On the last of December Blaine and Kurt were walking down the hallway after lunch, heading to Blaine's room when Jeff suddenly popped up in front of them from behind a corner.

"Hey Blaine!" Jeff said, bouncing slightly on his feet.

"Hello, Jeff." Blaine replied with a grin. "What's up?"

"I'm excited for tonight. I can't wait!" he beamed, grabbing Blaine's upper arm. "Are you bringing any… soda-" Jeff winked over exaggeratedly. "-to the party tonight?"

"No. I'm not even sure I'm gonna come."

Jeff's face fell. "But it's New Year's Eve!" he whined. "You HAVE to come!"

"Tell him you'll go." Kurt said, and Blaine turned his face toward him. "Tell him you'll go." Kurt repeated sternly.

"Why not?" Jeff whined, and Blaine turned back to him. "We were gonna get drunk and dance!"

Blaine laughed a little. "That's probably not gonna happen even if I do come."

"Tell him you'll come." Kurt repeated again, poking Blaine in the neck.

"Fine!" Blaine blurted. "I'll come."

"Yay!" Jeff exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "So bring some booze, okay?" He started skipping away and Blaine laughed again. "See you at seven, Blaine!" the blonde called over his shoulder before disappearing around another corner.

"I like Jeff." Kurt remarked as they continued walking, nearing Blaine's room.

"He's awesome."

When they entered Blaine's room he sat down on his bed and Kurt placed himself in the armchair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you tell him you might not go?"

Blaine leaned against the headboard and blushed slightly. "I think you know."

"Blaine." Kurt sighed, but smiled. "You don't have to spend every wake minute with me."

"Maybe I want to." Blaine mumbled, and Kurt's mouth fell open for a moment before he snapped it shut. He did not just say that…

"I'll come with you if you want."

"You don't have to." Blaine smiled faintly.

"Maybe I want to." Kurt grinned. "But you should hang out with your friends. Don't worry about me. If you have fun, then I'll have fun too."

"There isn't any alcohol in this, right?" Blaine asked suspiciously as Jeff handed him a plastic cup with a blue glittery liquid inside.

"Of course not!" Jeff chirped, heading back toward the punch bowl.

Blaine sipped the drink and decided it didn't taste like alcohol at all, unlike Jeff's usual cocktails. The room is set up much like when they had the Halloween-party. A long table full of snacks, cups and a big punchbowl in the middle. Big, black plastic bags hung over the backs of chairs, for garbage. Sparkly, silver decorations cover the walls and the big flat screen TV is on. It's showing live coverage from the ball drop in New York, but the sound is turned off. Happy, dance-y music is blasting from the speakers in the corners of the ceiling.

"Do you guys have a lot of parties in here?" Kurt asked loudly over the music.

"Some." Blaine replied, taking a step closer to Kurt instead of shouting. "Halloween, sometimes Christmas, New Year's, graduation and some birthdays. And a few random parties when we're bored out of our minds."

Kurt laughed, and a thrill went up Blaine's spine. He was about to say something, but Trent walked up to them. "Hi Blaine!" he said, standing closer to Blaine than he usually did. "Are you having fun?"

"I am." Blaine smiled and took a few sips from his cup. "Are you?"

"Of course!" Trent beamed, holding his cup up. "It's spiked!"

"Of course it is." Blaine grinned. "Take it easy tonight. We don't want you falling over again, do we?"

"I won't!" Trent started walking toward a group of boys dancing in another corner of the room. "Come dance with me!"

"Later." Blaine shouted as Trent joined a break-dancing Jeff on the "dance floor".

Blaine took a couple of mouthfuls of his drink, walking over to a group of chairs by the snacks-table. Kurt followed him, but kept his eyes on Jeff as he stood from the floor and started waving his arms around. "Aren't you going to dance?"

"Nah… I don't dance much out of rehearsals. Unless I'm drunk."

"And why aren't you getting drunk today? That sure seems to be your friends' plans."

Blaine flashed Kurt a huge grin. "Well, something happened a few months ago, and we decided that we should always have one person that's sober at our parties."

"What happened?"

Blaine proceeded to tell Kurt a bunch of drunken Warblers-stories, and after about an hour Kurt was laughing so much he was doubled over on his chair. Blaine was trying not to laugh himself, as it would seem strange for him to sit alone and laugh at nothing.

"Oh gosh! Your friends are morons!" Kurt wheezed, leaning back and smiling so hard his teeth showed.

"'Ey! 'M one o' them!" Blaine joked after downing the last of his fourth cup of blue punch.

"Hey, Blaine!"

Both boys looked up to find Jeff grinning down at Blaine. "Need another drink, or are you ready to dance?"

"You!" Blaine shouted and pointed a finger at Jeff accusingly. "You spiked the blue stuff!"

"Of course I did. Thad is the sober one today, and you've been so wound up lately. Now come dance!"

Kurt laughed as Blaine glared at Jeff who pulled Blaine out of his chair and into the group of dancing boys. He continued to watch as Trent and another Warbler started dancing with Blaine, and he let loose. He danced like nobody was watching, bending his knees together and snapping his fingers to the beat of the music. Kurt laughed and walked closer, grinning broadly at the sight. Blaine looked up and moved to the edge of the cluster of boys, waving for Kurt to come dance too. Kurt shook his head, mouthing a "no", but Blaine just grinned and shook his butt in Kurt's direction. Blaine was drunk, and Kurt found it hilarious.

"Please!" Blaine mouthed, waving once again for Kurt to come dance.

Finally Kurt moved closer, starting to do a sachet with his upper body. Blaine laughed and grabbed onto his hands, pulling him closer and dancing right up next to him. He felt like he didn't have a worry in the world, as long as Kurt kept blushing like that.

"Hey, erryone! Countdown's 'bout to begin!" Jeff shouted and turned the music off.

All the guys stopped what they were doing as David turned the sound of the TV back on. Blaine stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kurt, leaning slightly against him. He'd felt a little dizzy after dancing like a fool for so long, but everything felt a lot clearer by now.

Trent suddenly appeared at his other side, leaning closer to ask him something as the other guys watched the TV. "You kissin' anyone at midnight?"

"No." Blaine declared.

"Is it because we're all boys?" Trent giggled.

"I'm gay, remember?" Blaine laughed slightly at his tipsy friend. "I can't kiss the person I want to kiss tonight."

Kurt felt his heart break a little.

"Oh right!" Trent exclaimed. "Kurt!"

Blaine blushed, and Kurt thought he could feel his heart stitching itself together a little again. He wants to kiss me?

"Right." Blaine mumbled, and then the boys started the countdown.

Kurt chimed in until "Three!" and then he turned to Blaine. "Thank you for bringing me along to this."

"You're welco-"

Kurt kissed Blaine on the cheek as the Warblers shouted "HAPPY NEW YEAR!".

Kurt pulled back and blushed. Blaine just stared at him. "Happy new year, Blaine."

"You too." Blaine said breathlessly and Kurt turned to look at the other guys in the room.

Wes had drunkenly kissed David and now they were both wiping their tongues on their sleeves. Trent had apparently found a random Warbler and kissed him; they were both giggling like crazy. Jeff had grabbed Nick by the tie, and they were still kissing. Kurt smiled and looked back at Blaine. "What happens now?"

"PARTEEEEEEEYYY!" Jeff shouted as he released a dizzy-looking Nick and went to turn the music back on.

Blaine was sitting in the window in one of the Dalton common rooms looking out at the falling snow, the glass cold against his shoulder and knee. He'd been thinking of Kurt's kiss for two weeks now, and he couldn't forget the feeling of his soft, warm lips on his cheek. He could still feel the tingling sensation in his flesh.

"Hi." He turned his head to find Kurt standing a few steps away. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"Not at all." Blaine said and swung his legs down onto the floor. "What's up?"

"It's my mom's birthday today." Kurt said slowly.

"Oh. We should visit her then." Blaine smiled and stood.

"Yeah." Kurt didn't look excited.

"What?"

"It's just-" Kurt sighed. "I'm used to being sad on her birthday. I always visit her grave to leave flowers and talk to her. It's so strange that I suddenly have her back."

"Oh." Blaine didn't know how to respond to that, so he just took a step closer to Kurt and held his hand out. "We can do that too. Get flowers for her grave, I mean. Then we can go talk to her."

Kurt grabbed his hand and Blaine sighed contently internally as the familiar warm tingling started nibbling on his skin.

Blaine bought a bouquet of sunflowers for Kurt to leave on Anette's grave and when they arrived at the graveyard the snow had stopped falling. They walked close together through the snow, Kurt not leaving any footprints as they neared the grave. The only sign that Kurt had been buried here a couple of months ago was the small hill under the thin layer of white. Blaine put the bouquet down by the headstone as Kurt brushed the newly fallen snowflakes off of it. He then sat down next to it, leaning his shoulder against the white marble.

"Do you want me to leave you?" Blaine asked carefully as he straightened.

"I'll just be a minute." Kurt mumbled, and Blaine walked toward the car.

"Hi mom." Kurt whispered, looking at Blaine's back as he walked away. "I know it's silly for me to still talk to you here, but I just…" He sighed, tracing the engraved letters of her name. "I'm in love." Kurt smiled slightly and looked after Blaine again, but he had disappeared around the corner of the funeral-building. "You were right. I think I was meant to find him. I just wish I would have while I was still alive."

He was quiet for a couple of minutes, continuing to move his fingers over the golden letters on the stone.

"Happy birthday. I'll talk to you in a few minutes." He smiled and stood, walking back to Blaine's car.

Blaine parked the car a few houses down from the Hummel-Hudson's and waited as Kurt went to their house to get his mother.

Kurt returned a couple of minutes later with Anette behind him. They got in the car through the closed doors, both sitting in the backseat.

"Happy birthday, Anette." Blaine said and smiled, turning in his seat to look at the two Hummels.

"Thank you, dear." she replied, smiling back.

Kurt grabbed her hand and closed his eyes. "We left some flowers at your grave."

"Oh, thank you honey. I'll go look at them when you leave." She rubbed her thumb across the back of Kurt's hand.

"Sunflowers." Blaine said.

"My favorite." Kurt mumbled and smiled. He opened his eyes to look at Blaine.

"I love them too." Anette reached out to pat Blaine's shoulder. "Thank you."

"I wish we could have brought cake." Blaine touched her hand briefly before she pulled back.

"Gosh, how I miss cake." She sighed dreamily.

Kurt giggled and Blaine's insides felt all tingly. But then his smile wavered. "How is dad doing?"

"It seems he hasn't remembered that it's my birthday yet." Anette said and her features darkened. "He still isn't sleeping well. Carole is doing her best to comfort him, but sometimes I hear him cry or call your name in his sleep."

Blaine turned to look out the windshield. Kurt sighed. "He will probably remember during the evening." He didn't comment on his father's obvious sorrow, most likely because it was too painful. Blaine couldn't even imagine.

On the 19th of January Kurt sat doodling in his new sketchbook with his new pencils while Blaine was in class. He'd drawn a lot since school started back up a couple of weeks ago, but he still hadn't told Blaine about it. This afternoon he was drawing an asymmetric yellow dress that he had thought about since his mother's birthday.

"Hi."

Kurt flipped the book closed and turned around in the chair to face Blaine. "Hello." he said breathlessly. He hadn't heard him come back.

"What are you drawing?" Blaine said and leaned his hip against the desk, a mischievous smile on is face.

"Oh, nothing." Kurt said airily and waved his hand in the air.

"Can I see it, then?" Blaine's smile turned into a grin.

"Um… I- It's not-" Kurt stammered. "Fine." He sighed and flipped the sketchbook open.

"Oh, wow." Blaine leaned a hand against the desk and bent over slightly to get a closer look. "That's beautiful, Kurt."

"Thanks." Kurt mumbled and blushed. "I would have loved to make it for my mother. You know, if we weren't dead."

"I'm sorry, Kurt." Blaine flipped through the sketchbook without protests from Kurt. "These are all gorgeous."

"Thanks. I've been drawing while you've been in class, as you can see."

Blaine stopped at the first drawing in the book. "This is men's wear. All the others are dresses."

"Yeah…" Kurt breathed. "You inspired that outfit." He blushed further and didn't meet Blaine's warm gaze.

"I kinda figured. The guy in the drawing looks very dashing. Wait, he looks like someone I know…"

"Dork." Kurt laughed and batted at Blaine's arm playfully.

"So you drew this for me?"

"I did." Kurt traced a finger against the top of the desk.

"You have good taste. You should follow me shopping some time." Blaine laughed and closed the sketchbook.

Kurt perked up. "I'd love that!"

In the beginning of February Kurt followed Blaine to his grandmother's house to try to get Blaine to see too.

"I hope you're ready." Lily said after getting comfortable on the couch.

"Me too." Blaine said nervously and glanced in Kurt's direction.

Kurt grabbed his hand while Lily picked a small tub of something out of her purse on the floor.

"I made this the day after you boys were here the last time. It had to… mature, for a little while."

She screwed the lid off and moved over to the sofa Blaine and Kurt were seated on.

"What is that?" Blaine was a little bit scared.

Lily dipped the pads of her thumbs in the smooth, gray goo and held her hands up toward Blaine's face. "A few different liquids, some herbs-" she smeared the stuff below Blaine's eyes. It made them water slightly. "- and a pinch of your grandfather's ashes." She smiled as she leaned back, wiping her hands on a tissue.

"WHAT?" Both Kurt and Blaine exclaimed.

Kurt squeezed his hand almost painfully and Blaine drew in a quick breath.

"Now we wait until it has sunk into your skin, and then you should be able to see."

Blaine's eyes filled with tears, both from the herbs in the goo and from disgust. "I don't- I can't-"

"Calm down, dear. It's not dangerous at all. It should only take a few minutes." She patted Blaine's cheek lovingly and wiped a stray tear away. "Shush."

Blaine leaned his head against the backrest of the sofa, closing his eyes and trying to control his breathing. Suddenly he felt a hand in his hair and he realized it was Kurt's, since the familiar warm tingling erupted on his scalp. He sighed and felt his heartbeat slow down a bit. Kurt kept stroking his fingers through Blaine's hair in a comforting way. "It's almost gone." He whispered, and Blaine shuddered.

They were all quiet for a few more minutes, until Blaine felt his grandmother get off the sofa. He opened his eyes and sat back up, watching as she walked over to the staircase.

"Rolf, darling! He's ready." she called up the stairs.

"I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready." Blaine mumbled in slight panic.

"Courage." Kurt whispered.

Blaine turned to him and smiled slightly, blinking away the last tears. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand a bit harder as a silent "thank you".

"Good evening boys."

Blaine's head whipped around toward the staircase. There, next to the picture of his grandfather on the wall, stood his grandfather. He looked just like he did in all the pictures Lily had shown him.

"Grandfather." Blaine breathed.

"You can see me?" the man asked very softly for a man with such a deep voice.

Blaine released Kurt's hand and stood, walking over to extend a hand to his grandfather. "It's great to finally meet you."

"Always so dapper." Kurt whispered to Lily, and they both smiled fondly at Blaine. But he didn't notice.

Rolf shook Blaine's hand, but then pulled him into a hug. "I've seen you grow into an outstanding young man, even though life hasn't been kind to you. Even though people haven't been kind to you. You are so strong, son."

Rolf released Blaine, and he felt tears prickle in his eyes. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't you "sir" me, young man." Rolf chuckled and the sound made Blaine's stomach swoop. It was an oddly comforting sound. "Please call me Rolf. Or "grandfather" when you're ready for that."

That night Blaine had spent an unusually long time in the bathroom before bed, and Kurt had wondered why until Blaine finally emerged into the bedroom again. The skin below his eyes was scrubbed red.

Blaine sat down on his bed with a huff. "I feel disgusting."

"You're not." Kurt said softly and smiled reassuringly at Blaine. "But I probably would too. Do you feel a little better now?"

"I do." Blaine smiled too and got under the covers. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Thank you for wanting me there."