After much convincing on Kurt and Carole's part, Blaine found himself being talked into spending the remainder of his winter break at the Hudson-Hummel household. After tossing some clothes and toiletries into a duffel bag, Blaine found himself settling into the guest bedroom, Carole letting him know that if he needed anything, anything at all, he shouldn't be shy to ask. Blaine agreed, though he made it his mission to stay out of everyone's way the entire time he would be spending over, especially Burt's. The man could be a little intimidating and Blaine had a feeling that had something to do with the fact that Kurt liked Blaine so much. Blaine knew Kurt had had a rough year and lately things had gotten heavier. So, Blaine could understand why Burt was so overprotective. He was a kind man, though. A little scary, but kind. He willingly welcomed Blaine to stay in his home, telling him that no kid deserved to spend the holidays alone. Blaine could only smile warmly at this.

Blaine was quickly learning that working the holiday season at a coffee shop could be rather overwhelming at times. The Lima Bean wasn't located inside of a mall where the shop constantly had traffic of holiday shoppers, but it was on a busy intersection surrounded by several different shopping centers. That was enough to attract the shoppers that were out and about returning and exchanging their Christmas presents. Blaine was offered a few extra hours the day after Christmas and Blaine decided on taking up the offer, deciding it would make him look good as an employee and that definitely mattered to Blaine. The time for college applications was drawing near and Blaine needed all the positive references he could get.

It was that rare hour of the day where the rush would die down when Maddie asked that question Blaine just knew she had been dying to ask for weeks now.

"So, are you two dating, or what?"

Blaine blinked away from the blank receipt paper he was doodling on with a sharpie. "Huh?" he muttered, even though he was very well aware of what the young woman was trying to get at.

Jutting her hip out a little and placing a hand on it, Maddie shook her head. "Really?" she asked, voice flat. "You and Kurt. You guys act enough like a couple to be considered one. So, is it official yet?"

Blaine drew his eyebrows together. He had never really thought of dating Kurt, actually. He thought the boy was very, very cute and Blaine loved spending time with him but…dating? "We're just friends, Maddie," Blaine said, returning his eyes to the piece of paper that previously held his attention before Maddie decided to prod into his personal business. What Kurt needed in his life now was a support system. He needed someone who understood him. Someone who would listen to him and a shoulder to cry on. Not some gay boy who wanted to get into his pants-Woah. Okay. Bad way to word it. Blaine wasn't some gay boy who wanted to get into Kurt's pants. Kurt was too classy for that and Blaine was definitely not that type of guy anyway.

"I've seen the way you look at him, you know," Maddie was saying as she wiped down the counter with a small towel, eyes on Blaine. Her voice was quiet.

Blaine looked up from the paper to glance over at his co-worker. Her expression was soft. Blaine shook his head with a little laugh. "Yeah, well, we're just friends, ok? I promise, there isn't anything going on between us."

"When that 'something' does happen, though," Maddie continued, "You better tell me." She threw the towel at Blaine's head and he barely dodged it with another laugh.

It was something Blaine never really thought about. Kurt as his boyfriend? Not that there was anything wrong with that. Blaine was sure that Kurt would make an excellent boyfriend, but Blaine wasn't sure if he would be able to do the same thing. What he shared with Kurt was something special. From the moment he saw this boy, Blaine really felt something deep in his chest. He knew that Kurt was a special person and he wanted to be a part of Kurt's life in some way. And this special friendship they had was enough for Blaine. He just wanted to be something in Kurt's life.

Kurt had promised Blaine a visit today and as always, he kept his word. He wasn't alone, though, as he walked through the door. Behind him, Finn trailed along like a really big, awkward looking puppy. If Blaine didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Finn was years younger than Kurt, despite their height difference.

Kurt nearly bounced up to the counter, placing both palms against the granite. "Hi Blaine!" Kurt said excitedly, as if he hadn't seen Blaine in weeks. "Can… I have…" he trailed off, looking up at the menu. Blaine arched a brow with a little smile. This was something Kurt had attempted to do before. Order something different but every time he tried, he ended up deciding on the usual.

"Are you really going to try ordering something different again?" Blaine said as he wrote Kurt's order down on the cup, adding the name 'Pretty Blue Eyes' beside the order. It was a nickname Blaine decided to stick to and Kurt didn't seem to mind at all.

Kurt sighed pathetically, "No," he admitted before looking up at Finn who was staring up at the menu, quietly reading off the drinks to himself.

"I know this is a coffee shop, but do you guys have something other than coffee?" Finn asked before looking at Blaine. "Because, like, last time I had coffee it got me all jittery and stuff."

Blaine laughed a little. "Yeah, we've got smoothies, too."

Finn's face lit up. "Awesome!" For being such a big guy, he really had the attitude of a child at times. It was endearing, though. "Strawberry?" he asked hopefully and Blaine nodded, jotting down the order and Finn's name before sliding the cup down to Maddie who took it from the counter giving Blaine a sly smile. He had to bite back the urge to roll his eyes at her because he knew exactly what she was thinking. God, he felt like he was in middle school.

"So, what time are you off?" Kurt asked as he handed Blaine his card. "Because I've got plans."

"Plans?" Blaine asked with a little smile as he swiped the card and handed it back to Kurt with a receipt. "And what do these plans consist of?"

"Secrets," Kurt said with a grin, sliding the card back into his wallet. "You never answered my question."

Blaine's smile never fell. "Four-Thirty," he answered.

Kurt clapped his hands together once. "Perfect," he said. "Be at my house and five o'clock." And before Blaine could answer, Kurt was gone.

------

Kurt decided to keep these "plans" of his a secret even when Blaine was climbing into Kurt's car. He offered to drive because he refused to reveal where they were going until they actually got there. Blaine decided not to prod and simply go along with what Kurt was doing because, honestly, it was really, really cute and sweet.

"You know, I was shocked when I first saw you drove a Navigator," Blaine admitted after a few minutes of silence.

Kurt glanced over at him for a moment before laughing. "Well, my dad was the one who got it for me. He, uh, promised me a car if I promised to stop wearing sweaters that went down to my knees."

This piece of information was more shocking than the fact that Kurt drove an SUV. Blaine blinked, turning his head to look at Kurt. "Really?" he asked softly.

"Well, this was before I came out to him. He was in denial for a long time which was probably one of the reasons why I was so afraid to come out of the closet, even though it was obvious to everyone that knew me I was gay."

"He's come a very long way since then, it seems," Blaine pointed out. "Your dad is a wonderful man, Kurt."

Kurt nodded in slight with a gentle smile. A silence fell between them again for a few short moments before Kurt pulled out his iPhone and handed it over to Blaine, telling him he could pick whatever music he wanted. The rest of the ride was spent belting out show tunes from Wicked, Rent and My Fair Lady.

-----

"I know Christmas was yesterday, but the Christmas spirit hasn't died down just yet," Kurt said as he lead Blaine along a sidewalk lined with little boutiques that formed in the shape of a U and in the middle was a very large courtyard. Settled at the end of that courtyard was a very, very large Christmas tree that Blaine guessed was about three stories high. Beside it, there were two smaller ones. Scattered throughout the courtyard were families and couples, most of them seated in on the ground, bundled up in their scarves, hats and jackets to keep away the night's cool air. Kurt gave Blaine's arm a little tug, "Come on, I see an open spot over there." Blaine followed Kurt, weaving through the little groups of people and finally settling beside a small family.

Blaine was still a little confused as to what was going on and he couldn't help himself from asking now. "So," he said, taking a seat beside Kurt and drawing his knees up to his chest, "is it like a firework show?"

Kurt just grinned. "You'll see," he said. "My parents and I used to come here every year when I was little. It was my favorite thing about the holidays."

"Why did you stop?" Blaine asked softly only to receive a little shrug from Kurt.

"I'm not sure. After my mom died we just kind of stopped doing a lot of the things we used to do when she was around." Blaine watched as Kurt drew his knees up, mirroring Blaine's position. "I think maybe some of it was just too much for my dad." Kurt rested his chin on his knees as he raised his eyes to look at the large tree that was twinkling slightly.

Blaine's stomach dropped at the sound of Kurt's voice. With a comforting little smile, Blaine reached out, lightly rubbing Kurt's back. Like the other night, Blaine felt Kurt nearly tense beneath his touch. Eyebrows drew together for a moment, as he tilted his head. "Kurt?" he asked softly. Before Kurt could say a word, though, a voice was booming out of the speakers that were placed around the courtyard. He didn't miss Kurt shifting uncomfortably, though. Blaine dropped his hand from Kurt's back, to wrap back around his own legs, eyes still on the younger boy, watching him in silence as the voice spoke.

"Let your imagination soar, as you enjoy this one of a kind experience of light and sound. Symphony in Lights is about to begin in five…four…three…" The lights dimmed as darkness surrounded the area and Blaine could no longer see Kurt's face. "two…one…"

And then, music was filling the courtyard, a song which Blaine recognized to be Trans Siberian Orchestra's 'Christmas Eve.' The display of lights on the trees dimmed and lit up in time with the music in an incredible display as the music pulsed loudly thought the speakers and flowed over the crowd. For a few minutes, Blaine was mesmerized, watching with bright eyes and a small smile. Once the first song ended and the next one began, Blaine turned his head a little to look at Kurt who was still watching, a little smile on his face. The glowing lights were casting shadows on his face that he make him look…kind of beautiful. Suddenly, there were butterflies gathering in Blaine's stomach. And then, he noticed that Kurt was crying and Blaine's heart sank deep within his chest. His hand twitched. He wanted to place a comforting hand on that back, but remembered the tension he felt. Like Kurt wanted to flinch away. Like he didn't want to be touched. Tearing his gaze away from Kurt, Blaine continued watching the show, mind wandering. He figured Kurt's reason for crying was his mother and he suddenly wondered if the last time he had been here had been with her. And then he started thinking about Kurt's reaction to Blaine's touch. This was new and unexpected. Blaine always gave Kurt little pants on the knee and gentle shoulder bumps and it never seemed to bother him. But, when Blaine touched his back, he suddenly seemed uncomfortable. Or maybe Blaine was just imagining things. Kurt had no reason to feel that way around Blaine. Blaine was his friend and Blaine was here to help him. So, why was Kurt acting so strange?

"Kurt?"

Blaine found himself sitting on the edge of Kurt's bed, watching the younger boy who was rubbing some kind of product into his face, sitting in front of his mirror. Kurt sighed. "If you're going to ask why I have to do this every night and morning again, I swear I will kick you out of my room."

Blaine stifled a laugh. "Ah, no. No. I wasn't going to ask that. You made your point very clear last time." Blaine paused. "Um." And then he raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck for a moment. He should just get straight to the point, shouldn't he? "Has Karofsky been hurting you?"

It was something Blaine had considered on the drive home. Kurt didn't mind when Blaine touched his knee, hand or arm. But, the moment Blaine touched his back, he seemed to go uncomfortably stiff for a moment. Blaine had been in Kurt's position so he knew what it was like to be pushed around. And he knew that these bullies loved shoving other kids into lockers and fences. Hell, Karofsky had done it to Blaine the one time he had visited McKinley.

Kurt froze almost instantly, eyes locking on Blaine through the mirror. That lightly shocked look on his face didn't last very long though, as he continued rubbing the product into his forehead. "He pushes me around, you know this." Kurt huffed, sounding a little irritated. "Blaine, why are you even asking me this? You know the answer."

"Your back is covered in bruises, isn't it?" Blaine asked carefully.

Again, Kurt was staring at him. This time, it lasted longer. And this time, he didn't go back to what he was doing. Instead, he turned in his seat to look at Blaine properly. "How…How did you know?" he nearly whispered in a voice that shattered Blaine's heart. Kurt's voice was broken and so vulnerable. Terrified. As if some big secret had been let out.

"I went through the same thing, remember?" Blaine looked directly into those eyes. "Can I see them?" he asked.

Kurt immediately pulled back a little as if Blaine was going to pounce on him and force Kurt to show him. "No." The word was firm though Kurt's voice quivered.

"Kurt…"Blaine's voice was quiet.

"Please, Blaine. Just…Don't, okay?" Kurt turned in his seat, staring down at the products scattered about his small dresser. "I'd prefer to be alone right now," he added softly.

Blaine just stared for a few moments, hoping Kurt would change his mind. Maybe decide to talk about this. But Kurt didn't move. He remained frozen in place. And even as Blaine stood and walked out the door, Kurt didn't move. As Blaine shut the door behind him, Kurt didn't move.

That night, Blaine spent hours lying awake in the guest bed provided for him simply staring into the darkness. Kurt's back was bruised and he was ashamed to admit it.