A/N: This is a little later than I wanted it to be, I'm sorry, but I had a shit-load of last minute plans come up over the last couple of weeks.

For this chapter, you should picture Kathy as Anne Hathaway, and Evelyn as Julie Andrews. Because, let's face it, it needs to happen.

Don't Keep Your Distance: Christmas Pt.2

Oh my god.

Oh my god, oh my god, holy grilled cheesus that is Lady Gaga.

Kurt could barely hear anything over the sound of his own pounding heartbeat as he stared at the computer screen, where Lady Gaga sat. Her long, blonde hair fell perfectly onto her shoulders, and she was wearing a plain t-shirt but her make-up was perfect and she was laughing and waving and holy hell what was happening?!

"Oh my god," Kurt croaked, his voice hoarse from the loud shriek he had emitted a few seconds earlier. "Am I…what…I don't understand, I -"

"Take a deep breath, sweetie," Lady Gaga said with a chuckle. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Kurt opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, turning his gaze to Blaine, who was smirking back at him, eyes twinkling mischievously. Things slowly began to click into place in Kurt's head.

"You…?" He asked, gesturing wildly between Blaine and the computer screen.

"Blaine and I are old friends," Lady Gaga explained. "He asked me for a favour, and I was more than willing to meet the famous Kurt that I've heard so much about."

Kurt made some sort of strangled choking sound.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Lady Gaga said with a happy smile, "Merry Christmas, Kurt."

And suddenly it was like a wall broke down in Kurt's brain, and words were pouring out of his mouth and he couldn't seem to stop them. "Oh my god, oh my god, it is such an honour to meet you, your highness – I mean, your excellency – I mean - "

Kurt was interrupted by the sound of Lady Gaga's delighted laugh, and he could feel his face burning from embarrassment. "Call me Gaga, sweetie," she said, and Kurt nodded his head frantically.

"Of – of course, yes, Gaga. I mean, I don't know why I said that, it's just that you're so…so…" Kurt made a wild flaily motion with his hands. "You're so amazing, I worship you. Not in a creepy way though! There are no altars in my room or anything, I just think you're incredible, you're so innovate and unique and inspiring and I look up to you so much, and your outfits are gloriously outrageous and I just…I love you."

Kurt had forgotten to breathe throughout his entire spiel, and he panted for breath, his heart racing and face flushed as if he had run a marathon. He sort of wished that he could sink into the ground and disappear forever because he had just made a total fool of himself in front of his Idol.

Much to Kurt's surprise, however, Gaga was smiling happily at him, not looking the least bit perturbed. "You're so kind, thank you so much," she said, and Kurt could tell that she was genuinely grateful for his somewhat stalker-ish compliments, even though she must have heard the same thing from thousands of other fans. He felt his embarrassment beginning to ebb.

"You know, Kurt, you remind me a lot of myself when I was in high school."

Kurt's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and Gaga chuckled.

"It's true! And I'm not saying that to put myself up on a pedestal. But it's important to remember that nobody is born in the spotlight - you have to work for it. Blaine showed me some of your performances in your school's Glee club, and I saw immediately that you are very talented on that stage. But even if performing isn't what you want to do for the rest of your life, when I was watching you perform, I could see the way that you exuded confidence, strength and charisma. And call it a hunch, or an intuition, but I just know that you're going to be incredible at whatever you choose to do, because you have that sort of raw ambition and drive that fuels itself. That's what got me to where I am today. You've got to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way – and I don't think that you will ever have a problem with shining, Kurt."

Kurt sat in stunned silence, his whole body trembling. He willed himself not to start crying. "Thank you," he whispered, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "That's – I mean, I – wow. Thank you."

"You know, I kind of feel like Blaine tricked me," Gaga said.

"What?" Kurt asked, a little thrown by the abrupt turn in conversation.

"Blaine asked me to Skype with you on Christmas," Gaga explained, "but I think he knew all along that this would happen."

Kurt was completely lost. "…That what would happen?"

"That I'd fall a little bit in love with you and demand that you come and see me in New York."

Kurt very nearly fell off the couch, letting out a rather undignified squawk as he grappled with the laptop before it toppled off his lap.

Gaga just grinned at him through the screen. "How about I send you a couple of tickets to my show at Madison Square Garden next month? With backstage VIP passes, of course."

There was a long pause before Kurt felt capable of speaking again. "Really?" He asked, his voice soft and trembling.

Gaga smiled affectionately. "Yes, really. I'd love to meet you, Kurt."

"That would be so, so amazing," Kurt said breathlessly. "Thank you so, so much."

"And I hope you like coffee," Gaga added, "because you, Blaine and I are going out for lattes afterwards."

Kurt had a coffee date with Lady Gaga. Was this a dream? Had someone slipped drugs into his food?

"I'm…I would be honoured," Kurt said. "I…thank you. This is the greatest gift that anyone's ever given me."

"Well, I think you should thank Blaine for that," Gaga said with a wink.

Gaga turned around as a woman shouted to her from another room in Italian. She shouted something back, before turning back to the computer with a smile.

"I think I better get back to my family," she chuckled. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Kurt. I'll see you soon?"

"Yes, yeah, I'll…I'll see you soon."

"Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Gaga."

The call ended, and Kurt burst into hysterical tears.

As soon as Kurt started crying, Blaine dropped to his knees in front of him and gently took the computer from Kurt's lap, closing it and putting it aside. Kurt looked into Blaine's large hazel eyes, filled with concern, and blurred by the tears clouding Kurt's vision.

"Kurt? Are you okay?" Blaine asked, and Kurt let out a small sob before launching himself off the couch and effectively ending up in Blaine's lap on the floor. He threw his arms around Blaine's shoulders and sobbed into his shoulder, and he felt Blaine tense beneath him for a moment before wrapping his arms around Kurt and hugging him in return.

"You – you - " Kurt sobbed, having difficulty producing words, not quite sure what he was trying to say anyway.

"Shhh," Blaine whispered soothingly in his ear.

"I can't believe…" Kurt choked.

"What?"

"Lady Gaga."

"Yeah."

"I love her."

"I know. You worship her, apparently."

"Blaine."

Kurt pulled back to see that Blaine was smiling, smirking almost, and Kurt glared at him through his tears. Blaine bit his lip, obviously trying to hold back his laughter.

"Stop it," Kurt said, pouting. "It's not funny."

"It is," Blaine said, a small giggle escaping his lips.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Blaine's shoulder's shook with silent laughter. Kurt glanced around the room to see the rest of his family looking back at him with matching expressions of amusement. Kurt attempted to disentangle himself from Blaine, but he wouldn't let go.

"Blaine! Let go of me!"

"Yes, your highness. I mean, your excellency," Blaine said, letting go of Kurt just in time for the whole room to dissolve into fits on laughter while Kurt let out a cry of indignation.

Kurt brought his hand up to cover Blaine's mouth in an attempt to stop his laughter, only to pull it back a second later with a squawk when Blaine, who was apparently five years old, licked him.

"Did you just lick me?" Kurt asked, scandalised and slightly disgusted. Blaine just laughed harder.

Blaine laughed so hard that his face started to turn slightly purple and, okay, he looked kind of funny with a purple face. Purple was definitely not his colour. Kurt bit his lip to stop himself from smiling, but he failed.

Blaine pointed at Kurt in triumph when he saw his grin. "Aha!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up," Kurt said, grinning widely at this point. "I'm laughing at you, not with you. Your face is purple."

"Admit it, you love me."

Kurt bit his lip. Yeah, I do.

Blaine seemed to notice the change in expression on Kurt's face because he stopped laughing, wiping tears from his cheeks and shuffling slightly closer to Kurt.

"In all seriousness, Blaine," Kurt said, "thank you. That was…so amazing, and thoughtful, and amazing, and sweet, and…thank you."

Blaine smiled and held open his arms, inviting Kurt for another hug, which he accepted without hesitation.

"You're welcome," Blaine whispered.

Over the next few hours, the family managed to pick up all the wrapping paper from the living room floor, do the dishes, set the table for lunch, and change out of their pyjamas into more appropriate afternoon attire. Kurt dug into the back of his wardrobe and pulled out an oversized, colourful woollen Christmas sweater that was decorated with reindeer and snowflakes and holly. It was a very Rachel Berry-esque item, and not the sort of thing that Kurt would usually wear, but his granny Anne (Burt's mother) had knitted it for Burt when he was a teenager. Granny Anne had passed away when Kurt was quite young, and Kurt had fished the sweater out of the back of his dad's closet when he got a bit too plump to fit into it anymore. He liked the nostalgia behind it, and he had to admit that it had a certain….festive charm. Plus, it was the warmest and most comfortable thing he owned, so there was that.

Kurt paired the sweater with a pair of skin-tight white jeans, and as soon as he managed to get the button done up, he heard the doorbell ring.

Kurt realised how childish it was, but he figured he was already wearing a reindeer sweater – he didn't have much dignity left at this point. He bolted out of his room and down the stairs, cutting his dad off at the bottom in an effort to be the first one to answer the door.

He flung the door open to reveal his grandmother and aunt, smiles on their faces and arms laden with gifts, their suitcases at their feet. His grandmother looked as radiant as ever, and at least 25 years younger than her true age. Kathy was, as always, dressed in tiny denim shorts and a red crop-top, despite the fact that it was practically freezing outside. Her long brown hair was swept up into a loose ponytail, and her lips were not even slightly purple. Kurt was slightly convinced that the woman must be cold-blooded.

"Kurt!" Evelyn exclaimed, "My dear boy, despite that rather horrendous sweater, you look about 10 times more handsome than I remember. You've been taking those vitamins I sent you, haven't you?"

Kurt laughed. "Of course, gran. I can only hope that I'll always retain my youth as well as you have."

"That's not the vitamins, dear, that's just my natural pizazz," his grandmother said, leaning in to kiss Kurt on the cheek. "Katherine, doesn't Kurt look handsome?"

"Handsome? More like totally bangable," Kathy said with a wink, reaching out to tweak Kurt on the chin. "Let me tell ya, kiddo, you didn't just get hit with the puberty stick – you got beat up with the puberty stick. The puberty stick made you its bitch."

Kurt laughed and rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Kath," he said.

"Kathy? Are you harassing my son again?" Burt's voice bellowed from inside the house.

"Brother of mine!" Kathy yelled, pushing past Kurt to get inside. "Where are you? Come here, let me love you!"

"Kurt, dear, would you mind giving me a hand with some of these bags?" Evelyn asked. "I must find Carole and thank her for inviting me." Kurt quickly jumped in to retrieve the suitcases as her feet. He carried them hastily up to his room where they would be out of the way, and he was descending the stairs when he heard an ear-splitting shriek coming from the kitchen.

Kurt's heart leapt into his throat and he bounded down the remaining stairs, sprinting into the kitchen. Kathy was standing there, staring at Blaine, who was looking back at her with wide eyes as he stirred a pot on the stove.

"You!" Kathy cried out, pointing at Blaine, her tone vicious. "You're back?!"

"I – uh - " Blaine stammered, dropping the spoon into the pot and stepping away from the stove. "Surprise?" He said meekly.

Kurt looked at Kathy and winced when he saw her eyes narrow into a dangerous glare. "Surprise?" She hissed. "Surprise? You fucking brat! You little shit!" She stormed over to Blaine and Kurt saw him cower in terror. Kurt stepped forward to intervene just as Kathy reached Blaine and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him forward into a hug.

Blaine stilled in shock for a moment, before he seemed to realise that he wasn't being decapitated, and relaxed into the embrace. "It's good to see you again, Kathy," he mumbled, and Kathy let out a somewhat hysterical laugh as she pulled away.

"It's way too fucking good to see your stupid, charming, attractive face, Blaine Anderson," she said, clapping him on the shoulder. "God. I'm so mad at you. But I'm so happy that you're back. I'm so conflicted."

"Well, I'm not conflicted," Evelyn said, stepping forward. "Merry Christmas, darling boy," she said, leaning in to kiss Blaine on the cheek. "When did we last see each other? Was it Christmas of '04?"

"'03," Blaine answered, looking guilty.

"Ahh yes," Evelyn said with a nod. "Good year. You're still as cute and short as you were back then."

Blaine beamed. "And you're just as radiant as ever, ma'am."

"Oh, none of that 'ma'am' nonsense," Evelyn said with a disapproving frown. "You don't have to be a stranger just because we haven't seen each other for a while. You can either call me Evelyn, or you can start calling me 'grandmother'. I will also accept 'gran' or possibly 'nan', although I would like to point out that I am far too young to really be your grandmother."

Blaine chuckled. "Of course, Evelyn."

There was a moment of silence before the room was suddenly filled with the sound of Kathy's stomach rumbling loudly. There was a collective laugh, and Carole quickly ushered everybody into the kitchen for lunch.

Over an hour later, and Kurt's stomach was once again full-to-bursting, and he felt lazy and contented as he leaned back in his chair, picking at the remnants of his Christmas cake.

In the past, Christmas lunch had usually involved a lot of champagne and a very tipsy Kathy, and it was the one day of the year when Burt would let Kurt drink with the adults. This year, for obvious reasons, they had forgone the champagne in favour of sparkling grape juice. However, Kurt still felt pleasantly buzzed, and Kathy and Carole were still giggling as loudly as ever. Kurt figured that it must be the presence of family that caused such an effect, rather than the alcohol.

"So, how long are you two staying in town?" Burt asked Evelyn and Kathy.

"Well, I'm currently staying at the Hilton," Evelyn said. "It's very comfortable. I packed enough for a week. I thought I might stay until New Years."

"I'm shtayin' 'till noo yearsh, too," Kathy said through a mouthful of cake.

Burt cocked an eyebrow at his younger sister. "And I'm guessing you're crashing on our couch, right sis?"

"Yup," Kathy said, obnoxiously popping the 'p' on the end of the word.

Kurt beamed. He was going to start off the new year with all the people who he loved most in the world. He had a feeling that 2013 was going to be a great year.

Later that evening, the whole family found themselves sitting in the living room watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Kurt's favourite Christmas movie. They all had mugs of Kurt's signature peppermint hot chocolate in their hands, and the fire was lit, and Burt had pulled the softest blankets out of the back of the cupboard, and Kurt could feel Blaine's thigh pressed against his on the couch, and it was so warm and cosy and homey that Kurt was kind of overwhelmed by it all.

The family had spent the afternoon laughing and exchanging stories. Blaine had fit right back into the family like a missing puzzle piece, and it was wonderful. Kathy and Evelyn had given everybody gifts, and they were all very nice (Kurt had procured a gorgeous white faux-fur coat from Evelyn, and a black bondage shirt and leather jacket from Kathy. His fashion sense was nothing if not diverse). However, once Evelyn and Kathy had found out about Blaine's extravagant gifts, they had complained that theirs could never match up (and Kathy complained that she didn't receive a gift of her own. Blaine promised to dedicate a song to her at his next concert, which she was more than happy with). Finn had then driven Kurt, Blaine, Kathy and Evelyn around the block in his new SUV. When Kathy heard about Kurt's Skype call with Lady Gaga, and the backstage tickets, she had positively seethed with jealousy, although Kurt could tell from the twinkle in her eyes that she was happy for him.

When the movie finished, Evelyn reluctantly bid everybody farewell before heading back to her hotel. Kurt suddenly realised how tired he was. Eating his weight in high-calorie foods and feeling about a million emotions in one day really took its toll on a person.

After offering to do the last of the dishes, Kurt decided to retire early. He retreated to his bedroom to begin his lengthy night-time skincare regimen, but as soon as he sat down in front of his vanity, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" He called, and Blaine entered the room, once again clad in in his pyjamas (adorable). It was obvious that he'd just showered, if the mess of damp curls on his head was any indication (so, so adorable).

"Hey," Blaine said, shutting the bedroom door behind him. "I don't mean to bother you, I can come back later if you're busy…"

"No, don't be silly, it's fine," Kurt said with a smile. "You can visit me in my room whenever you want." Kurt blushed once he realised how that sounded.

"I – I mean, that is to say," he stammered, "I don't mind…having company. And umm…yeah, but you should knock first of course, in case I'm changing or something, but you should feel free to - visit." Kurt was pretty sure that his face was bright red at this point, but when he looked up at Blaine, the boy was just smiling at him with fondness and amusement.

"I might take you up on that offer," he said, and Kurt breathed a sigh of relief, trying to ignore the fluttering in his stomach.

"So…" Kurt squeaked, looking for his bottle of moisturizer, "what can I help you with?"

"Umm…" Blaine said, awkwardly perching himself on the edge of Kurt's bed, "I guess I just wanted to check and make sure that you were honestly happy about your…present. I know I kind of just sprung that on you, which in hindsight may not have been the best idea. It must have come as a shock to you."

Kurt looked up at Blaine with his eyebrows raised. "Seriously, Blaine?" He said, incredulous. "You honestly think I could be anything other than ecstatic about meeting the woman who has inspired me in so many ways? I loved it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have minded a little hint so I could fix my hair and put on a shirt, but really – it was perfect. Perfect. I really don't have the words…it was just so…"

"-Perfect?" Blaine interjected, a cheeky twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah," Kurt said, his mouth quirking up into a smile.

"I'm really, really glad that you liked it," Blaine said. "It was really important to me, that you…knew how grateful I am that you let me back into your life. And I think I also just wanted to prove to you – and myself – that I can still make you happy."

Kurt's heart ached.

"Anyway, thank you, Kurt. So much. For giving me that opportunity – and for the bowties," Blaine added with a grin. "They're awesome. I didn't know that I needed a Harry Potter bowtie until now."

Kurt laughed. "You're welcome. And if you ever need any more custom-made bowties, I'd be more than willing to design for the famous Blaine Anderson," he said with a wink. "I hear he's somewhat of a fashion icon."

"Really? I heard he's secretly a bit of a dork," Blaine said, frowning down at the floor. "And a sell-out. He's a total mess, really, and a terrible role model. Your bowties deserve better."

Kurt frowned. "You know what I think?" He said. Blaine shrugged.

"I think he's an amazing, kind, extraordinarily talented guy who got dealt a really terrible hand. And he let it get to him, and he made some mistakes. But everybody makes mistakes. There's not a single person on this earth who manages to go through their whole life without hurting themselves, or someone else." Kurt bit his lip, a lump beginning to form in his throat. "But I know that he has a family who loves him, who will give him all the love and support he needs. I know that he has millions of adoring fans whose lives he has touched, and some whose lives he has saved. I know that he's one of the bravest people I've ever known, and that I will always want him in my life. And I know that he makes me happy in a way that no-one else can."

Kurt noticed Blaine's eyes shining with tears. He got up to join Blaine on the bed, sitting close beside him and reaching out to clasp one of his hands tightly between his. Blaine squeezed back even tighter.

"I hurt you so badly," Blaine whispered. "I hurt you – and Burt – so badly. How can I ever forgive myself for that?"

"You're right, you did hurt us," Kurt whispered, and Blaine stiffened next to him, as if bracing himself. "But do you know why it hurt when you left, Blaine? It hurt because you matter to us. More than you know. And in order to forgive yourself, you need to trust yourself. You're always so worried about hurting us again that you can't allow yourself to just be happy, here, with us."

The intonation of Kurt's voice rose with every word that he uttered, his emotions bubbling to the surface and tears pooling in his eyes. He needed to get through to Blaine. He needed to make him believe him.

"Blaine," Kurt continued, hot tears spilling down his cheeks, "you need to believe that you won't make the same mistakes again, because you are not a bad person, Blaine. Do you hear me? You're not bad, and you're not weak, and you're not worthless or pathetic or any of the other things you think you are. You're wonderful. And I love you."

Blaine's head snapped up, and he looked at Kurt with, shocked wide eyes. "You l-love me?" He asked, voice breathless and shaking.

Kurt's heart raced in his chest. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. Kurt forced out a choked laugh, reaching up to hurriedly wipe the tears from his cheeks.

"Of course I love you," he said, trying to keep his tone even and not let his anxiety show. "You're family." I'm not in love with you. I'm not in love with you. If he repeated in his head enough times, maybe he'd believe it. I'm not in love with you.

Kurt could have sworn that he saw Blaine's shoulders slump slightly, in relief, or…disappointment?

"I love you, too," Blaine said softly, giving Kurt's hand another tight squeeze.

Kurt felt his stomach flip. He just loves you like a brother. Don't look into it too much. Don't get your hopes up. Don't let your heart be broken again.

They fell silent, hands still clasped too tightly between them. The air felt charged with something that was almost tangible, and Kurt was afraid to break the silence.

After several long minutes, Blaine finally released Kurt's hand and got to his feet, breaking the spell.

"I guess I should get going now," Blaine said. "Thank you, Kurt. For…you know, listening to me, and saying the things that you said." He paused. "I'm going to try my best to believe them."

He turned around to leave.

"Wait!" Kurt exclaimed, a little too loudly. Blaine turned back around, his expression questioning.

"How you often do you exfoliate?" Kurt blurted out. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he felt his cheeks heat up. Smooth, Hummel.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "Umm, I…don't?"

Kurt was horrified. "Never?"

"No…?" Blaine replied, looking a little nervous. "Why? Is there something wrong with my skin?"

"No, no, of course not," Kurt assured him. "You have lovely skin. But you need to start preparing early, Blaine, or you'll regret not doing so when you're sixty. Come here, we can go through my rigorous skin-sloughing regimen together."

Blaine's jaw dropped. "You're letting me use your skincare products?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly. "Yes, Blaine, you can use them."

Blaine beamed, and sat back down on the bed. Kurt grabbed an array of products from his vanity, eagerly unscrewing the lid off one of the pots.

"Now, listen closely, because this is very important. I'm going to teach you the basics of exfoliating."