Kurt was flushed from chin to cheek as he kept himself hidden safely away in the kitchen with Shelby for the third day in a row.  He thought this was going to be another glorious vacation, but there were so many members of the Anderberry family around, especially concentrated in the living room, and they all looked at him like they knew everything about him and were judging him for it.  As much as Blaine, Blaine's dad, and Shelby insisted that they hadn't told anyone else, Kurt just felt like everyone in that room knew he was a prostitute crackwhore.  Somehow they must have been able to smell it on him, and so he spent as much time in his guest room, in the kitchen, or talking extended walks on the frozen beach as much as he could muster.

Now he could hear them all discussing his pink hair even though Blaine was, once again, trying to change the topic.  The first day it had been his piercings, then the next it was his dark clothing and painted nails, now the hair.  Nothing was good about him as far as they were concerned it seemed, and even though they were stiffly polite with him to his face, he could hear every little thing they said with no problem.  Had it been anyone else he might have gotten up in their faces, but this was Blaine's family, and he didn't want to make a scene.

“Not right, not right I tell you… changing your hair colour to something unnatural like that.” Blaine's grandfather was insisting at present.

“I just don't understand why someone would think to do that…”  The grandmother chipped in, and Kurt could see her in his mind, perpetually knitting away at something.

“I like it.”  Blaine insisted and tried to steer the conversation into a new direction, “How's aunt Beatrice?”

“Hmph.” Was the response Blaine got out of his grandmother, followed by a rant about how her other daughter was wasting her life helping children in Africa when she needed to find a man and settle down already.  God, how did Shelby survive growing up in their house?

“They'll be gone to visit my brother on Christmas day Kurt.  Don't worry.  You've been good about tolerating them so far…”  Shelby said softly as she sidled up to him and gathered the carrots he had been chopping up where he stood.

Kurt nodded, staring vacantly at the cucumber he was now working on dicing.  

“Besides, if you think what they're saying now is bad, you should have heard them when we told them that Blaine was gay and so was his dad.”

Kurt chuckled weakly at that, picturing what must have been quite a scene in his mind. “How does someone like you manage to come from someone like them?”

Shelby tipped her head to the side as Kurt looked up awaiting the response.  

“Probably the same way someone like you can exist after how hard the world has been to you.”

Kurt gave his head a shake and looked back to the cucumber, “I put myself into that world though.  There's a marked difference.  You didn't have a choice about where you ended up growing up.”

“Well…”  She turned and leaned back against the counter as she spoke, “... I can say that I wasn't always so open minded… I was definitely their child growing up, complete with their intolerances and attitudes about things.  What changed though was meeting the right person.”

“Who?”

“Blaine's dad.  In high school.  I was one of those prissy popular girls that had everything going for me and no matter how awful I treated the geeky kid who had questionable sexuality, he was always kind to me.  No matter how badly people treated him, and did they ever treat him badly, he always chose kindness and always helped others.  I just… noticed it because it stuck out to me so much.  Everyone else was so concerned with themselves that someone who actually seemed to care about others was a complete novelty.”

“So you married him?”

Shelby chuckled, “Well first we were friends.  I stuck up for him one day… don't know what came over me… and he told me later he appreciated it and no one had ever done it for him before.  Then we just started talking and hanging out more… and he became my best friend.  Still is.  I'm glad he can freely be who he is though now.”

“And you don't ever… you know… regret being with a guy who couldn't love you back as more than a friend?”

Shelby shook her head, “I know there's all these modern labels for things… and it's not that I don't hook up from time to time… but I've never been someone who was all that interested in a romantic relationship.  I have my friends, my job, and my kids…. I'm good.”

“Huh….”  Kurt finished up the cucumber and turned to lean against the counter as well.  “... You don't want more?”

“I used to… when I was younger… now I'm just happy to enjoy life.  Maybe I'll even have some grandkids one day.”

Kurt smirked.  With Rachel as high maintenance and demanding as she was, he didn't see her finding anyone anytime soon - especially not someone she'd have kids with, and Blaine, well… Blaine was gay.  Even though he could technically still adopt or breed some kids there was time and money required for that.

“I don't see you as a grandma Shelby.”  Kurt admitted.

She laughed, “No.  Neither do I.  Doesn't mean I would mind it if it happened…. though don't expect me to start knitting or baking cookies if that happened.”

They finished making the salad and set the table, calling everyone in from the living room to eat.  Kurt settled in beside Blaine who gave him a smile which Kurt returned before everyone eagerly ate up, though Blaine's grandfather complained that all the food needed more salt.  

“Thanks for helping mom.”  Blaine whispered over.

Kurt shook his head dismissively, “Definitely not a problem….”

“Walk after?”

Kurt nodded.  It was becoming tradition for them to take a walk and get away from the house, and Blaine's grandparents.

“Why are you two sharing a room anyhow?” Blaine's grandmother abruptly asked, staring at the both of them as they were caught off guard, “Are you a gay too Kurt?”

Kurt sighed.  He couldn't stand this for much longer.  “Yes.  As a matter of fact I am.”

“Mother…”  Shelby hissed from her end of the table.

Her father though lifted a hand to her and glared over at them, joining his wife in her stare, “Is your dad a gay too Kurt?  Is that how you got it?”

“Oh my god…. LeRoy….”  Blaine's step-dad dropped his fork to his plate and looked at Blaine's dad expectantly.  Clearly he was done with the nonsense as well.  

Blaine's dad though didn't get a chance to say anything because Kurt stood up, shoving his chair back, “Excuse me.”  He snarled before walking out of the kitchen and to the front door where he grabbed his coat.  To hell with this.

He could hear an argument starting in the kitchen as he left the house, grabbing a cigarette out of the pack in his coat pocket right away and wasting no time in lighting it up.   The door opened behind him, and Blaine was soon at his side, apologizing, as he had been constantly for the past few days.

“Fuck… Blaine… don't worry about it.”

“I do though… they shouldn't say those things.  We can go home if you want… or anywhere else you want….”

Kurt snickered, flicking ashes off to the side as he started walking with Blaine beside him.  “Like what?  Tahiti?  Mexico?  Somewhere tropical maybe?”

“If you want… I'd make it happen.”

Kurt smiled softly, remembering how open Blaine had been when he had been sick and drunk on the medicine.  He had admitted so much to Kurt… and even now Kurt couldn't believe it.  Maybe he just didn't understand it…. how Blaine could think of him like that.  Damned dapper fool.

“No.  It's okay…. they'll be gone in a couple days and then we can really relax.”

“What about if we got a hotel until then?  Just came over for dinner and Christmas morning?  I don't want you to be stressed Kurt… you've done so amazing…”

“I'm not a fragile little butterfly Blaine.  I can handle it.  I might need more cigarettes though at the rate I'm going through them.”

“God…. I can't stand them… every Christmas it's the same thing… though usually it's just me and my dad they take out their homophobia on.  I'm sorry Kurt… I should have warned you about them.”

“It's okay Blaine.  I have lots of books in the bedroom and I don't mind going out for walks while I can.”

Blaine looked ahead, thinking loudly as they walked.  When they turned the corner, Blaine spoke his mind.  

“There's an indoor recreation center nearby… it has a pool and a gym and a walking track… we could go there… get out… have some exercise that doesn't include us shivering in our coats.”

Kurt smiled softly, “I don't like to swim…”

“No.  You don't like to show your body.”

“That too.”

Blaine sped up his walk and turned in front of Kurt, stopping him in his tracks.  “I've seen you though Kurt.  There's nothing wrong with you.”

Kurt let his cheeks grow rosy.  Blaine didn't even need any Nyquil to say that.  “I'm just… not ready.”

Blaine nodded, “That's okay…”  He held out his hand, and Kurt stared at it for a moment before taking it, resuming the walk hand in hand.  It was weird, and Kurt didn't even know why Blaine had offered it or why he took it.  Blaine's hand was soft, with hard calluses on the pads of his fingers.  Kurt realized he had never held hands with another man before.

It was… nice.

“What about a movie theater? Think you could handle that?”

Kurt thought about it for a minute and then nodded, “If we went to an early show… not too crowded…. God I would love some fucking movie theater popcorn with that liquid butter.”

Blaine laughed at that and his hand gave Kurt's a gentle squeeze which seemed to also gently squeeze his heart in the process.  “Great.  Early matinee tomorrow.  Check on your phone to see what's playing when we get back and we'll escape before they know it.  Personally, I'm in the mood for something funny.”

“Oh really?”  Kurt hummed, “No historical drama?  Action adventure?..... Romance?”

Blaine smiled warmly back to Kurt, “Maybe a romantic comedy?”

Definitely, Kurt thought to himself, returning the smile just as warmly.