December 2

Kurt.

Blaine

Morning. ^_^

Morning

I didn’t hear from you last night.

Oh.  Sorry.  Rachie kept me busy.

Ah.  Well, that’s okay.  I watched a couple of discs of Friends.  Ate leftovers from last night.  Overall, it was a pretty good day.  How was your hanging out with your coworker?

That’s good.  It was good.

Are you busy?  I can let you go?

No.  I’m fine

Oh, okay.  Do you have plans for today?  I was thinking of going up to the tree lighting in Times Square.  

I’m sorry

Um... Rach and I already made plans to go

That’s alright.  You guys need your bff time too.  I have a project I can work on.

Sorry

Is everything okay? (unsent)

It’s okay.

I’m really tired.  I’m going to take a nap before Rach and I head out

Alright.  Have a good nap.  Dream dreams about me!  Just kidding.  Have a good nap though.

Thanks

Heeeeeey loverboy

Hey Rach, what’s up?

Not much, how are you?

Pretty good.  About to wash dishes.  Lame.

Sounds like fun

Hey, are you going to the tree lighting?

Nah.  I have a project to work on.

Aww

Kurtie and I are going

I was going to ask if you wanted to join us

I actually asked him a little while ago if he wanted to go and he said he was going with you. (unsent)

Aww, that’s so sweet.

Kurt doesn’t know I’m asking

it’s going to be a surprise if you come

will you?

You guys need some friend time too.  I don’t want to get in the way.

You won’t get in the way

You two are a couple now, at least, I hope so

We all need to start hanging out

Kurtie and I had time to hang out this morning and last night

You know, I don’t think we’ve actually officially given ourselves that title yet.  Which is weird, considering things.

But, I guess I can come.  My project isn’t due until the end of the semester anyway.

Where should I meet you?

Yay!

Outside American Eagle.  We’ll meet there :D

I want to shop <3

Okay.  I’ll be there around 4.  Sound good?

Sounds great!

Yay!
Kurt’s going to be over the moon!

See you then!

Kurt was right about you sending lots of texts.  My phone sounds like a jukebox that’s stuck on one song and skipping.  Anyway, see you then!

… I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE

<3

Blaine, bundled up, leaves early enough to make sure that he gets to their meeting place on time.  Traffic is crazy.  Cabs and cars are backed up and stopped in the street.  He opts to walk, because he really is very early.  Not wanting to just be standing there when Kurt and Rachel show up, get gets a coffee from a Starbucks he passes, and window shops on the surrounding block.  At exactly 4, he rounds the corner of the building American Eagle is in.

“This is going to be so much fun!”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we ran into someone we knew?”

“Uh, sure?”

“Just a comment.”

Kurt and Rachel round the corner, talking amiably with each other.  They’re both bundled up for the weather, and ready to have a good time.  Rachel wants to step into American Eagle for a quick look around, so she drags Kurt over.   When she sees Blaine, she grins widely.

“OH!  Blaine, what a wonderful surprise! I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

“Bl-Blaine... hey.”

Blaine poorly feigns surprise.

“Hey you two.  Having fun?”

“We-”

“We’re having a great time!  Why don’t you join us?  We’re just going to pop in American Eagle first!”

“Oh!  I don’t want to intrude on your hanging out time.”

“I-”

“No, you’re not intruding!  We need to hang out more often as a group!  Right, Kurt?”

“Uh, yeah.  No, it’s cool.”

“If you’re sure...”

“Oh, yes, definitely!”

“Kurt, do you mind if I, uh, walk next to you?”

“No... not at all.”

“AmericanEagleAmericanEagleAmericanEagle.”

“Alright, Rach, we’re going.  Calm down.”

Blaine steps in next to Kurt, absently reaching out a gloved hand and touching Kurt’s arm, but resisting the urge to try and hold his hand.

“Yes, Rachel.  Please calm down.”

Kurt flinches just a little bit and sidesteps half a step away from Blaine, trying to keep his composure.

“Fine.  I just want to shop.  Christmas is only a month away!”

“Oh yeah.  Christmas.”

Blaine drops his arm and tucks his hand in his pocket, casting a curious glance at Kurt.

“I love Christmas.  Well, Hanukkah.  But the entire holiday season is just so great!”

“Yeah.  It’s great.  Overly commercialized.  But great.”

“I don’t think I’m going to celebrate this year.  My parents haven’t said anything about me visiting, and my brother hasn’t even answered my texts.  I may just turn my phone off for a few days and write.  It would be a nice gift to myself.”

“I-”

“Oh, come on.  You can celebrate with us!  We’ve already decided we’re staying in New York for the holidays.”

“Nah.  I’m a big boy.  I can handle it.  It wouldn’t be the first holiday I’ve spent alone.  It’s just another day, really.”

“Aww, you can’t do that!”

Blaine shrugs and tosses his coffee cup into a trash can, then shoving his hand into his other pocket.

“Oh my gosh that top is so cute!”

“And so not good with your skin tone.”

“Aww...”

Pretending to look at a table stacked with polo shirts, Blaine casts glances at Kurt and Rachel.

“Blaine, what do you think of this one?”

Fake smile in place, Blaine looks up.

“Oh, I personally like that one.  But I have absolutely no fashion sense.  I mean, bowties.”

“You’ve managed to dress yourself to my approval this whole time we’ve known each other.  That’s an impressive feat.”

“Except for the bowties and hair gel, right?”

“The bowties aren’t that bad.  The hair gel... that’s a different story.”

“I told you I’d go without it if you didn’t do your hair that same day.”

“Ma-”

“Ooooh that would be a challenge.  I feel so honoured I’ve even gotten the chance to see Kurt without product in his hair!”

“Yesterday morning, before he left for his get together with his coworker, we made a deal.”

Kurt shoots a sharp look at Rachel who looks confused for a second.

“Oh?  A deal?  Sounds interesting.”

“Yeah.  It is pretty interesting.  He thinks I look good without the gel.  Mind you, I have basically an afro underneath all of this.  But he said he’d go without if I did.”

The entire time Blaine is talking, he stares at Kurt, but only after having seen Rachel’s brief confusion.

“Oooooh I have to see this now.”

Kurt tries to distract himself by looking through a rack of clothes.

Blaine still watches Kurt, though he’s talking to Rachel.

“Yeah, except I don’t think anyone’s going to see it.”

“Why not?  I’m sure... wait.  Part of the deal is Kurt going without hair product?  Yeah, that’s never going to happen.”

“I think you hit the nail on the head with that one, Rach.”

“Yeah.  Well, I’ve seen all I want to see in here.  How about you two?”

“I’m good.”

“I don’t want anything either.”

“Tree lighting, then?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Rachel leads the way out of the store, leaving Kurt and Blaine to walk behind her.  Kurt glances at Blaine and then down at the ground.

Blaine watches the backs of Rachel’s shoes as she walks.  His hands are still in his pockets, and he tries to burrow down into his scarf.

“It’s cold outside.”

“Yeah.  My least favourite time of the year.”

“It could be worse.  For you, anyway.”

“How?”

“It could be snowing.”

“You’ve got a point there.”

“It would be pretty though.  The tree lighting in the snow.”

“Um, yeah.”

“Is everything o-”

Blaine clears his throat.

“Was everything okay with your coworker?”

“Yeah.  Everything’s fine.”

“That’s good.”

“You know what?  I’m tired.  I really can’t stay.”

Blaine glances up, reaching out and resting his hand on Kurt’s arm, attempting to stop him.

“But, baby it’s cold outside.”

Kurt flinches at the touch, but when he hears Blaine sing, he can’t help but smile.

“I’ve got to go away.”

Blaine smiles back at Kurt.

“But, baby, it’s cold outside.”

Kurt tilts his head and continues singing the song with Blaine, smiling the entire time.

Blaine has completely forgotten that they are in public, but is reminded by a sudden round of applause at the end of their perfectly harmonized song.  He looks at Kurt.

“Would it be totally out of line for us to take a bow?”

Rachel stands, jaw dropped, totally in awe of how good they sound singing together.  Kurt laughs at her expression and glances at Blaine.

“I don’t think so.  That was fun.”

Taking Kurt’s hand, Blaine leads the other into a stage-style bow.

“It was.  Why haven’t we done that before?”

“I do-”

“Ohmigosh you two!  That was amazing!  You need to sing together again!”

“I’d suggest ‘Let It Snow,’ but Kurt hates snow.”

“I never said I don’t like Christmas music.  It’s a good song, we could totally pull it off together.”

“I think that there are a lot of things we could pull off together.”

“Yeah.”

“We should go caroling.”

“We sh-”

“That’s a great idea!  Kurt and I already sound good together, and you and Kurt sound good together, so I’m sure the three of us would be amazing together!”

“Oh, yeah, Rachel, you could come too.”

“Rach.  Calm down.  I think it’s a great idea.  The three of us would sound good together.”

“Three part harmonies.  It’ll be almost like being in glee club again.”

“I’m already arranging the best carols for us in my head!”

“I promise I won’t take all of the solos.”

“With Rach arranging the songs, you’ll be lucky to get solos... just kidding, Rachie.”

“Not funny, Kurt.”

“Yes it was.”

“No it wasn’t.”

“I’m so not taking a side here.”

“You’re so taking my side.”

“If I was going to take a side it would definitely be yours, but I don’t want her to have it out for me.  I mean, I kind of like having solos.”

“Hrmf.”

“Maybe I should just take all of the solos and then we won’t have anything to worry about.”

“Not a chance, Anderson.”

“Let’s take a council vote.  Kurt, your thoughts?”

“My turn to stay out of this.”

“Or we can just give Kurt all of the solos.  You have a beautiful voice.”

Rachel is about to say something, bristling.

“OKAY.  Rachel, didn’t you say Brody was coming?”

“He was, but he texted me last minute saying that he had some TA stuff to do.”

“What’s he do?”

“He’s the TA for the dance instructor at NYADA.”

“You’re seeing a TA?  Scandalous.”

“We knew and liked each other before he was a TA.”

“Well, I guess that’s okay then.  Do you get grade boosts?”

Rachel looks appalled at the suggestion.

“Of course not!  We keep it very professional.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

“Wow, you two.  Way to get at each others’ throats.”

“I was only joking.”

“Look at us.  Such a perfect trio.”

“Don’t say that, Rach.”

“What... oh.  Sorry.”

“I can leave if this is awkward now.”

“N-”

“No, it’s okay.  I know we act very closed off, but we’ve known each other for years.  And we love having you around!”

“What she said.”

“Alright.  I’ll try not to take offense.  Or make jokes.  Tonight just isn’t my night.”

“It’s not my night either, really.”

“Well, I’m here.  Let me make it better.”

“It’s fine.  I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.  Jeez. You two.”

Glancing around, Kurt falls silent, biting his lip.  Rachel glances at the two of them curiously, but doesn’t say anything.

Ahead of them a few feet is the giant tree, currently dark and mysterious.  Blaine’s instinct to love Christmas starts nagging at him, and he bounces on his heels slightly as he looks over toward the tree.

“Guys, can we move a little closer to the tree?”

“S-”

“Sure.  Let’s go.”

Blaine heads toward the tree, for his own reasons wanting to be right in front of it when it lights up.  There is a band somewhere playing rock versions of Christmas songs, and someone, he assumes the mayor of the city gets up and starts talking about dedications and other things that Blaine isn’t listening to.  Stopping right in front of the tree, incidentally moving other people out of their viewing spot, Blaine stares up at it, waiting.

Kurt and Rachel follow Blaine, having a brief but furious silent discussion behind Blaine’s back.  Rachel wins, and Kurt swallows, looking up at the tree.

Blaine stands there, staring up.  Whoever’s talking into the microphone’s voice gets excited, like they’re presenting something incredible, and right at that moment, the tree lights up.  Thousands, if not millions of twinkle lights sparkle to life, in every color and in every possible crevice on the tree.  Blaine’s eyes light up and he glances at Kurt for a fraction of a second.

“Aren’t twinkle lights pretty at night?”

After sharing a look with Rachel, Kurt nods.

“Yeah, they are... although at least this time we can appreciate them together.”

With a knowing look at Blaine, he steps closer and kisses him gently.

Blaine, initially surprised by Kurt’s kiss, returns it, taking his hands from his pockets and pulling Kurt a little closer.

Kurt feels tears sneaking out of the corners of his eyes, but tries his best to contain them, wrapping his arms around Blaine.  Meanwhile, Rachel looks on in quiet satisfaction.

Keeping his eyes closed, Blaine pulls back just enough to speak, leaving his forehead against Kurt’s.

“I.. You’re my favorite.”

“I... I love you, Blaine.”

“I love you too.  You... this... means the world to me.”

“To me too.  I...”

“Awwww!”