, empathizing on the last two words.

"Have you guys already have sex? When would you even... was I in the house?" Finn demanded.

Kurt glared in protest at Finn asking such a personal question out in the open. "Not that it's any of your business but no! We haven't done anything sexual yet..." he grumbled, half lying since that wasn't exactly true but Kurt didn't care to elaborate. "Now do you want me to help you find a gift for Carole or ask me more questions about my personal life?" he sassed.

Only Finn didn't take notice of the obvious sarcasm Kurt was going with and smirked at his stepbrother. "Who says we can't do both, you're good at multitasking," he countered.

Whether the comment was meant as a joke or not, Kurt still laughed and pushed Finn towards another shop. "Fine, just keep your reply comments g-rated when we're within ear shot of other people," Kurt said as he started to finger the nearby racks of clothes for inspiration. He figured there was no harm in telling Finn about his relationship with Blaine since he'd been the one to ask. "Things are different for us Finn, Blaine and I don't get to be together all the time. What that means is when we are, things move way faster... and I can barely keep up at times. I'm just happy to get to spend so much time with him right now honestly," Kurt explained.

"I'm happy for you Kurt, even I could tell how lonely you were back in high school."

"I was... but at least I've found someone who was worth the wait in the end."

"Should I ask why you got so drunk last night?" Finn asked.

"No," Kurt answered flatly.

Before Finn could try to pyre the information out of Kurt despite his warning, his phone rang Kurt instantly perked up. "That will be Blaine, mind if I answer?"

Finn held his hands up, "Hey, don't think you need to ignore your boyfriend for me," he insisted.

Permission given, Kurt merrily answered the call without further ado. "Why hello there honey, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he chimed.

"I missed hearing your gorgeous voice, but I hope I'm not interrupting anything important..." Blaine said.

Kurt rolled his eyes but was still grinning away, "And there he goes, apologizing for no reason..." Kurt whispered to Finn. "It's only shopping with Finn, what's on your mind Blaine?" he urged.

From his hiding spot in is cousin's bedroom; Blaine didn't find the many bikini-clad women plastered on the walls very comforting. "I needed a momentary escape, I love my family but sometimes I feel like an on call performer. My voice was getting a bit hoarse so I said I was supposed to call you. I figured there was no need to lie, so I did just that," Blaine explained.

The silly little giggle that came out of Kurt's mouth was high pitched enough to make Finn flinch but he hardly cared. Not after he'd been forced to live through the times he and Rachel were together. "I'm glad I could be a believable excuse, as long as that doesn't make me sound too controlling..."

"Never," Blaine scoffed. "How's shopping going?" Blaine asked.

Kurt glanced to Finn, who just shrugged. "Alright I guess, right now we're trying to figure out what Finn can get Carole... any ideas?" Kurt asked, figuring there was no harm in asking his boyfriends opinion.

"Hmm... let me think here... oh! How about you guys try to get something that will match the dress you got her, Kurt? Like a necklace, earrings or maybe a clutch purse? You're an expert at finding flattering accessories without having to break the bank after all, baby," Blaine suggested.

Kurt blushed a little from Blaine calling him by his pet name, but if Finn had heard it he chose not to comment. "What do you think, Finn? Blaine's ideas sound good to me."

"Hey it's better than anything I've come up with!" Finn agreed.

"You're so helpful," Kurt cooed, meaning Blaine.

"Can I talk for Blaine for a second?" Finn suddenly asked.

Kurt eyed Finn quizzically; he already knew Blaine would be fine with the request. "Um sure, lemme put him on speaker phone..."

"I meant alone, there's one more present I'm having trouble with," Finn elaborated.

At first Kurt wasn't catching on, so Blaine decided to be useful yet again. "He means you Kurt," Blaine explained.

Kurt's confused look instantly turned to an amused grin, "Oh! Right, sure, you can borrow Blaine for a bit then. I'll just go search for a suitable clutch in that nearby store, humour Finn for me Blaine," Kurt said and willingly handed his phone over to Finn, taking his leave.

"I take it your having some trouble with what to get Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, I have no idea what to get him. I figured you were my best bet... any ideas?" Finn confirmed.

"Actually yes I do. There's one thing I know he'd really appreciate and it would be easy to get," Blaine said.

"I like the sound of that," Finn replied.

Finn went in search for Kurt just in time for him to show off his discovery and after the clutch purse was bought and with their job done, the duo headed back for home. "I won't ask what Blaine suggested to get me, but was he helpful?" Kurt asked casually.

"Yeah he gave me a good tip," Finn answered.

Kurt had begged Finn to let him drive his car on the way home and it hadn't taken much for him to relent. Kurt missed his navigator but it wouldn't have been realistic to keep in after he'd moved to New York. "How's glee club been? Are you doing okay with directing it while Mr. Schue's away?" Kurt asked, wanting to show genuine interest in his stepbrothers life.

"I guess, it was tough at first and Coach Sylvester's been hounding me pretty bad. But for the first time in months... I feel like I've found some direction. You must know what I mean... like when you went to New York."

"I do and I'm really happy for you Finn, in fact... do you think I could come offer my talents during my week in Lima? I'll need something to pass the time when Blaine's in class and honestly, I'd love to see the New Direction, both the new and old."

"That would be great! We need something to keep us motivated after winning Sectionals, so totally come help us out. It's funny, I keep forgetting Blaine's a high school senior," Finn admitted.

"Ah, well he's a year behind in school, so he's older then he should be... just like me," Kurt explained.

"So he's 18 then, that's good for you," Finn teased.

There had never really been a point where Finn had teased Kurt before, at least not about a boy but it wasn't so bad. Really Kurt was glad that he and Finn could joke around like this, they'd come a long way from when they were barely school acquaintances. "Because it's the legal age of consent?" Kurt sassed back.

"Yep, so whenever you to want to... you guys can, I mean you're gonna be alone with out any parents soon."

"I'm well aware Finn, but I've already seen him naked, mind you only through a computer. I'm hoping that keeps me content for a while. Don't get wrong, I plan to kiss him everywhere in Rachel and I's apartment. He'll also be over tons when I'm in Lima and I can never resist him for long... so remember to knock before coming into my room," Kurt rambled in a smug tone.

"Uh... that's a little too much TMI, Kurt," Finn warned.

"What? That's nothing Finn. You're the one who asked me..." Kurt protested, albeit playfully because he wasn't annoyed at all.

"I'm not saying it creeps me out, just... you're like... My brother now," Finn muttered.

"I know, so I'm not offended," Kurt stated. "Just don't ask me next time if you don't want to hear the honest answer." _____________________________________________________________________________

Just as the young couple had hoped, the chance for another Skype date in the evening was possible. With their family obligations done for the night, there was no way Kurt and Blaine would deny each other's pleasurable company. They'd proved over the last month that a fun night could be had even when they weren't physically in the same room.

"You look all worn out, Blaine," Kurt said from his spot on his vanity, talking as he went through his nighttime skin regiment.

"Well considering how many song and dance numbers I did, that's hardly surprising. I mean... I'm not seven anymore... I was hoping they'd let up on me," Blaine whined.

"Wait, wasn't Cooper suppose to arrive today?" he asked, turning to look at his laptop on his right.

Blaine let out a tired sigh; he'd planned to talk to Kurt about it anyway so he didn't try to stall on that. "He was... but he called to say something came up. Now he won't be coming home until after Christmas and knowing him... he might not show then either," he explained.

Skincare might be a high priority to Kurt but almost nothing came before his boyfriend, so he quickly switched focus to Blaine. It was clear Blaine was trying to hide how he really felt on the inside and was failing miserably. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, are you sad he's not coming?" Kurt asked softly.

That very question was one Blaine had asked himself countless times over the years, maybe Kurt could help him find the honest answer. "Yes. No. Actually... it's more like a little of both. I'm disappointed he won't be home for the holidays but that's nothing knew. I've barely seen him in the last year. He's my brother but despite our differences I was looking forward to him coming home. Yet... on another level I'm sort of glad he's not showing," Blaine admitted softly.

"Why?" Kurt pressed.

"Because if he did show up then everything would revolve around him. Cooper would go on and on about how amazing his life is... meanwhile I'd just be in the background. When he would finally remember I'm there I know all he'd do is give his 'golden opinion' about anything I say or do. Either that or the second he learned I have a boyfriend now he'd tease me to no end," Blaine grumbled bitterly.

Kurt got a feeling that the scenario Blaine was describing (minus the boyfriend part) had happened before. This was a long overdue chance for Kurt to be there for his boyfriend and he knew what his role was in this situation. Kurt gave Blaine a firm but affectionate look in warning, it was so obvious that what Blaine needed to do was talk to his brother. He couldn't force Blaine to and he wouldn't try to anyway but Kurt hoped he could coax him to with little effort needed. "Blaine, sweetie, you really need to talk about the rift between you and Cooper. If not to him yet... then tell me, I'm here and ready to listen... let it all out. You know you can tell me anything Blaine, it could help," Kurt suggested.

Already Kurt's soothing tone was making Blaine more relaxed and he felt like he could loose himself in those deep blue eyes. Kurt was right of course, he'd been keeping his family issues bottled up for too long. So now it was time to work on the Cooper part. "I'm still getting use to having someone I can share such personal stuff with. But I'll willing make up for that now, because that's what I want us to be for each other. Someone we can come to about anything... but I warn you, it's a long story..." Blaine said.

"We have lots of time," Kurt assured.

Since telling Kurt about his history with Cooper would take a while, Blaine carried his computer to the bed and got comfortable. Really he was almost tempted to ask Kurt to come over in person but that would take too much time. Soon Blaine had his computer balanced on his folded up knees as he looked at Kurt with true affection. "I guess the first issue about Cooper and I is our age difference. Ten years is a big gap and when we were growing up it was like we were living in totally different worlds. From as far back I can remember Cooper would always criticize everything I did. Things got a bit better as soon as it became apparent that I had the gift for song just like him. We put on so many shows and concerts for our family and neighbours, which was really fun. Cooper was my hero, I wanted to be just like him and I looked up to him so much. But he was already a teenager by this point and I was a nuisance a lot of the time," Blaine said, pausing. "You still with me baby?" he asked Kurt.

Kurt nodded, "Yes, keep it coming," he said.

Blaine flopped back down on the bed and placed his laptop on his chest and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. It touched him greatly that he had someone in his life he could trust this much, Kurt was truly a wish come true. "Just when things were getting better... Cooper graduated from high school and went off for college... out of state and was suddenly gone. Cooper was my whole world, I did have friends of my own and a kids life to live. But Cooper's world no longer included me and his absence was quickly noted and neither of us knew what to do. He tried to keep in touch at first but that couldn't last and it didn't. So I got angry at him and more jealous with every year, it didn't help when he did come back home all he could talk about was how great his life was. I was a pretty bitter ten-year-old already but then he moved to LA after finishing college. He was totally focused on starting his glorious acting career..."

"Did you ever talk to him about it?" Kurt asked.

"No... I had my own things to deal with at this point," Blaine answered.

Kurt did the math and realized Blaine would have been around eleven or twelve at this time and he quickly clued in. "Ah, like discovering you were gay and coming to accept that?" he offered.

"I'd ask you how you'd guessed but I bet you were going through the same exact thing," Blaine said with a warm smile.

"I was, too bad we didn't know each other back then... but I wouldn't want things to change," Kurt commented.

"It sure was tough for me, not the accepting part though, as soon as I realized I like boys I was more like, oh, okay then. The difficult part was how the people around me would change when they found out. You've been there so you know how the negative response to homosexuality can keep you in the closet for longer than you want. I finally reached a point where I couldn't live a lie anymore, so I came out in my freshman year of high school. I was only fourteen. The first person I told was Cooper, over the phone and that was the one time he did something right. He said I was still his little brother, who he loved and he... was proud of me. I could tell he was surprised but that's understandable and it was never an issue with him. That gave me a bit more courage but Cooper couldn't be there for me when it came to coming out to my folks. I had to face the rest of the world on my own..."

"You were very brave Blaine, I'm sure proud of you... but then, I always have been," Kurt said softly.

For the longest time Blaine the story of his coming out and how he ended up running off to a private school was something he regretted. As much as the memories hurt, retelling those experiences to Kurt made Blaine feel like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. "So that's the gist of me and Cooper... I've seen him now and then over the last few years. His last visit in the spring was really disappointing, he still criticizes everything I do, whether it's singing, acting or eating a salad. It's even worse since he's gotten a taste of fame with those commercials! He drinks up the attention and everyone encourages him and it just further inflates his ego. He always makes everything be about him and the most infuriating thing is, Cooper doesn't even know he's doing anything wrong!" Blaine shouted. With that final outburst Blaine already felt a bit better, or maybe he was just emotionally wrung out.

Kurt's smile never wavered even when Blaine had started to yell, "Feel better?"

"Loads," Blaine replied. "Thank you Kurt."

"Anytime, honey," Kurt said with a wink. "Now remember, whenever you need to talk about anything, no matter how big or small, I'm here for you."

Blaine gazed at Kurt and that brought some strength back into his weary bones. "I'm so glad we found each other Kurt. You were the last piece missing from my life," he said.

Kurt bit down on his quivering lip to stop himself from crying. He wanted to bring up a very important point to Blaine, so he refused to cry a single tear. "After hearing all this... it makes a lot of sense with us," he started.

Blaine tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it Blaine, you've already been through a long distance relationship. Yes the dynamics are totally different, Cooper is your brother and I'm your boyfriend. But the route is the same; someone you cared about left you behind to start their own separate life. Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

Blaine wasn't getting Kurt's point, "You never left me behind Kurt..." he interjected.

"What you went through with Cooper has clearly lead to you having some abandonment issues, Blaine. It's probably one of the reasons why you try so hard to please people too, to keep them from leaving you behind. Please tell me if I'm wrong though, it's not like I'm a psychiatrist that has all the answers. I don't want to sound like I'm a big annoying know-it-all either," Kurt rambled, which he always did when he felt uncomfortable.

If he and Kurt were in the same room this would have been the point where Blaine would quiet his frazzled boyfriend with a kiss. Instead he had to get creative and placed a finger on the digital image of Kurt's mouth. It would have worked, if the image weren't flipped on Kurt's end. "Shh baby, don't worry, you're doing really well," he whispered soothingly.

Kurt let out a loud sigh of relief, "Oh good, all I was trying to say is this; we should keep this information in mind from now on. I think it will help the both of us," he explained.

Blaine beamed at Kurt with adoration, "I should hope so, would be nice," he agreed.
_____________________________________________________________________________

"Merry Christmas Eve, Kurtsie," Blaine said over the phone early next morning.

"A very Merry Christmas Eve to you, Honeybee," Kurt said back cutely.

Blaine broke into laughter at the new pet name. "Honeybee?" he chuckled.

"Well I've been calling you honey a lot lately and your name starts with the letter B. It's cute, just like you, so I was giving it a try, what do you think?"

"I like it, Honeybee, very cute and very us. What about Kurtsie? Have you warmed up to it a bit more?" Blaine pressed.

Kurt made a face, but then he realized they weren't Skpying so he laughed at himself. "Oh I don't know... it's just.... my mother use to call me that..." Kurt admitted softly.

"Oh, well... I'll keep trying then."

"But like I said, whatever you call me get's me going, baby sure does, but... that almost seems more suited for the bedroom," Kurt admitted sheepishly.

"Oh we're going to have pet-names for during sex only?" Blaine teased.

"Don't act like the idea doesn't excite you!" Kurt challenged.

"It does but baby is pretty tame, so I'll still call you it now and then. I'll also strive to think of a nickname that's as good as Honeybee," Blaine said with intense determination.

"I have my complete faith in you, Honeybee," Kurt cooed.

"Don't rub it in!" Blaine whined.

"Fine, what do you want to talk about on this wonderful day of December 24th then?" Kurt asked his boyfriend. Splitting his time between their phone conversation and picking out his outfit for the day, like it was any other morning for the couple.

"How about you tell me what your plans for today are?" Blaine suggested.

Kurt made a scoffing noise, as he was currently staring at two shirt options and wasn't having much luck in choosing between them. He sighed, snapped a quick photo of both options and sent it to Blaine without any warning. "I told you last night already," he reminded Blaine.

"So tell me again. Oh, wear the one on the left, but with more detail." Blaine answered, pausing to give his feedback on the clothes without asking Kurt what he wanted.

"Alright, if you insist, hey you're right about the shirt thanks. I'll be spending most of the day helping Carole prepare for Christmas dinner. We've become sort of a dynamic duo when it comes to cooking up a holiday feast over the last two years. Then later tonight we're going to have a nice relaxing family night. Dad and I have a tradition were we open up one gift early and then we'll all watch a Christmas movie together. Should be fun... would you like to join us for that? In person this time? That is, if you can," Kurt offered. He'd been unsure if he should invite Blaine or not, since he was sure Blaine would have plans of his own already.

Blaine took a quick moment to go through his mental calendar, things were less hectic since Cooper wasn't around but he still had a full itinerary. "Actually baby, I wish I could but... there's something I need to do..."

"Which is?" Kurt urged cutely.

"I need to make peace with my dad, even when we're not at war or anything. But I don't want our fight from before to ruin the holidays. Or at least not anymore that it already is from Cooper cancelling at the last minuet. Things are tense here and I want to fix that... and it's all thanks to you. I can be this strong because of you Kurt," Blaine explained.

"Oh Blaine, you've had that strength all along..." Kurt said with a sigh.

"If that's true then I'm hoping if things go well enough, I'll be able to spend some quality time with him and mom tonight. So I can't join you, sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I'm very proud of you. One last thing, then we can go back to our usual adorable ways. You need to realize something... when it comes to my family, my dad included... arguments both big and small still happen," Kurt explained.

Blaine chuckled, he needed to ask Kurt for some examples sometime then, but not right now. All he wanted to presently was gush and swoon over his boyfriend. "I'll remember that from now on too then," he assured. __________________________________________________________________________

Once Blaine had finished his usual breakfast phone-call with Kurt, it was time to move onto the next order of business. His dad was home for the next few days and that meant there was no reason to postpone; Christmas was only one day away. But he needed one more nudge of encouragement from Kurt before he'd be able to get past his building stress.

Kurt, what do I even say to him?

Tell him how you feel, be honest, be you.

I'll sure try. Anything else?

Talk to him and I'll let you kiss me with my shirt off next chance we get.

That will do it, thanks!

Blaine pushed those exciting mental images out of him mind for now because they wouldn't be any help to him. He went in search for his family and amazingly, Brandon was doing the exact same thing, like father like son. They met in the living room and just stayed at one another first. Blaine felt ridiculous, why was he acting like they couldn't even be in the same room together? Their fight had barely started before Blaine had run off and that was the first mistake. "Dad, we need to talk... it's long overdue," Blaine said.

"Yes, we do," Brandon, agreed with his son.

After confirming the need to, all that was left was to actually talk and both Anderson men took a seat on the couch.

"We've never been very honest with each other dad, and that clearly needs to change. Or else we'll never be able to recover from the setbacks we've had so far..." Blaine began, unsure if he was wording himself well but he refused to stop. "Dad, I know this hasn't been easy for you but... why is that? Why is my being gay so hard for you to accept? It's who I am? This isn't a choice I've made... you need to realize how I feel. I can tell your trying, but it's still not working out for you, is it?" Blaine questioned softly.

Brandon leaned back and his broad shoulder sagged from the effort to hold back his emotions even now. "Those are a lot of questions, ones I've asked myself many times before. I owe you the truth Blaine and I'm sorry I've never talked to you before about this. I'm not proud of it, but not, it hasn't been easy for me. For a while I thought you were going through some sort of phase, like young men often do. Then you began to mature and come out of your skin and I should of paid better attention to those changes in you. It was long before I realized you wouldn't change, you were becoming the man you suppose to be..."

"Did you ever think to talk to me about all this? Help me through my ordeal? Coming out wasn't easy dad," Blaine remarked.

"I didn't want to say the wrong thing and hurt you," Brandon replied.

"Well I'm sorry but you hurt me, not on purpose but you still did. I needed you and you weren't there for me... I felt so estranged from you. So please, just tell me, what is your problem? Why are you so apposed to the idea that I'm gay?" Blaine asked, it was a question that had been eating away at him for years.

Brandon pinched the sides of his noise as he tried to think of a good way to answer his son, since he deserved nothing but the truth. "Back when I was your age, I was taught to believe that homosexuality was wrong. A lot of men my age were raised the same way. No one was out, no one I knew was gay... and the things people said, I'm not proud of it. It's not like I was given any reason to think other wise, especially in a town like this. So when you came out to me, at first all I could think of was the hardship you would go through from being so different. I didn't want you to be different, so I tried to pretend you weren't and hoped you'd realize you weren't actually gay. But I never stopped loving you, I was ignorant and foolish but you were still my little boy. You might not realize it Blaine, but you were changing my mind on that front. Slowly I started to see my mistake and how who a person falls in love with or is physically attracted to shouldn't matter. Jennifer helped me listen to reason as well, so did you. But for all my attempts I was still unsure how to deal with having a gay son. You can want to change but trying to is still very hard to attempt. I've never been good with expressing myself or showing any emotion. Just when I was starting to come around, you got attacked and hospitalized and all those first fears came rushing back to me," Brandon explained.

Blaine took a moment to let everything his dad had just told him sink in, but their talk was far from over. "I've faced plenty of hate but none of it made me want to run back into the closet. I won't back down and I refuse to give into hate. I want to live an open life were I can be with a boy and not worry about what anyone thinks. I'm not going to start dating a girl because it would be easier..." he began to list.

"I'm not saying you should do any of those things Blaine," Brandon said firmly.

"But you saying nothing at all is like you are."

"I'm talking to you now, it takes two people for things to get awkward, Blaine."

"I know, I'm sorry, this isn't easy I guess. But we're trying and I know you have been as well. It means a lot to me, I can tell your trying to change," Blaine admitted.

"Then what did I say that got you so angry a few days ago?" Burt asked.

Blaine sighed, he disliked that his dad didn't know but if he told him then it wouldn't happen again. "Kurt is such a prominent part of my life now, he's not going away. He means so much to me dad... so I guess I'm kinda protective over him. When you started to talk about him I disliked how you were describing him. It seemed to me that you thought he was too gay to do anything... manly. It hit a sore spot with me too, made me think about when we worked on that car..."

"I was surprised that Kurt knew about cars yes, but-"

"But what?" Blaine interrupted. "Just because he has a high voice and wears trendy clothes means he can't know about cars? His dad owns a tire shop, he grew up around that environment... who he wants to date wouldn't make a difference there," he finished.

This time Brandon didn't try to avoid a difficult situation and when he looked at his son he saw how he was no longer a child. Blaine was growing up and he wanted to do everything he could to help him become the man he should be. "I'm sorry Blaine, I never meant to upset you like that. I actually was quite impressed with Kurt and you. You both showed me how happy you make one another, sometimes exposure and being educated is the best way to learn. No more holding it in, you and I are going to talk from now on. If there's an issue, we'll deal with it right at the source."

Blaine smiled, "Okay," he replied.

So they talked, for the whole day, not bothering to stop until a solid four hours had passed. A lot of headway was made, Blaine now knew more about his dad and the reason for his actions up until this point. While Brandon better understood how to deal with his son's sexual orientation and not make it a big deal, because it didn't need to be. There was still a lot of groundwork to cover bit their conversation marked a start in the right direction. That with time could start to mend any unease between them and give way for a closer father-son relationship. Blaine promised to be more understanding whenever his father couldn't stop his reactions when it came to his son being gay. In turn Brandon promised to look to the positive and acknowledge how much Kurt meant to his son. The last note they touched on was that the best thing they could do was being more honest with each other. As it to celebrate, Blaine and his dad ended up watching a football game together and the tension felt before was gone.

Blaine told Kurt every detail from the talk with his dad later that night over Skype. "... So that's basically what happened." Blaine finally finished.

"Sounds like it went decently," Kurt commented.

Blaine smiled, he was quickly becoming tired of talking and hoped Kurt would pick up on that and take over their conversation very soon. "I'd like to think so, yes."

"How about I hog the conversation for a while, because I bet you're tired of talking by this point," Kurt offered just like Blaine assumed he would.

"Yes please, I'm all gabbed out," Blaine said with relief.

"Hmm.... what to tell you, oh! I still have plenty of stories from my New Direction days. One of which is coming back to me from recent events. Once, in our junior year Rachel threw this party and everyone aside from Finn and me got horribly drunk. Rachel it turns out becomes quick affectionate when she drinks. One thing led to another and well... I had to spend the night fending off a very forward and demanding Rachel. My attempts didn't go to well," Kurt told Blaine.

Blaine shuddered with foreboding dread, "Oh lord, I dunno If I wanna hear the rest of this story."

"She forced herself on me so much that we made out for a bit, but nothing else! So try to relax."

"Funny, I don't feel relaxed," Blaine, sassed.

"The real question is Blaine, are you brave enough to hear the rest of the tale?" Kurt edged him on.

A cheeky grin spread across Blaine's face, the sass was still there but now courage was as well. "Bring it on!"