Blaine awoke the next morning to the light touch of a balloon hitting his arm. He brushed it aside, but felt another one against his fingers. And another. With his eyes closed, he reached his hand beside him to find Kurt's body replaced with yet another balloon. Confused, he cracked an eye open to find the entire room covered in blue and black balloons. On the floor, on the dresser, on the chair, on the desk, on the nightstand. They were everywhere. He turned his head when he heard someone clear their throat on the other side of the bed and Kurt plopped down on the mattress next to him, holding a single white balloon with "Happy Birthday" scribbled on.

"W-what?" Blaine looked around the room again, unsure what to think about the surprise he'd woken up to.

"Happy Birthday, Blaine." Kurt crashed their lips together after seeing a small smile on the other man's face.

"But… how?"

"I saw your birthday on your license yesterday when you were paying so last night before dinner I went to the store and bought balloons. I spent the past hour blowing them all up. Do you know how much blowing you have to do to blow up 127 balloons? A lot."

"Well, at least you'll have a lot of practice," Blaine mumbled sarcastically.

"What?"

"N-nothing." Blaine turned red and used the balloons as an excuse to look away. "Your blue to black ratio seems a little off."

"That's because there are 100 black ones and twenty-seven blue ones. One for every year you've graced this earth with your lovely presence."

Blaine laughed and pulled Kurt on top of him. Kurt was happy to oblige, straddling Blaine before leaning down for another kiss. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Anderson." He let the weight of his body fall onto Blaine and crossed his arms on Blaine's chest, resting his chin on top.

"I can't believe you did this. Why?" Blaine looked at the balloons on the bed beside him, still surprised by what Kurt had done, and ran his fingers over the white one.

"Why not? Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

Blaine shrugged the best he could with Kurt on top of him. "It's Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is all about what you're thankful for and spending time with family. I didn't want to take away from that by celebrating my birthday as well. I'll have plenty more birthdays."

"And there will be plenty more Thanksgivings as well," Kurt tapped the tip of Blaine's nose with his finger while the corner of his eyes started to crinkled. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm quite thankful for your existence. I want to celebrate your birthday, okay? Will you let me?"

"What does that entail?" Blaine was still a bit shocked by the display surrounding him.

"Just an extra cake to bake and a present or two."

Blaine hesitated. "What kind of present? I don't want-" He was silenced by Kurt's lips against his. Kurt's hand found the firm muscles of Blaine's side and he pushed himself up slightly before shifting and relaxing between Blaine's legs.

"Well, I thought maybe we could have some fun and play a little," Kurt winked.

Blaine began to stutter and his cheeks turned pink. "O-okay." He cupped Kurt's face and leaned up to kiss him.

"Great. Let's go." Kurt climbed off of Blaine and kicked a few balloons out of his way.

"Wait, where are we going?" Blaine sat up but didn't move off of the bed.

"To the kitchen. I said we were going to have some fun, didn't I? Baking with you is sure to be a blast." Kurt knew he'd tricked Blaine into thinking they'd have a few more hours in bed together, a few hours to relax and enjoy his birthday together, but he didn't seem to care. That was half the fun. "Let's go make your birthday cake." When Kurt reached out his hand, Blaine took it, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop Kurt from baking once he had something in mind. He pulled him in for one last kiss before following him out of the room.

"Do you always make people's birthday cakes?" Blaine walked down the stairs alongside Kurt and swung their joined hands up to kiss his knuckles. Kurt leaned into his side and rested a head on his shoulder before leaning up to kiss Blaine's cheek. "You're going to make us fall."

"You'll fall for me?" Kurt joked, but stiffened when he felt Blaine tense up beside him. "Anyway, I've been making my family and friends' birthday cakes for over ten years. It's become somewhat of a tradition." They stepped into the kitchen and hesitantly let go of each other as Kurt moved around the kitchen to gather the ingredients and dishes needed.

Blaine took a set on the bar stool next to the counter and watched as Kurt made his way around his kitchen. He set a container of flour on the counter and instructed Blaine to measure out two and a half cups before moving to the fridge to pull out a few eggs.

"What kind of cake are you making me?" Blaine asked curious as he dumped the first ingredient in the bowl in front of him.

"We are making a triple chocolate cake. Chocolate cake, chocolate icing, and chocolate shavings on top," Kurt replied. He sat a container of baking cocoa in front of Blaine and laughed when his eyes grew wider than Kurt thought was possible. "Do you like that idea?" Kurt smacked Blaine's hands away when he began drawing designs in the flour.

Frowning, Blaine stood up and walked to the other side of the counter where Kurt stood. His smile reappeared when he grabbed Kurt's ass and pulled him close. "I love that idea."

"Blaine," Kurt groaned. "Your hands are covered in flour."

"You're baking me a chocolate cake. A triple chocolate cake. I can't control what I do while in this state."

"We," Kurt emphasized again. "We are baking you a cake. And what kind of state are you in right now?"

"Well, for starters," Blaine moved in to kiss Kurt's neck, letting his tongue graze along his skin. "anything chocolate makes me happy, and you're just encouraging me to eat unhealthy." He moved up to kiss his jaw.

"Blaine," Kurt groaned. "We're supposed to be baking, and it's your birthday. I can make an exception with your horrific diet."

Blaine moved up to kiss Kurt's lips, still holding Kurt close as his hands made their way into the back pockets of his jeans. Kurt responded to the kiss by wrapping his arms around Blaine and pulling him just as tight against his body. All thoughts of Blaine's cake and the numerous desserts he was supposed to make for the night were lost when he felt Blaine's entire body press against him, his tongue making his way inside of his mouth and the unsteady rhythm of Blaine's heart beating against his own chest. They stood in the middle of the kitchen exploring one another until a forced cough came from the doorway. Blaine jumped back quickly and made his way back to the bar stool.

Kurt casually cracked and egg and placed it into the bowl as Burt and Carole made their way into the kitchen. "Hey, guys. Are you hungry? I can try to whip something up for breakfast."

"No, we're fine, sweetie," Carole kissed Kurt on the cheek as she passed and whispered into his ear, "You have a little flour on your butt." Kurt blushed and wiped the flour away. He glared at Blaine who was quietly chuckling to himself.

"What are you making, kiddo?" Burt made his way to the counter and kept his eyes on Blaine as he spoke.

"It's Blaine's birthday, so we're making him a birthday cake," Kurt said with a smile.

"Your birthday? Why didn't you say anything to us?" Carole returned to Kurt's side with a carton of orange juice and a couple glasses.

"Because Blaine didn't even tell me about it."

Blaine chose to ignore the conversation going on around him and casually stirred the starts of their cake batter. Kurt stilled his hand and forced Blaine to look up at him. Blaine sighed before speaking. "You know why I did it."

"That doesn't mean I like that you did. Why don't you put a forth of a cup of cocoa in there now." Kurt leaned over the counter to give him a peck on the lips before releasing his hand. "Are you sure you guys don't want anything to eat? I've got Blaine to help me out now."

Blaine paused halfway to the container of baking cocoa and his eyes grew wide. "I hope you're not expecting me to do much. I want to be able to eat this. Is that your plan? For it to be inedible so I won't ruin my body with such unhealthy food."

"You're admitting it's unhealthy. We're making progress here." Blaine rolled his eyes and measured out the cocoa. "Like I said, I can make you anything you'd like."

"We're fine. Carole's got orange juice and I'll just eat one of these muffins that Finn left the other day."

"Not the chocolate, dad. You can have the low-fat blueberry."

"You're killing me, Kurt."

"No, I'm helping to keep you alive and healthy."

Burt turned to Blaine and shook his head. "I don't know how you put up with him."

"It's easy. I just eat what I want anyway," Blaine laughed. Having Burt include him in his bickering with Kurt made him feel even more welcome. It made him feel like he was accepted into their tightly-knit family and he could suddenly imagine himself in that same kitchen ten years down the road as Kurt taught their daughter how to bake a cake. He'd sit at the table with their son on his lap eating candy and receive disapproving glares from the other two in the room.

"I'll be back in to help with the cooking in a little bit," Carole handed Burt a few muffins and drug him out of the kitchen.

Blaine watched them leave before turning back to Kurt. He stood up and leaned forward with a sly smile. "So, where were we?"

"You're crazy." Kurt flicked flour into his face.

"But you love me," Blaine blurted it out before he could stop himself. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable between them when things were so fantastic. Sure, hearing Kurt say those three words to him would be the perfect birthday present, but he didn't want it to be forced. He didn't want Kurt to feel like he had to tell Blaine he loved him. Blaine knew he loved Kurt, but that didn't mean Kurt felt the same about him.

Before Kurt had the chance to say anything, he spoke up again. "So, what's the next ingredient in this delicious dessert?" The smile on Kurt's face told him he hadn't screwed up. Things weren't going to be awkward and maybe, just maybe, Kurt really did feel the same way.

�

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to ruin your family dinner." Blaine jumped out of the car but made no effort to move closer to Kurt's grandparent's house.

Kurt took a step towards him and grabbed his hands. "You've been nervous since we left the house. Just calm down, okay? They're going to love you." Because I love you. He reached up to adjust Blaine's bow tie and kissed the nerves away.

"But, do they acc-"

"Blaine, just trust me, okay?" He gave Blaine an encouraging smile and squeezed his hands reassuringly.

"You guys ready?" Burt pulled the pan of turkey out of the back seat and Kurt reached in to pull Blaine's birthday cake out and handed it off. "Ready for your cake, Birthday Boy?"

"You didn't tell anyone else it was my birthday, did you?" Blaine hesitantly took the chocolate cake from Kurt.

"Of course not. That doesn't mean the cake won't give it away."

Blaine looked down to see "Happy Birthday, Blaine!" written in blue icing and groaned. "Kurt."

"What? You said we could celebrate."

"Yes. We. As in you and me."

Kurt linked their free hands and pulled him along behind Burt and Carole. "My family loves having reasons to celebrate. And you and I can have a little celebration later on if you want. We can lie in bed and eat cake and ice cream while we watch a movie."

"You'd really put all of that into your body?" Blaine gasped.

"It's a special occasion. I'd do it for you."

Burt faked a gag, receiving a slap on the arm from both Carole and Kurt; Blaine just smiled behind them. The front door opened in front of them and two older women—Kurt's grandmothers, Blaine assumed—appeared in front of them. They stepped aside and pulled Kurt into a hug as soon as he made his way across the threshold. Burt and Carole were quickly whisked away by a few kids before they even had a chance to say hello.

"Kurt, you look so grown up," one of them said.

"She's right. We don't see you enough," the other added.

"You can thank Blaine for that now," Kurt joked, but Blaine froze and glared at his boyfriend. The last thing he wanted was for his grandparents to think he was the reason Kurt never visited Ohio. "He makes New York a little better," Kurt added in an attempt to ease Blaine's nerves once again.

A timer in the kitchen started to go off and one of them excused themselves to check on it.

"So, you're Blaine," the remaining grandmother said.

"Yes, ma'am."

Kurt couldn't help but to giggle at Blaine's formality and impeccable posture. Although he was a businessman, Kurt had never seen him quite so rigid before.

"It's just grammy." She pulled Blaine into a hug, careful to avoid the cake in his hands, which he awkwardly returned. Apart from Kurt and Carla, he wasn't used to someone being so open and comfortable with physical contact.

"This is my mom's mom." Kurt looked between the two.

"Come on. I want to know all about you and how you guys are doing in New York. Everyday has got to be an adventure of some sort, isn't it?" She pulled both of them along to the kitchen. Feeling his grammy's immediate approval of Blaine brought his mom a little closer that day, and he felt as if everyone important in his life was under a single roof.

�

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. The counters were crammed with numerous dishes containing casseroles, vegetables, rolls, fruit, and various other sides. It was more food than Blaine had ever seen at his own Thanksgiving dinners, and just one bite told him that cooking delicious food wasn't a skill that only Kurt possessed, but his entire family.

Kurt offered to do the dishes and Blaine agreed to help despite Kurt's protests. They fell into a routine as they had before—Blaine drying while Kurt washed. About halfway through the enormous pikle of plates and silverware, Kurt broke out into song, screaming the lyrics to "Whataya Want From Me." Blaine chuckled to himself as Kurt belted out the chorus. Kurt nudged him in the arm. "Come on. Join in. It makes doing the dishes a lot more fun."

"I'll leave the, uh, entertainment to you. This is already very amusing." Blaine's sarcasm wasn't hard to pick up on.

"Just wait. When I do the laundry tonight, you're going to hear an encore."

"And what's the encore song?" Blaine took another plate from Kurt and began drying it.

"That's a surprised," he winked.

Kurt turned his head to notice his grandma standing in the doorway. "Oh, hi, Grammy."

She made her way into the kitchen. "Your grandpa's been waiting for you. He has something he wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, well just let me finish up here, and then I'll-"

"It's fine. I can help Blaine finish up," she offered and grabbed the plate from Kurt's hands.

Blaine looked from Kurt to his grandma and felt his stomach tighten. "Will you be okay?" Kurt asked. He nodded slowly and Kurt kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

Blaine turned his full attention back to the job in front to him. He was scared to talk to Kurt's grandma. He needed her approval almost as much as he'd needed Burt's. In a way, her approval felt like the approval he'd never get from Kurt's mom. Besides Kurt, his grandparents were the closest Blaine would ever get to meeting the woman who raised Kurt to be the man he'd fallen in love with.

Grammy cleared her throat and finally spoke up. "So, are you enjoying your time in Ohio?"

Blaine shifted nervously beside her. "Y-yeah. It's great. Kurt's entire family is so kind. I love them."

"Well, we love you, too." When Blaine didn't make the slightest movement apart from wiping the town over the wet ceramic, she wrapped her arm around his waist. "Hey, loosen up, okay?"

"Sorry, I'm just a bit overwhelmed. There are so many people here who I've never met before and I'm afraid I'll mess something up. I want today to be perfect for Kurt." He sat the dried plate on the pile beside him and started drying a few forks.

"And what about you? It's your birthday, right? Shouldn't the day be perfect for you as well?"

"It already is. Kurt's here and he's all I need for it to be perfect."

Grammy studied the man standing next to her and smiled. She continued washing the remaining dishes, but her mind was elsewhere. "How did you get Kurt to sing just now?"

Blaine stopped drying and looked at her with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He was singing when I walked in. How did you get him to?"

"I… he just did that on his own."

Grammy paused in the middle of rinsing a cup and sat it back into the soapy sink. "Blaine, he doesn't sing anymore. At all. Ever since he got turned down at NYADA, he's refused to. We've begged him for years with no success. He wouldn't sing 'Happy Birthday;' He wouldn't go Christmas caroling at the nursing home; He went with his grandfather and me to the children's unit in a hospital one year around Easter, but he refused to sing when they'd asked. He just sat there and read them stories or drew pictures along with them. He has a beautiful voice, but he's kept it locked away for so long, and I've always been afraid he'd never let it back out. But then you show up in his life and he brings you here. Singing in here… that's the first time I've heard him since he was seventeen."

Blaine began drying again so he'd at least have something to do. He listened to what she'd said, but he didn't know what to say in return. He hadn't forced Kurt to sing, had he? He gave him the option, and Kurt hadn't declined. He seemed hesitant, but agreed soon after. "I… I didn't do anything. We went to McKinley yesterday and I asked him to sing something when we went to the auditorium. So he did. I didn't know it was something he refused to do."

Grammy went back to washing the dishes after noticing Blaine had finished drying what he had. "You know, the way you look at Kurt… I've only seen that look one other time."

"When?"

"When Burt looked at our Elizabeth." Blaine couldn't hold back the smile forming on his lips. "I knew from the moment I met him and saw the way he acted around her that they were going to get married someday. As scary as it was to admit that my little girl was in love, I had to. When they were together, nothing else mattered. He was completely focused on her, and she never stopped smiling when he was near. He brought out the best in her."

"I wish I could've met her."

"She would've loved you, Blaine. And I know it may be too early for me to say this, but I'm going to anyway because I don't know when I'll see you again. Don't let Kurt go, okay? Even if he gets scared and convinces himself he wants out, don't let him. Fight for him because until today, I hadn't seen two people truly in love since Elizabeth was alive." Blaine opened his mouth to interrupt, but she held up her hand. "I'm not asking if you're in love with him and I'm not telling you that he's in love with you. Only the two of you know what's in your hearts, but I know what I see. I can tell you that there's something special there and I want Kurt to be happy. After all he's been through in his life—losing his mom when he was so young, being threatened to be killed, attempting suicide, giving up on his dreams—he deserves to have someone who will show him what it's liked to be loved."

Blaine nearly dropped the plate in his hands when she'd mentioned suicide. His face paled and he felt his mouth go dry. "W-what… I mean… Kurt. What did you mean?"

"Hmm?" Grammy looked up, unaware that she'd said anything new.

"You said Kurt… he… what about attempting suicide?" The knots in Blaine's stomach just kept forming. He couldn't imagine Kurt, the man who always smiled and seemed so happy and grateful for his life, ever wanting to take that life away from himself. All he wanted to do was run to Kurt and hug him. He wanted to kiss him and hang onto him and never let him go.

"He didn't tell you about that?" She brought a hand to her mouth as if she regretted mentioning it. Blaine just shook his head. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Just… when the time is right, Kurt will tell you about it, okay? It's not easy for him to talk about. It was a bad part of his life, but things are better now. I guess I just assumed he'd told you."

"I-It's fine. Okay. He probably just didn't know how to bring it up." Blaine could feel his breathing becoming unsteady with each breath he took. He was having trouble getting an adequate amount of oxygen and his knuckles were turning white from where he was gripping the edge of the counter so hard.

"Well, I think we're done here. Why don't you go find Kurt, and I'll finish drying the dishes, okay?" Blaine nodded again. "It was nice talking to you, though. I hope you come back and see us soon."

"I do, too." He forced a smile on his face and went to find Kurt.

�

It was around 8:30 before they finally returned home, and Blaine was almost too tired to move. Between the massive amount of food he ate, the draining conversation he had with Kurt's grandma, and the young children pulling him around the house, he could barely keep his eyes open on the way home. Kurt had allowed him to rest his head in his lap as he played with curls on the top of his head. Burt and Carole hadn't missed the sweet interaction and the smiles remained on their faces the entire way home.

"I think we're going to bed, Dad." Blaine leaned into Kurt's side for support and nuzzled his face in Kurt's neck as he placed a few kisses to the warm skin. "Blaine, honey, let's go upstairs. You're tired." He rubbed Blaine's side and pulled him deeper into the house.

"If he passes out on you before you're ready to go to sleep, feel free to join us down here," Burt offered.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Kurt knew that even if Blaine did fall asleep before him, there was no way he would leave. He would be happy lying beside Blaine and cuddling into his side even if it meant letting his thoughts wander to places he couldn't control. He began helping a sleepy Blaine up the stairs. "Happy Thanksgiving, Dad."

"You too, kid. It's nice to have you home."

Kurt smiled at him and disappeared to the second story. "Blaine, where do you want to sleep tonight?" Blaine mumbled incoherently in reply. "Sweetie, you need to speak up. I can't understand you."

"By you." Blaine moved his head back to where it was buried in Kurt's neck and began biting at Kurt's skin.

"Blaine," Kurt yelped. "Stop. You're going to leave marks."

Blaine pulled away and smiled knowingly. "That's the point."

"Come on. You can sleep in my bed with me tonight. It's more comfortable."

"Are you taking pity on me because it's my birthday?"

"Maybe."

They made their way into the bedroom and Blaine managed to wake up long enough to change out of his nice clothes and into a pair of sweats. He didn't even make an effort to slip on a shirt before climbing under the covers of Kurt's bed. Sighing, Kurt abandoned his own shirt and joined him underneath the sheets. He instantly felt Blaine's warm arms wrap around him and their bare chests felt like they were made to be pressed against each other.

"Hey, Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me you never sing anymore. You know you didn't have to yesterday when I asked if you didn't want to."

Blaine felt Kurt stiffen in his arms. "How did you know about that?"

"Your Grandma talked to me while we were doing dishes. She said they've been trying to get you to sing for years, but you've always refused, yet you sang for me—in the auditorium as well as in your Grandparent's house. Why?"

"I… I just wanted to make you smile." Kurt propped himself up on his elbow. "Blaine, there are some things you know about me that no one else knows. I already told you that I've never shared those times with my mom with anyone else. You're the very first person I told, so that makes you special. You mean a lot to me, and I trust you. When I'm around you, I feel like I can finally be myself. I don't have to hide who I want to be. It feels like that part of me that's been missing since my mom died is back again. Singing to you just feels right. Maybe it's because you weren't there in high school when everything was going on, but that shouldn't matter. I like singing for you. I like the smile that lights up your face when I do."

Blaine leaned forward to place a chaste kiss against his lips and he almost let those three little words slip out of his mouth. I love you. But he couldn't. He was still scared to tell Kurt something so big; something that would affect his life so dramatically. Saying "I love you" was a big thing to Blaine and he didn't want to toss those words around like they didn't mean anything. He wanted to make sure Kurt was ready to hear them. He wanted to make sure he was ready to say them.

"What else did you and my Grandma talk about?" Kurt asked curiously.

Blaine thought about the one thing she'd said that had been on his mind the entire night. The attempted suicide. He wanted to know the details, even if they were going to be painful to hear. He wanted to how Kurt could feel so bad about himself that he'd felt like he had no other option and what kind of person could make him feel like crap. Who could look at the beautiful boy lying beside him and not see how incredible he was inside and out? Blaine wanted Kurt to share everything with him, but he wasn't ready to hear about it yet. Instead, he just said, "Not much."

"Well, she liked you." Kurt fell back into Blaine's arms.

"I liked her. I can see how you turned out the way you did. I'm sure your mom was just as amazing."

"She was. I know she would've liked you, too. She always told me about the kind of person she hoped I'd find. Looking back on those conversations, I realized she never said 'she' or 'her.' She never used any indication of gender. Maybe even back then, she knew who I'd be when I got older. I think she had an idea that I was gay even before I knew what that meant. She always did have a knack for knowing things no one else could figure out."

"At least you know you have her acceptance."

"Yeah, that's true." Kurt smiled.

"Hey, I thought you were going to do laundry tonight," Blaine pointed out.

"I was, but it can wait until tomorrow. I'd rather stay here with you." Kurt buried his face in Blaine's chest and sighed in contentment. "Happy Birthday, Blaine. I'm sorry we couldn't do as much to celebrate as I would have liked."

"It's okay. Like I told your grandma, you're the only thing I need for it to be perfect."

"You really told my grandma that?"

"Of course. Apparently she was doubting the effect you have on my happiness." Blaine ran a hand up and down Kurt's bare side, sending a rush of chills up Kurt's spine. "Hey, even if you aren't doing laundry tonight, do I still get an encore?"

"If you want." Kurt laughed. He watched as Blaine closed his eyes and began singing the song he'd heard Blaine singing the previous night.

�

"Wake up, wake up." Kurt repeatedly poked Blaine in the side to wake the sleeping man.

"W-what?" Blaine rolled over to face him and rubbed at his eyes. He noticed the room was still dark and the sun hadn't even begun to peek over the horizon. How was Kurt already so chipper? He reached for Kurt's arm to tug him back down, but Kurt didn't budge.

"Come on. Black Friday shopping." Kurt was smiling but frowned when Blaine closed his eyes again and buried his face into Kurt's lap.

"You didn't say anything about that," he mumbled, barely audible.

"No, because if I would've told you before right now, you would've said no."

Blaine turned his head out of Kurt's lap and looked up at his sparkling blue eyes. "You don't know that. I may have done it for you."

"It's 4:30 in the morning," Kurt stated.

"Yeah. I would've said 'hell no'." He turned his face back into Kurt's lap.

Kurt laughed and gently rubbed Blaine's back. "I thought so. But you're awake now, so get up! You can sleep in the car on the way there."

Blaine leaned up to kiss Kurt's stomach where his shirt had ridden up and wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt's waist. "I have better ideas as to how we could spend our morning. They include you coming back to bed."

Kurt removed Blaine's hands from his side and leaned away, pulling Blaine up along with him. "Nope. Not today, Blaine. Let's go. I already got your clothes out for you and everything. Do you want to shower?"

Blaine stood up, but his feet were planted on the ground. He glared at Kurt for a few seconds before he started grumbling. "Give me ten minutes to wash my hair. I take it you won't join me?"

Kurt was startled by Blaine's question. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. They hadn't talked about anything as intimate as sharing a shower and the farthest they'd gone was making out. Sure, he'd wanted more with Blaine some day, but after how guarded he'd kept himself over the years, he wasn't sure he was ready for that next step quite yet.

Blaine's eyes grew wide and his face turned beat red. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I-I didn't mean that. I just… you… I'm not completely in control with what I say this early."

Kurt took a few steps and closed the distance between them. He cupped Blaine's face and gave him a quick kiss. "It's okay. Go take a shower and join me downstairs in twenty minutes, okay? I'll be sure to find the unhealthiest breakfast down there for you."

"Still encouraging my unhealthy eating habits? It's not my birthday anymore. You're not obligated to do so."

Kurt shrugged. "You're on vacation. I'll let it slide." He handed Blaine the clothes he'd picked out and walked out of the room.

Blaine had the feeling that no matter how much Kurt complained about what he ate, he'd never have the heart to force him to eat healthier.

�

"What do you think about this color?" Kurt held a deep purple polo up to Blaine and nodded. He was obviously satisfied with his choice. It was nearing 3:00 in the afternoon, and most of the best Black Friday sales had already ended. However, Kurt wasn't done shopping just yet. He'd drug Blaine through the mall, stopping in every store that looked remotely interesting. By the time the clock approached 1:30, Blaine had stopped complaining. The truth was that despite his uncomfortable shoes, the tiredness in his eyes, and the heavy bags he was carrying, he enjoyed spending his time with Kurt. He trailed behind Kurt as he went through rack after rack of clothes, searching for the perfect outfits.

Kurt moved to a table lined with cardigans. "What about this?" He held a navy blue one up to a grey shirt. "I think this one would look great on you." He slung it over his shoulder and missed Blaine rolling his eyes.

"You don't have to buy me an entirely new wardrobe, Kurt. I'm fine with what I own." He liked what Kurt was picking out for him, but Kurt had refused to let him pay for anything on his own.

"Blaine, you own a button up shirt in every color, God knows how many business suits, and about fifteen pairs of sweatpants. Other than that, your wardrobe is seriously lacking." Kurt found a table with bow ties and carefully inspected each one before handing a few to Blaine. His eyes gazed around the empty department store before leaning down to kiss him. "If you really don't want me to do this, I won't, but I want to. I love any excuse to go shopping."

Blaine leaned up to kiss him again. "Thank you." He grabbed another bow tie from the table and smiled when Kurt looked satisfied. "Do you approve?"

"Very nicely done, Anderson."

"What can I say? I have an excellent fashion coach."

"Well, why don't we go check out and then I can buy you some ice cream."

"You spoil me." Blaine couldn't help it. He leaned in to kiss Kurt one more time, but this time they weren't alone.

"Who's this, Hummel?"

Kurt jumped back at the familiar voice. It was one he had rarely heard since he had graduated, but he would never forget it. "K-Karofsky. What are you doing here?"

"Taking advantage of these sales and updating my wardrobe. What about you?"

"Right," Kurt snorted. "As if you would wear anything that came from here."

"You don't know anything about me anymore."

"You're wearing the same thing you wore eight years ago."

"Well, m-my…." Dave trailed off and looked towards the ground.

"Your?" Kurt prodded. He looked to the side when an unfamiliar man walked up to them.

"Hey. I found some excellent sales over here and I will look amazing in this shirt." The man froze when he noticed Kurt and Blaine on the other side of the rack. "Oh. Hi. And who are you two?"

"Um, this is Kurt and…" Karofsky looked to Blaine.

"Blaine. My boyfriend." Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist and pulled him close to his side.

Karofsky didn't seem surprised that Kurt had found someone. After everything he'd put him through during high school, he knew Kurt deserved to find some kind of happiness. "Kurt, Blaine, this is my boyfriend Sebastian."

Kurt extended a hand which Sebastian hesitantly took. "Nice to meet you, Sebastian."

"We met at Scandals," Karofsky added.

"Scandals is the gay bar in West Lima," Kurt clarified.

"I know," Blaine looked to Kurt. "I went there once during my junior year."

"Wait, you were in Lima?" During one of their first dates, Blaine briefly mentioned attending Dalton during high school, but nothing more that than was ever said. Kurt sensed high school wasn't the best time for Blaine either.

"Y-yeah. Have I not mentioned that before?"

"We could've seen each other and not even realized it."

"I doubt we would've. I'd remember you. Your eyes give you away."

Sebastian faked a gag and laughed into Karofsky's shoulder. "You two are worse than those chick flicks my sister used to make me suffer through when we were growing up."

Kurt didn't know whether to take that as a compliment, or an insult. He chose a compliment, though. "Well, we better get going. I promised Blaine we'd get him some ice cream. He's been a trooper today."

"Oh. Well, it was nice seeing you again. I'm sorry about-"

"Yes, Dave, I know. I thought we agreed that you don't have to apologize every time you see me."

He blushed and grabbed Sebastian's hand. "Sorry, ah! Sorry. Um, we'll just let you two go. Maybe we could go get lunch sometime and catch up, though?"

"I'd love that, but we actually live in New York. I'm just here visiting for the holidays." Kurt almost thought he saw Dave's face fall. "Next time I'm here, I'll be sure to find you and we can get together, okay?

"Okay. Cool." He gave one last smile in Blaine's direction before pulling Sebastian out of the store.

Kurt grabbed the bowtie from Blaine's hands and quickly went to the cashier to pay for his items before returning to Blaine's side.

"So…. Who was that?"

"Dave Karofsky." Kurt moved down the aisle without elaborating.

"What does he have to be so sorry about?" When Kurt didn't answer, Blaine spoke up again. "Kurt, I know about some of the things that happened in high school, and if this guy is the cause of some of them, I want to know."

Kurt stopped and turned around to face Blaine. "And what things are you talking about, Blaine?" He was clearly annoyed.

"The suicide attempt." Blaine shot back.

Kurt's entire face fell and Blaine heard something hit the ground. He looked down and realized one of the bags had slipped out of Kurt's hand. "H-how did you know about that."

Blaine reached down and picked up the back. "Your grandma accidentally let it slip last night."

"You said you guys didn't talk about anything else," Kurt whispered.

Blaine grabbed his arm and gently pulled him along to a bench outside of the store. "Kurt, I'm not going to force you to talk about anything, but I just want you to know that I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. And judging from your reaction and the fact that you didn't deny it when I asked, I'm assuming that Dave guy was the cause of everything."

"I... He's changed, Blaine. He's not the same guy he was eight years ago, just like I'm not the same guy I was eight years ago."

"That's not what I'm asking." Blaine pulled Kurt to his side, not caring if they were in the middle of a crowded mall or not. He needed to comfort Kurt from the things that had happened in the past and that's all that mattered in that moment.

"I was seventeen." When Kurt began speaking, his voice was fragile and almost too quiet for Blaine to hear."I was being bullied every single day. He threatened my life. I-I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to lose my life because of him. I decided that if I was going to die, I wanted to take control and end my life on my own. No one seemed to care about what was going on anyway. All of my friends were getting into the schools they wanted, their relationships were getting progressively better, they were all moving on with their life. But me? I was alone. I didn't have anyone in my life to ease the pain. I was lonely and I didn't even have my friends anymore. All I had left was glee club, and that crumbled down on my when I got my rejection letter from NYADA. I felt like I didn't have any reason to live, so I did it. I tried to end my life, but Finn… h-he found me in time."

Blaine hadn't realized he was holding his breath until Kurt started sobbing into his chest. He let a few tears of his own slip out of his eyes and leave a wet trail down his cheek. "Kurt." He choked.

"Shhhh. Please. Just… don't say anything yet, okay? Just… I can't talk about it anymore." He heard Blaine say okay before his memories took him back to one of the worse times of his life.

�

Kurt looked up from his magazine when he heard a knock on the door. He saw Dave standing in the middle of the doorway with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. "Hey, can I come in?" Kurt froze, but nodded when he saw his dad asleep in the corner of the room. With Burt there and the hundreds of people in the hospital, there wasn't much Dave could do to him. He turned his attention back to the magazine when Karofsky stepped inside.

A chair creaked as it was drug across the linoleum floor and Dave positioned himself at the side of Kurt's hospital bed. Neither one of them said anything for the first ten minutes. The room was quiet apart from Kurt's steady heartbeat and the murmur of nurses coming from outside of the room. When Kurt finally reached the end of his magazine, he closed it and set it on the table beside him.

"Why are you here, Dave?"

Dave buried his face in his hands and Kurt was shocked when he heard him start to cry. "I'm so freaking sorry, Kurt." He looked up and took in Kurt's fragile body. There were just a few chords running up his arm, probably for the heart monitor, but that was it. Kurt was going to be okay.

"Sorry for what?" Kurt snapped. He didn't care that Karofsky made the effort to see him at the hospital. He was the primary reason Kurt was even there in the first place. Kurt didn't care if Karofsky was crying or said he was sorry. "For making my life a living hell? For treating me like crap? You've pushed me into the lockers every single day for the past two years. You've called me 'fag' and 'queer' when you're no different yourself. You made me feel like the most worthless person at that school. You threatened to kill me, Dave. Do you realize that? And while all of this was happening, no one even took a second look. No one knew the extent to which you were bullying me. I can't take it anymore. I can't go to that school and feel threatened for my life every time I step through the front doors. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you."

"I'm sorry," Karofsky repeated again, this time much quieter. He looked defeated. He knew everything Kurt was saying was the truth, but hearing it repeated back to him from the boy he'd bullied for so long sent him to his breaking point. He hated himself for what he'd done and he wished he were the one in the hospital bed, not Kurt.

"Do you not call me the same names that people would call you if they found out the truth? Do you not push me into the lockers because I'm confident enough to be who I am. I'm out and proud of who I am. I'm gay just like you, but you don't seem to care. You think staying in the closet and bullying someone who could be there for you, someone who would understand what you're going through is better than befriending that person? Dave, I've been where you are. You're stuck in the closet because you're afraid if you come out, you'll lose everything. You don't want your parents to say they wish you were never born. You don't want you friends to look at you differently. You don't want people to think you're not as tough or can't be the amazing football player that you are." Kurt didn't know why he was doing it. Every voice in his head was screaming at him not to do it. This was the man who threatened your life. This was the man who sent you so far into depression that you tried to kill yourself. But he couldn't help it. Despite all the bad Dave had done, Kurt understood the battle going on in his head. So he reached out and grabbed his hand. "Dave, if you would've come to me in the beginning and told me the truth instead of screaming at me and bullying me so much, I could've been there for you. I could've been your friend. I could've been someone to offer you advice and help you through it. Like I said, I've been there."

"But we can't be that now?" Karofsky pulled his hand away, but Kurt kept his there.

"You threatened my life, Dave. That's going to take a little while to get over. And even if I were to forgive you, I don't think my dad's going to be as willing to let you into my life."

"But if we give this situation a little bit of time, do you think it could work out?"

Kurt smiled at Dave and looked towards his dad. "Yeah. I think it really could work out."

�

Eight years later and Kurt and Dave still hadn't quite figured out the friendship thing, but Kurt didn't want to give up. He knew that the potential was there for a great friendship one day.

"Do you want to go get ice cream now?" Blaine asked, probably with a little too much enthusiasm for the current mood.

Kurt didn't mind the playful side, though. He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's go."

�

"I can't believe it's our last full day here." Kurt felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around him from behind and leaned into Blaine's embrace.

"Do you mean you actually like Lima?" Kurt continued applying moisturizer to his face. He could see Blaine's smile in the bathroom mirror and it was one that was expressive of his every thought in that moment.

"I mean I love Lima." He hooked his chin over Kurt's shoulder and buried his face in his neck. "You smell amazing." He didn't miss the blush that filled Kurt's cheeks. "What are we doing today?"

Kurt put the lid back on the bottle of moisturizer and set it on the counter before turning around in Blaine's arms. "We're picking out our Christmas tree and then bringing it home to decorate. We always do it the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There's this little place outside of town where you can pick one out and cut it down on your own. My mom found it when I was three and we would go every year. She and I would wander around until we found the perfect one and then my dad would cut it down for us. It became a sort of tradition and after she died, we continued going there."

"We never had a real tree as I was growing up. My mom had this gorgeous pre-lit one with matching ornaments. It was never anything special to me or my brother. Coop and I would make ornaments in elementary school like all of the other kids, but we would bring them home and my mom would barely even take one look at them before throwing them away. I guess she was afraid they would ruin her tree."

"Oh, Blaine. Well, we should make ornaments then."

"What?"

"You heard me. We can get some plain ornaments and decorate them however we would like."

"I'm not seven anymore. You don't have to do this to make me feel any better."

"I'm not. You're never too old to celebrate Christmas, Blaine. Besides, we can take them back to New York with us and hang them on my Christmas tree, okay?" Kurt leaned forward until his lips met Blaine's and their smiles couldn't be controlled. Blaine lifted Kurt up onto the counter and held him tight before pulling their lips apart.

"Sometimes I wish I would've switched my flight sooner."

"All that matters is that you did." Kurt hopped down and grabbed his phone from the sink. "Are you ready to go?"

"Do I get to be Santa Claus?"

"You sure eat enough cookies to be him." Kurt tousled Blaine's hair—un-gelled to satisfy Kurt's wishes—and pulled him along to the car full of his waiting family.

Burt pulled into the Christmas tree farm twenty minutes later. Blaine had to admit, the place seemed cozy, and there were families everywhere he looked. Some were older with teenagers, and others with toddlers were no older than themselves. Kurt took his hand and followed Burt, Carole, Rachel, and Finn into the maze of trees.

"So, what qualifies as the perfect tree?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear.

"There isn't a list of criteria it has to meet," Kurt laughed. "You just pick which one is perfect to you. My dad likes the tall ones. I like the fat ones. Carole likes the pretty ones. Finn has never really cared one way or another, and Rachel, well, all Rachel cares about is putting the star on the top of the tree." He turned around to face Blaine and started walking backwards, hoping Blaine wouldn't let him run into anything. He grabbed both of Blaine's gloved hands in his own. "What do you like in a tree?"

Blaine took a minute to think before answering. "One that smells really good."

Kurt grinned. "Well, we'll just have to make sure the one we pick smells exactly how you want it to."

Blaine hugged him tight and turned him back around in his arms. "Do you know what kind of tree I'm going to have in my apartment?"

"What kind?" It was hard for Kurt to look up at Blaine from where he was standing in front of him, but he attempted to anyway.

"A Charlie Brown tree."

"You have a beautiful apartment that can hold a huge tree, but you're going to have tiny tree that can barely hold up a single ornament?"

"He's a loner. Nobody else wants the tiny trees, but I do."

"Yes. Great things can come in tiny packages." Kurt nudged Blaine in the side and giggled.

"Now the short jokes come."

"I'm sorry. It was just too easy. But just think. Now I have a way to ride the children's rides at amusement parks!" Kurt pulled away from Blaine and ran as soon as he saw the look on the shorter man's face.

"Kurt!" Blaine ran after him, but his shorter legs worked to his disadvantage once again.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I've been dying to ride the tea cups and they just won't let me." Kurt shot past Burt and Carole who stood back and watched as the two of them zigzagged between trees. Blaine finally caught up and grabbed him from behind, startling Kurt and sending him to the ground. "Does that mean you won't ride them with me?"

"I know for a fact that anyone can ride the tea cups." Blaine kissed his cheek and pulled him up off the ground. "You have a little something on your ass." Kurt looked behind him as Blaine wiped the grass from his jeans.

"Hey. Think about it this way. At least now you're dating me so you have someone to reach the top shelf at the grocery store."

"I'm going to go find my Charlie Brown tree. It needs extra love right now."

"Yes, and since you can relate to it so well…" Kurt yelled after him. He watched Blaine walk away for a bit before joining him and the rest of his family. He decided that bringing Blaine to Lima was a great idea. Getting away from the stress of work and the busy city brought out an entirely new side of Blaine. It was a side that Kurt hoped would remain prominent once they returned to New York the next day.

He walked to Blaine's side and slipped their hands together as they went to find the perfect tree.

�

"There. It's perfect." Blaine placed his tree in a bowl and set it on the coffee table in front of him.

"I can't believe you actually bought that thing. Actually, I can't believe they let you buy it." Kurt stared at the two foot stick in front of him and plopped down onto the couch next to Blaine. He handed him a cup of cocoa and a Christmas cookie.

"Hey, don't be insulting Wilma. She has character."

"Wilma. You named the tree Wilma?" Kurt rolled his eyes and took a sip of his tea. He heard Burt laughing along as he placed their Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

"Kurt, every tree needs an identity. I told you. I'm making sure this tree gets extra love and I want it to feel like it's just as special as every other three."

"Blaine, you're twenty-seven. Do you realize that?" Blaine stared at him with a blank expression. "Fine. Wilma can come home with us, but she's your carry-on. And you are just a tad crazy. I hope you know that."

"Wilma thanks you greatly."

"Hey, Kurt, do you and Blaine want to help string the lights or start making the popcorn garland?"

"We'll work on the popcorn garland in a bit."

"Can Wilma have a popcorn garland?" Blaine finished off his cookie and set his cup of cocoa on the table beside his tree.

"Blaine, a few pieces of popcorn on that tree will snap it in half."

"It will not! She's stronger than that!"

"Picture time." Rachel sang. She walked into the living room holding a camera and instantly snapped a few pictures of Kurt and Blaine.

"Rachel, can we at least have a little warning?" Kurt grumbled.

Blaine reached out and wrapped both arms around Kurt's shoulder, hugging him tight. He smashed their cheeks together and the smile on his face only made Kurt's even wider. "Ready, Rachel."

"Okay. Ready? One, two, three." She snapped the picture, but Blaine didn't pull away.

"Blaine, you need to let go of me at some point." Kurt turned his head to give him a quick kiss and Blaine finally pulled away. Kurt had to admit that he was quite happy with how comfortable Blaine felt around his family. There wasn't any awkwardness when they showed a little affection towards each other and their playful bickering was often encouraged by Burt and Finn. It made Kurt feel like he really could spend the rest of his life with Blaine. He could picture family gatherings years down the line. His kids would be decorating the tree with Burt as Blaine lifted them up to place the star on top—despite Rachel's protests that she had always been the one to do so. But that was crazy to think about, Kurt thought to himself. They'd only been together for a month. He hadn't even told Blaine he loved him yet.

Kurt looked over to the half decorated Christmas tree as Finn placed a cardboard Santa ornament he made in second grade on one of the branches. He rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and looked up at him. "Do you want to go with me to pop the popcorn, or would you like to stay and help my dad?"

"I'll go with you." Blaine picked his empty cocoa cup off of the coffee table and followed Kurt into the kitchen. He sat it in the sink and moved to the side to pull a big bowl out of the cabinet for the popcorn.

"How do you like decorating a real tree for a change? Is the smell everything you imagined it to be?" Kurt grabbed a bag of kernels from the cupboard.

"And more. This is nice, being with your family. At the office, we're allowed to decorate, but no one really does anymore. I still decorate mine, but lately I've felt like there wasn't a point. No one sees it. No one cares. When I was little, there would be lights and garlands everywhere you turned. People wore festive sweaters and all of the secretaries had mini trees on their desks."

"Like your Charlie Brown one?" Kurt joked.

"Not quite. They had a few more branches than Wilma." He chuckled. "The point is, I just miss those times. So here, with your family, it just feels right."

Right. It felt right. Blaine thought being with his family felt right. Kurt took a few seconds to grasp that concept. That Blaine may be thinking the exact same things that he had just been thinking about. Could they really be on the same page? "Well, you know you're welcome anytime. I just hope they aren't burning you out too much. You still have to help me decorate my apartment, you know."

"Oh, I'm counting on that," Blaine moved to the side to let Kurt in front of the stove.

"I'll even tangle you up in the lights."

"And we can bake Christmas cookies."

"And wear unflattering shirts with reindeer plastered on the front."

"And listen to cheesy Christmas music."

"And build a gingerbread house."

"And wrap presents."

"And watch The Grinch."Kurt leaned into Blaine and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm glad I won't be alone for Christmas this year. It's nice. I finally have someone to drag with me to the mall to go Christmas shopping."

"You really think I'd go with you again after yesterday?" Blaine faked a shock.

"Hey, Mr. Businessman, you enjoyed yourself. You're too uptight sometimes. I think that office is bad for you." Kurt moved away from him and began heating some oil on the stove. Once it reached the right temperature, he poured a cup of kernels into it and placed the lid on top. "Have you ever spent Christmas with anyone special?"

"Um, one year, yes." Blaine turned around and began to rinse out his cocoa mug, not offering any more information on the subject. "Do you want me to place this in the dishwasher or wash it by hand?"

"Uh, d-dishwasher's fine." Kurt stuttered. He didn't know why Blaine always avoided talking about his past. He never mentioned his past relationships and Kurt wasn't one to pry. When certain subjects came up, Blaine eased his way out of them with great care, leaving Kurt with little information. Kurt knew Blaine was hiding something, he just didn't know what that something was.

He walked up to Blaine and grabbed the mug out of his hands. He placed it back into the sink and pulled him into a hug. "Would you like to decorate our ornaments and string a popcorn garland in my room or in the living room with everyone else?"

"Can we do it in the living room? It's our last night here, and I… I kind of want to spend time with everyone else, if that's fine."

"Of course it's fine. Why don't you go in there and get everything out while I finish up with the popcorn, okay?" He kissed his cheek and guided him out of the kitchen.

Kurt wasn't ready to leave tomorrow. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to Burt or Carole again. He didn't want to leave his crazy best friend behind as he went back to New York. Kurt didn't want to part with his tiny niece, knowing that by the next time he would see her, she will have already grown so much. But most of all, Kurt didn't want to say goodbye to this side of Blaine. He didn't want Blaine to have to say goodbye to the family he'd never had. The only thing that kept the smile on his face as he joined everyone in the living room was knowing it would only be a few weeks before he could see Blaine and his family together again.