Kurt was worried. He had noticed Blaine distancing himself over the last week or so and he knew it was because it was his first Christmas since he'd run away from home, his first Christmas without his family. Kurt felt awful; he knew his boyfriend was hurting. Blaine tried to hide it, but his eyes were often shadowed, his smiles strained, and he had noticed Blaine appearing in the mornings with red eyes that spoke of tears and lack of sleep. The worst part was that Kurt had no idea how to help him. He tried his hardest to make Blaine feel like part of the family and he knew his dad and Carole were doing the same, but sometimes he wondered if they were doing more harm than good.

Something he knew was bound to be making it worse was that Finn and Blaine had still not yet talked. There had been a palpably tense atmosphere during their last Friday night dinner: Finn had foregone his usual seat to be as far away from Blaine as he could and was for once silent as he ate, uncharacteristically picking at his food and not having a second helping. Burt and Carole had tried their best to lift the tension, but it had still lingered throughout the whole meal as Finn frowned down at his plate and Blaine barely spoke. Kurt's heart had sunk at Finn's behaviour - he just wanted Blaine to stop feeling mistrusted and disliked - but he'd had a lot of time to think about Finn's behaviour and he now understood why his step-brother had reacted the way he had. He realised now that to everyone else he probably appeared to be a little crazy, allowing a homeless boy to remain living in his home.

Sighing heavily, he dried the last dish and placed it back in the cupboard, nudging the door shut with his knee. Maybe he had been a little crazy to trust Blaine straight away, but it had absolutely been the right thing to do.

Hearing his sigh, Carole looked up from where she was placing potatoes in a large pan. "Worrying about Blaine again?" she asked knowingly.

Leaning back against the counter, Kurt picked up a metal spoon Carole had set out and began absentmindedly twirling it in his right hand. "It's his first Christmas without his family; I can't help but worry."

Carole nodded. "I think this is almost as hard on you as it is on Blaine."

Kurt shrugged, his gaze remaining fixed on the spoon in his hand. "After everything he's been through, he deserves to feel safe and happy. It doesn't matter how I'm doing - I have a home and a family who loves me. He doesn't."

"Of course it matters," Carole insisted, dropping the last couple of potatoes into the pan and turning to face him. "You shouldn't be trying to deal with the kind of things Blaine's been through at your age. I know you want to help him, but there is a limit to what you can do. You're only seventeen, Kurt." She paused, and there was something in her tone that had Kurt lifting his eyes from the spoon. She was watching him concernedly. "I've seen how tired and stressed you've been lately," she said softly. "If you keep going on like this you'll end up with some serious problems of your own."

Kurt tossed the spoon aside onto the counter. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "I can't just leave him to cope on his own after the year he's had, and I don't think he's ready to start sharing his story and problems with other people yet."

For a moment Carole took in his determined expression, and then she let out a small sigh of resignation. "Just let your dad or me know if it's getting to be too much. If you keep going like this you'll end up ill."

Nodding automatically in response, Kurt unhitched himself from the counter. "Is everything ready for tomorrow?"

Carole didn't look like she was particularly convinced by his response, but she didn't pursue the subject. "I think so," she said, her gaze sweeping round the kitchen as she checked that it was all done. "Yes," she confirmed with a nod, "it's all ready. Let's go join the others."

They moved through to the living room, where Burt and Finn were putting out the Christmas cards they'd received while singing along to the carols on the old record player, Burt just ever so slightly off-key - Kurt had inherited his singing talent from his mother. With the decorated tree standing proudly in the corner, the fire crackling in the grate, and the snow building up on the outside of the window, it was like looking at a picture-perfect scene from a Christmas movie - except something was missing...

"Where's Blaine?" Kurt asked.

Neither his dad nor Finn heard him; Finn was still singing loudly as he balanced another card on the mantelpiece, his hand hovering by it for a second ready to catch it if it fell over, and Burt was standing right by the record player, the music too loud for him to hear Kurt's voice over it. Carole heard, though, and she looked quickly around the room before stepping forward to check on the couch. She shook her head. "He's not here."

Kurt's heart sank; he'd thought Blaine was doing so well, but his boyfriend clearly needed more time to feel completely comfortable around his family. He wasn't frustrated with this lack of progress and he didn't blame Blaine - he couldn't begin to imagine how hard it all must be - but he couldn't help but wish for a fast and smooth improvement.

Turning away from his family's warmth and festive spirit, he headed upstairs to Blaine's room. He was probably sitting in there, listening to the muffled sounds of Kurt's family downstairs and maybe even crying again. The image tugged painfully at something in his chest.

Blaine's bedroom door was closed and he hovered outside for a moment, listening carefully for any sound within, but it was silent; he wondered if Blaine was asleep.

"Blaine?" he called, knocking softly on the door. He waited for a short while, giving Blaine the chance to compose himself if he had indeed been crying, but when there was no answer Kurt knocked again, harder this time. He worried at his bottom lip with his teeth as he waited for any response and when there was still none, he slowly opened the door.

Blaine wasn't in his room. Worry creased Kurt's forehead into a frown, but he couldn't help but linger in the room.

It was most definitely Blaine's now, and could no longer be called the guest room. It had taken on Blaine's personality and upon stepping inside it was quite clear who it belonged to. It was just so fundamentally Blaine, from the way the bed was neatly made, the sheets pulled straight and tight, to how the books were stacked on the shelves. The room had even taken on Blaine's scent and Kurt was hit with the familiar, comforting smell that made him think of warmth, love, home, and Blaine when he opened the door. But Blaine wasn't here, so with one last worried glance at the empty bed, Kurt let himself out of the room.

He searched every room twice, even going into his dad and Carole's room, though he couldn't imagine why Blaine would ever go in there, but didn't find him. He began to feel panicky as he desperately tried to think of places in the house where Blaine may have holed himself up to try and escape the happy family scenes. His heart sank further the longer his search remained fruitless and the one place he hoped Blaine hadn't gone to began to look increasingly likely.

Eventually he was forced to concede defeat. Dragging his feet, he made his way to the attic door. He paused, steeling himself for what he would probably find. Letting out a shaky breath, he opened the door and climbed the short flight of stairs up into the attic.

The surfaces of the boxes and crates were free of Blaine's belongings and there was no longer a pile of blankets on the floor. Looking at it now, there was no evidence that a frightened boy had lived up here for the best part of a year. And he was not up there now.

"Blaine?" he whimpered despairingly.

The answering silence was deafening.

With his heart racing painfully in his chest and his breath sawing out of his lungs in frantic gasps, Kurt spun around and thundered down the attic stairs, racing into the living room where his family broke off their excited chatter to blink up at him in surprise.

"Blaine's gone," Kurt blurted.

His dad frowned slightly. "Gone? What do you mean, ‘gone'?"

"I mean he's missing," Kurt replied impatiently. "He's not in the house."

"Maybe he just-"

"He wouldn't have just gone outside, Finn," Kurt shot back, knowing what his step-brother had been about to say. "He hasn't left this house in months. He's scared to leave it."

"Are you sure he isn't somewhere in the house, sweetie?" Carole asked calmly.

Kurt shook his head. "He's not, I've checked everywhere. He's gone, he's being stupidly selfless and he's left." He didn't realise tears were spilling down his cheeks until one dripped off his chin and landed on his chest.

Carole and Burt were on their feet in an instant, Carole rushing to Kurt's side while Burt left the room. Carole rubbed soothingly at Kurt's back as he cried, trying to calm him down. "I'm sure Blaine wouldn't have just left without saying anything," she said reassuringly.

Gulping in a lungful of air, Kurt shook his head again. "If he was feeling guilty about how much we're doing for him he would have. He told me he felt bad about this; I should've known this might happen."

Carole said something else in soothing tones, but Kurt didn't hear her. More tears leaked out of his eyes as he imagined Blaine walking away from the kitchen after they had talked, crossing to the front door in that silent way of his, pausing to look back over his shoulder before easing the door open and slipping out into the night.

The sudden hush that filled the room as the Christmas record came to an end drew Kurt's attention, and he blinked around his tears, his gaze landing on Finn's slightly confused face where he sat in an armchair near the Christmas tree. And that's when another wave of sobs wracked Kurt's body. Blaine had left on Christmas Eve. It was Christmas Eve and Blaine was out there by himself in the cold and the snow and...

Kurt pressed a trembling hand to his mouth. He turned to the sound of his dad's footsteps returning. A part of him still hoped that Blaine was in the house somewhere and he'd just missed him and now his dad was going to appear in the doorway with Blaine at his side. That part of him shrivelled up and died when his dad came into view, zipping up his coat - Blaine wasn't with him.

"Right," Burt said in an authoritative voice, "he can't have gone far on foot, so if we take two cars - Carole, you had better drive the other one since I don't think Kurt's up to driving - and split up we should be able to find him pretty-"

"Wait," Kurt interrupted, hastily swiping at his damp eyes and cheeks. "You- We're- You'll help me find him?"

A small smile appeared on Carole's face as she gave his shoulder another comforting rub. "Of course we will; he's important to us too, you know, and we can't let him stay out there in this weather, and on Christmas Eve of all days."

Burt jingled his car keys in his hand. "Let's get going before he gets too far."

As Carole left to go grab her coat and keys and Burt laced up his shoes, Kurt stared out the window at the dark sky and the falling snow.

"I want to go on foot," he announced.

His dad looked up from knotting his laces. "What?"

Kurt didn't look away from the window. "I want to look for Blaine on foot," he repeated. "He's walking around out there somewhere. I think it'll be easier to find him if I do the same."

His dad straightened up slowly, a worried frown on his face. "I can't let you do that, kiddo, it's freezing out there."

"Blaine is out in it," Kurt pointed out simply. The reality hit him as soon as the words left his mouth. "Without a coat or anything... Oh God..." His body trembled again and he swallowed down a choked sob. Tears blurred his vision again and he missed his dad moving towards him, his face only coming into focus when he was standing right in front of him with his hands resting on his shoulders.

"Buddy, listen to me," his dad said gently. "It's going to be ok, Blaine will be ok - he's a tough kid. We'll find him and if you want to search on foot then you can." He met Kurt's eyes. "We'll find him," he promised. "Don't you worry about that."

Patting Kurt's shoulder, Burt stepped back just as Carole re-entered the room, ready to leave and carrying a coat, scarf, and gloves for Kurt, which she pressed into his arms.

"Keep in touch with us with your phone," she said as she helped Kurt fasten up his coat. "Send one of us a text every ten minutes or so letting us know where you are and how it's going - ok?"

Kurt nodded and tugged the gloves onto his hands.

Finn suddenly spoke up. "I'll keep an eye out for him here - y'know, just in case he comes back." He flushed a little when Kurt turned to look at him, but Kurt was too strained to understand the significance of what Finn was saying. "I'll call Rachel and Puck and everyone as well, ask them to keep an eye out for him," he added.

Burt nodded his approval. "Let us know if you get any news," he said before hurrying out of the room with Carole and Kurt on his heels.

The cold air bit at the exposed skin of his face and froze the tears still glistening on his cheeks as Kurt stepped outside. He shivered and tugged at the scarf around his neck until it was covering more of his neck and let out a quiet whimper at the thought of Blaine being outside in this temperature with no coat or scarf or gloves to keep him warm.

‘Oh, Blaine,' he thought sadly as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat and trudged through the snow towards the cars idling in the driveway, ‘why did you have to do this?'

His dad rolled down the window of the car when Kurt reached it.

"Carole's gonna head towards the centre of town and I'm gonna search the streets around here - maybe drive out of Lima for a bit." After Kurt had nodded his understanding, he shifted slightly in his seat, his hand lifting up to rest on the steering wheel as he fixed Kurt with a stern stare. "Remember to text one of us regular updates and let us know if you find him."

Kurt nodded again and started to step away from the car, eager to begin his search, but was stopped by his dad's voice calling after him.

"Kurt, be careful, ok?"

Knowing better than to comment on this, Kurt just nodded for the third time. "I will."

As his dad wound his window back up, Kurt hurried down the driveway. Once the taillights from their cars had disappeared from sight, he sniffed and started to make his way down the street.

Though the falling snow meant that it was well below freezing and that Blaine was no doubt hunched over and shivering somewhere, the weather did have a major advantage: Blaine had left a trail of footprints from the door of the house all the way down the street, and because none of their neighbours had decided to venture outside, they were the only scars in the blanket of snow on the sidewalk. Kurt followed Blaine's exact route all the way down the street, along another short street, and onto a major road where his search abruptly became more difficult as several other sets of footprints zigzagged across the pavement.

Hiccupping, Kurt took the first right turn off onto a quieter road, thinking Blaine wouldn't be comfortable out on a busier street. The snow gathered on the folds of his scarf and settled on his shoulders as he strode down the street and onto another winding one. He passed house after house, filled with families enjoying the evening in their warm living rooms. Yet here he was, out in the cold looking for a runaway.

Keeping his word, he shot off a quick text to his dad every ten minutes or so, letting them know approximately where he was and that he hadn't found Blaine yet. Each time he got a reply back stating that neither his dad nor Carole had seen Blaine.

With each of these texts his panic increased and his pace quickened. The thought of Blaine simply disappearing forever plagued his mind.

Kurt didn't know how long he walked for - it felt like hours - but he never lost hope. Even as his feet turned numb inside his boots, his nose and cheeks grew painful with the cold, and the occasional tear that still trickled down his face almost burned against his freezing skin, he kept walking and searching, moving away from the bright lights and slippery sidewalks of the main roads and sticking to the quieter, dimly-lit streets where the snow laid thick and almost untouched upon the pavement.

His feet eventually carried him into a small park. He carved deep trenches in the snow as he made his way across, following a line of trees without any particular destination in mind; he was just walking.

He was mildly surprised when the line of trees broke and the ground sloped gently down to the edge of a small frozen pond. He came to a halt; the pond had wooden benches placed on opposite banks at the top of the slope, and one of those benches wasn't empty. A small figure was seated at the end of the furthest one, hunched over and staring down at the pond's icy edges. Kurt's heart stumbled over a beat.

Suddenly, he was moving swiftly towards the bench, his gaze never straying from the small, dark-haired figure. The snow muffled the sound of his approach and the figure only looked up when Kurt was a few yards away. Relief shot through Kurt's body in a sharp pulse.

"Blaine," he said softly.

For a second they stared at each other through a curtain of gently falling snow, and then Kurt broke into a run.

The fresh air was doing Blaine a lot of good. Maybe it was because he hadn't been outside in so long, but it was really helping to clear his head and organise his thoughts. It had just been so hard to be around Kurt's family these last couple of weeks, and he'd thought about leaving once or twice before, regardless of the fact he had nowhere else to go.

Shivering, he hunched over and tucked his fists into his armpits, trying to keep them warm. He wished he had put on something warmer than the single sweater he was wearing, but he hadn't had any time, he'd needed to get out of the house immediately. He was glad it had been Kurt and his family that bought the empty old house, because most other people would have thrown him out on the streets and he probably would have frozen to death in this weather.

A rush of guilt flooded him at the thought; they'd been extraordinarily generous and kind to allow him to continue living in their home, and he had a wonderful boyfriend who loved him, and yet he'd avoided them and then left without telling anyone. He felt like an ungrateful little brat. There were other homeless people who would give anything to have what he did, and here he was throwing it all away. He had never felt so guilty in all of his life.

Frustrated, he kicked at a small mound of snow in front of him, sending a spray of white powder down the sloping ground. Just as it landed he heard the sound of footsteps and looked up curiously, his body tensing in preparation to run. His heart fluttered and he immediately relaxed again when he recognized the boy now hurrying towards him.

"What are you doing?" Kurt demanded. "It's freezing out here!" There was a touch of anger mixed in with the relief in his voice. He skidded to a stop in front of Blaine, breathing a little heavier than normal as he shoved the phone in his hand into his pocket and then rested his hands on his hips. There was snow in his immaculately styled chestnut hair, some of it melting and causing locks to escape and flop down over his forehead, his snow-speckled scarf was hanging askew, and his cheeks were pink with the cold - he was so beautiful, and Blaine still couldn't believe this was his boyfriend.

Kurt's sudden and unexpected appearance, coupled with his own guilt, had Blaine staring speechlessly up at Kurt, his mind blank.

"Have you been here all this time?" Kurt asked after a few seconds of silence.

A gust of wind blew flurries of snowflakes in their direction and Blaine shivered violently, the goosebumps that had risen along his arms and legs prickling. Kurt's face creased with concern and he sat down next to Blaine, yanking off his gloves and unwinding the scarf from around his neck.

"Here," he said, pressing his gloves into Blaine's numb hands and wrapping the thick scarf around his neck.

Still shivering uncontrollably, Blaine began to protest. "Kurt, I-"

"No," Kurt told him firmly, sliding closer until their bodies were pressed together and beginning to fumble with the buttons on his coat. "I'm fine without the gloves, so put them on. You're frozen."

Knowing better than to argue, Blaine tugged the gloves on, wiggling his fingers inside of them gratefully; they were still warm from Kurt's hands. The scarf was the same, and it was soft against his cheeks and smelled like Kurt; he buried his red nose into the folds of it with a small smile. He turned back to Kurt to thank him just as his boyfriend put an arm around his shoulders and wrapped his coat around him as he pulled Blaine against his side. Unable to resist the heat radiating off Kurt's body, Blaine burrowed further into the circle of Kurt's arms and rested his head on his chest, feeling his body slowly starting to warm up as Kurt's arms tightened around him.

"How long have you been here?" Kurt asked quietly when Blaine's shivers started to die down.

Playing with the loose fabric of Kurt's sweater by his ribs, Blaine lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "About half an hour, maybe." He didn't look up from where his fingers were twisting a small fold of Kurt's sweater, but he felt his boyfriend nod.

There was a minute or two of a silence. Blaine found it extremely peaceful, curled into his boyfriend's deliciously warm side as they listened to the almost-sound of the snow falling. He felt Kurt fidget a bit just before he broke the silence.

"What- Why did you come here?" he asked tentatively.

Holding back a sigh, Blaine let go of the sweater and instead let his hand rest against Kurt's waist. He knew Kurt would want to know why, but he didn't want to explain it now. He wanted to enjoy the peace, the softly falling snow, the warmth, the closeness for a little longer.

"I needed to clear my head," Blaine told him eventually.

A beat of silence followed this, until Kurt said quietly, "I was looking for you. I was worried."

A fresh pang of guilt had Blaine nibbling on the inside of his lower lip; he hadn't meant to make Kurt worry.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, unconsciously plucking at Kurt's sweater again.

Kurt pressed a lingering kiss to the top of his head and Blaine's eyes closed. "It's ok," Kurt said. "I know you had your reasons for doing it."

Nuzzling his cheek against Kurt's chest, Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's waist. "This past week was just really hard for me and I- I needed a break," he tried to explain.

Kurt tucked his coat tighter around Blaine. "I knew this time of year would be difficult for you."

"It's not just because it's Christmas. It's living with your family, it's Finn, it's our relationship..."

‘You,' Blaine added in his head, not wanting to admit how he still worried that Kurt would leave him for someone much better, someone who Kurt should be with. He deserved so much more.

Kurt exhaled softly, his breath leaving him in a smoky cloud. "I talked to Finn, told him what I thought of him, but he's taking his sweet time in apologizing to you. As for the rest, everything should get easier with time. And I know it must be really hard for you, but I'll do my best to help." He placed two fingers under Blaine's chin and gently tipped his head up until Blaine met his gaze. "I know you need time to yourself, but please don't shut me out. Come talk to me if something is bothering you, ok?" At Blaine's small smile, he bent down and swiftly pecked his lips. "Good."

Blaine stared up at his boyfriend for a moment, watching the snow settle on his hair and shoulders. "I just forget sometimes that I have someone like you," he admitted quietly.

"Well, I'll be there to listen whenever you need to talk," Kurt told him. He hesitated a moment, and then added, "What was it about us that you needed to clear your head about?"

He looked worried and Blaine hastened to reassure him. "It's nothing bad," he promised. "I'm not re-thinking being with you or anything like that. It's just- It's just so new to me, not just the dating thing, but having someone who loves me. I haven't had that in years; if my parents loved me they never showed it."

Kurt just held him tighter and dipped his head to kiss Blaine's forehead. Blaine didn't expect Kurt to have anything to say - he'd said it all before. Kurt was only seventeen and he couldn't be expected to have all the answers to his problems or to know exactly how to help him all the time. Most of his issues were way beyond something that anyone but a professional psychiatrist could help him with, and even then it would take them weeks to help and they probably wouldn't be able to ever completely get rid of his insecurities or fears.

"You're outside," Kurt said after another moment of silence.

Blaine lifted his head off Kurt's chest and stared up at him, a little perplexed by Kurt's comment.

"You've left the house, you came out here all by yourself," Kurt elaborated.

Blinking, Blaine watched the corners of Kurt's mouth lift into a warm smile. "I left the house," he repeated in a slightly awestruck tone. He looked away to take in his surroundings, seeing the snowy park with its small pond in a whole new light. "I didn't even think about it."

"You didn't need to think about it," Kurt said softly. "You were ready, so you left the house; simple as that."

Biting his bottom lip gently, Blaine felt tears well up in his eyes. "A few months ago I was terrified of coming outside. I guess I really am getting my life back."

Kurt rubbed his arm comfortingly. "You never lost it. You still had life and fight in your eyes when I first met you, even if it was only a small spark. But you'll move on from your past and put all those worries behind you some day, honey."

Blaine's heart gave a pleasant skip and a warm tingle spread through his body. "Can you call me that again?" he asked shyly.

"What? Honey?"

Blaine shifted against Kurt's side, feeling a bit nervous. "I- Yeah. No one's ever called me that before." He felt heat stain his cheeks.

Kurt lifted the hand that was tucked around Blaine's waist and pulled lightly on one of the curls hanging down over Blaine's forehead. He brushed a kiss by Blaine's eye. "You're adorable when you're bashful, honey," he said, kissing Blaine's nose, his cheek, his jaw, the corner of his mouth. Blaine felt the same warmth spill through him.

"I love you, sweetie," Kurt murmured against Blaine's mouth, before tilting his head and kissing him.

Gripping the back of Kurt's sweater, Blaine held his boyfriend close as he returned the kiss. They were pressed so close together that he felt the small vibration of Kurt's phone from where it was tucked in the pocket of his coat. He reluctantly moved back enough to allow Kurt to retrieve it, and watched as Kurt tapped at the screen so it glowed to life, lighting up his face and allowing Blaine to clearly see the way the corner of his mouth twitched as he typed out a reply.

"Everyone is wondering where we are," Kurt informed Blaine as he finished sending the text. He smiled at his boyfriend and patted his arm lightly. "If you're ready, we'd better head back."

"I'm ready," Blaine told him with a nod.

They got to their feet, Kurt pursing his lips worriedly at Blaine's lack of coat and his refusal to take the one he was wearing. He adjusted the scarf wrapped around Blaine's neck, and it took Blaine insisting that he was fine three times before Kurt was finally satisfied he wouldn't get hypothermia.

They were just about to set off across the park when Kurt's phone buzzed again and he paused to quickly read the text.

"Just Carole saying she'll make us hot drinks when we get back," he said. He stared down at the screen for a moment. "It's Christmas Day."

Brushing away a large snowflake that had landed near his eye, Blaine smiled at Kurt. "Merry Christmas, Kurt," he said softly.

Kurt's answering grin was beautiful. "Merry Christmas, Blaine." He held out his hand and Blaine took it, linking their fingers together and smiling wider when Kurt tugged him closer and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. They simply smiled at each other for another moment, their clasped hands swaying slightly in the small space between them, and then they started across the park, following the deep footprints Kurt had made earlier around the little pond and passed the line of trees towards the street.

"I want to give you your Christmas present when we get back," Kurt said as they made their way through the streets, which were now nearly empty due to the late hour.

Blaine turned his head to look at him, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He knew he should be delighted and grateful that Kurt had got him something for Christmas, but he couldn't help but feel awkward about accepting even more from him on top of everything else, and guilty because he couldn't buy anything for Kurt in return. "You bought me something?"

Kurt shook his head. "Not exactly. I wanted to, but I knew how uncomfortable you'd feel if I did." He tilted his head a little to one side so he could smile sideways at Blaine. "I spent a little bit of money getting it ready for you, but it wasn't much."

Blaine thought of his own gift for Kurt currently hidden in his room and cursed his incapability of going out and spending as much money as he wanted on his boyfriend - not that the expense of the gift was important, but it would be nice to give proper presents to the people he loved.

"Isn't it a bit early?" he asked as they crossed the road, avoiding the dirty, slushy snow piled up against the curb. "Shouldn't we be waiting until morning?"

Kurt shrugged. "Probably, but it's Christmas now and I just want to give it to you while no one else is around."

Blaine hadn't thought of that. "Ok."

They didn't speak again until they were walking up the driveway. Blaine spent the entire journey worrying about his own present and wondering what Kurt was going to give him. He was nibbling on his bottom lip by the time he and Kurt came to a stop halfway up the driveway.

"Your present is in the garage," Kurt said, letting go of Blaine's hand. "I'll just, um-" He headed up the rest of the driveway, glancing briefly at the illuminated living room window before bending down and tugging the garage door open, raising it slowly in order to make as little noise as possible. He then beckoned to Blaine, who followed him into the chilly garage, looking around curiously.

Kurt had stopped by a large object covered by a white sheet and was peering somewhat anxiously down at it as he plucked at the sheet with his fingers. His nerves seemed to vanish when Blaine reached him and smiled widely at him. Blaine ran his eyes over the sheet-covered object, trying to guess what it was.

"I couldn't really think what to get you," Kurt confessed. "There were plenty of things I wanted to get you, but they would have cost money and, like I said, I knew you'd be uncomfortable with that. So..." He grasped the sheet with both hands and pulled it off, revealing a gleaming upright piano. "I remembered this and how much you said you loved playing. It hasn't been touched since my mom died, so I had to pay to get it tuned, but I cleaned it up myself."

Blaine gaped speechlessly at the piano - its polished dark wood, gleaming keys, the large red bow that had been affixed to the top of it. Tears filled his eyes as he mutely stepped forward and trailed his fingers lightly over the keys, feeling their familiar sleek texture; he couldn't believe this was for him. He could see Kurt smiling at him out the corner of his eye as he looked over his present in awe. With a slightly trembling finger, he gently pressed down on one key, just enough so that the faintest of notes sounded from it. He gave a small sniff - it had been so long since he'd played.

Blinking away the tears blurring his vision, Blaine lifted his head to look at his boyfriend. "Kurt, I- Your-" Giving up his attempts to express how he was feeling in words, he shook his head and stepped around the piano to throw his arms around Kurt, hugging him tightly and pressing multiple kisses to his cheek, jaw, neck.

"You're welcome," Kurt laughed as he rubbed Blaine's back.

Giving Kurt a light squeeze, Blaine nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck. "Thank you. Thank you so much," he murmured.

He felt Kurt kiss the top of his head. "We'll move it into the house tomorrow. Just promise me I'll get to hear you play it soon."

Blaine lifted his head up so he could meet Kurt's eyes. "You'll be the first to hear me play," he promised.