"Did you like the show?"

"Oh my god, yes. You guys were fantastic!" Blaine replied. "I especially loved Elphaba's voice. God, that woman can sing."

"Oh, I know. She's magnificent isn't she?" I finally unlocked the door to my apartment, holding the door for Blaine. "Are you hungry?"

Blaine hesitated before answering, working on the bowtie that was around his neck. "Um, yeah. I could eat."

"Oh please, shut up. You're probably starving." I said as I stuck my head in the fridge to observe its contents. All that could be seen was half a quart of skim milk, pickles and two little containers of Greek yogurt. "I don't know about you, but I'm not really in the mood for a pickle smoothie tonight."

"That sounds delicious, actually." I turned around to gave Blaine an estranged look.

"I'm kidding. I try to make jokes sometimes, you know." Blaine said with a smile as he successfully untied his bowtie and left it hanging around his collar. He took on the whole 'casually formal' look very well. To be honest, I kind of felt like there was a GQ model sitting in my kitchen.

"I don't know," I responded skeptically, "hobos are known to eat peculiar things."

"Yeah, well I think that by now we'd both agree that I'm not your average homeless Joe." I decided not to dissect that last comment and chose to look for takeout menus instead.

"Okay, so here are all the places I have that deliver. There's pizza, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, and a diner around the corner. Your pick."

"Wait, you're...buying me dinner?"

"What, you didn't think I was going to be here stuffing my face while you sat there and watched, did you?"

"Well, I dunno. People on the street seem to be pretty okay with the principle."

"Blaine, you're in my home. I'm not some heartless bastard. Of course I'm going to buy you dinner." I said as I reached for my phone. "Go ahead and pick something off of a menu. Seriously, it's no problem."

Blaine's eyes bore into mine affectionately. "Kurt, I..." He reached for one of my hands across the counter, holding it in both of his. "Thank you, Kurt. For everything. You're-You...you've been more than accommodating and-"

"Really Blaine, it's just dinner."

"No, it's not just dinner. It's giving in to me staying here - it's cutting my hair - it's this Armani suit - it's that Broadway show I just had the pleasure of seeing. I-I can never repay you for any of this."

"Who says you have to? Really Blaine, it's not like I'm givingyou the suit."

"Well still, it's the thought."

"Then...I have nice thoughts. Let's leave it at that. Now pick a place before I actually make that pickle smoothie."

Blaine smiled and looked at the menus while I went into my bedroom to get a change of clothes for him. The apartment was rather chilly because I had the heat off while we were out, so I decided to pick out something warm. Being as fashionable as I am, I don't have too many normal clothes, especially not for the winter. Usually when I'm by myself I just wear a simple tank and put a nice warm blanket around my shoulders as I go about my business.

I grabbed an old McKinley football hoodie that Finn gave me for Christmas three years ago. "I know you like clothes and stuff, so I got you this!" he had said when first I opened the gift. Even thought it was about three sizes too big, was nice of him to get it for me.

"Decide yet?" I asked Blaine as I walked back into the kitchen, putting the hoodie and another pair of sweatpants on the counter.

"Um...yeah. I could really go for a burrito, how about you?"

"Mexican it is!" I grabbed my phone and a notepad off of the fridge. "Write down what you want and I'll order it." Blaine did so as I dialed the number. "Hello? Yes, I'd like an order for delivery please? ...Yes...Yes..." Blaine made a funny face towards while I told the lady on the phone my address. I shooed him away with my hand, still not being able to hide a smile. "I would like a-" Blaine handed me the notepad, "A chicken burrito and a grilled chicken taco salad without the sour cream and cheese." I put my hand over the phone. "Burrito comes with refried beans and rice?"

"That's fine."

"Yes, the beans and rice is fine." I spoke back into the phone. "Alright, thank you. Bye."

"Good?"

"Good. Should be here in twenty minutes."

"Sweet."

"Yes, it is very sweet." I replied, settling into a stool opposite Blaine. The clothes on the counter caught my eye. "Oh, these are for you."

He laughed as he looked over at the oversized hoodie. "Kurt, you do know that I have some clothes of my own, right?"

"...The clothes you brought here? Blaine...they kind of smell like shit."

"Yeah, well they're not ruined forever, I just have to wash them. And really, the only things that smelled rancid were the shoes, and already I sold them to Frank before the show."

"Frank?"

"He's that short guy with the weird looking ears that sleeps outside the entrance to Bryant Park. I got like a good 2 bucks for them."

"Oh." Well, if I forgot he was homeless, I'm definitely reminded of that now.

Oh god, am I being weird? Is he taking this as like...me trying to dress him up? Holy shit, Kurt what is wrong with you? He's not some weird life size paper doll, you can't just throw clothes at him and send him out places.

Congratulations Kurt, you've managed to creep out a hobo.

"Kurt, if it means that much-"

"No, no it doesn't mean anything. I um...I had to do some laundry anyway. There's a laundry room below the lobby, we can go there after dinner."

"Oh, great!"

"Great."

"Thanks, again."

"If you say 'thank you' one more time I'm kicking you out."

I decided to take a shower before the food came. I was just in the middle of a shampoo cycle when I heard the buzz of the intercom at the front door. Curses flew from my lips as I began washing out the soap in my hair as fast as I could and in a blur of motion I was out of the shower, throwing a small white bathrobe on and rushing out of the bathroom.

When I ran into the living room Blaine was closing the door, a takeout bag in his hand. I stood in the middle of the room, gaping at him.

"How did you...?"

"How did I what?" he said as he set the food on the counter.

"How did you pay for the food?"

"I didn't." He said, smiling at me. I stared at him cynically. He began chuckling.

Chuckling.

Maybe he really is a psychopath.

"I can be very charming when I want to be, Kurt. And I mean, the suit definitely added to the appeal."

"So you just tricked some poor delivery girl into giving you food for free?"

"Girl...guy...whatever, they were happy to oblige. Flirtatious appearances can be very persuasive." He still had this sly, smooth grin on his face and it wasn't very hard to imagine why a person would give him twenty dollars worth of food for free. Hell, I was even considering giving him my bed for the night.

"Okay then...I'm just going to finish showering." I said, trying to figure out what that girl/guy comment was about. I kept thinking about it as I got back into the shower. I need to get to know him more, find out who he is exactly. Was he gay? No, no he can't be gay.

Well...yeah. Yeah he definitely could be.

But still, I don't think he's interested in me at all. I mean, this morning he was very quick to say that we didn't sleep together.

Twenty minutes later I was out of the shower, in yoga pants and a loose fitting teal sweater. When I walked back into the living room, Blaine was watching TV, the food still on the counter.

"You didn't eat?"

"I was waiting for you." He replied, getting up and going into the kitchenette.

Okay, either he really is the most polite person in New York City or he's just really going to town on the whole ass-kissing thing. "That was really...unnecessary. Sweet, but still unnecessary."

"Well so is taking me to Broadway and buying me-"

"Ah ah!" I cut him off "We've already discussed the consequences of you thanking me again."

"Alright, alright." He said, raising his hands in surrender. "I waited for you. Just accept it."

I smiled. "Ever the gentleman."

The next few days passed by in a surprisingly pleasant manner. I was extremely busy with midterms and course selections, the show adding even more stress on top of that. Blaine stayed out of the way. He would stay at the apartment all day, fiddling around with his guitar, writing songs (which he wouldn't let me look at) or catching up on things online. He said that he hadn't been on the internet in a good year and he felt like he was totally disconnected to pop culture.

"This Charlie Sheen guy is a freaking lunatic." Blaine mumbled. It was Wednesday night and we both sat at opposite ends of the living room, me studying my psychology textbook and him watching interviews on my laptop. I burst into a fit of laughter while Blaine continued to gawk at the screen. "Seriously though, how the hell does he get away with all of this?"

"You really have been under a rock for the past year haven't you?"

"You can say that again."

I was about to ask him about his life before he was homeless, but then my phone started to ring on the coffee table. I sat forward and sighed when I looked at the screen.

Incoming Call from Rachel Berry

"Hello?"

"Kurt!"

"Rachel."

"How are you? I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever! How is New York?"

"I'm good...well." I looked towards Blaine who was peacefully concentrating on my laptop. I had thought of telling Rachel about him for a moment, but then decided against it. "Nothing to complain about, really. New York's really great. How's Chicago?"

"Cold." she replied. Rachel had received a full scholarship from the University of Illinois's theatre program right after we graduated from McKinley. She's been living there for the past two years, no doubt over-competing the living hell out of the rest of her classmates.

"That's it? Just cold?"

"Cold, aggravating, lonely..."

"Rachel, I've told you so many times, you have to at least try to make friends."

"Friends are not important! Especially when I have more important things to focus on...like how to dance and act better than all of them."

"What about singing?"

"I'm already far superior in that category..."

I sighed. Nope, Rachel hasn't changed a bit.

"So anyways," she continued, "We need to make plans together for next week. I'm trying to figure out how I can spend as much time with Finn as possible but I still want to be able to work you and Mercedes in while you're still at home. How much time do you have off for the show?"

"I have a week off, which is a miracle. School starts again about three weeks after that-"

"God I can't wait to see Finn. I miss him so much, Kurt."

"Excuse me?"

"Kurt I haven't seen him in months. I miss him so much, sometimes I find myself waking up in the middle of the night to my own voice whispering his name over and over-" her voice crooned on the other side of the line. I raised my hand to my forehead, rolling my eyes in exasperation.

"Rache, why are you telling me this?"

"I'm sorry Kurt, I know it's painful to hear about our love because you can't exactly relate, but I just need to tell someone. I miss him so much that it actually physically hurts."

"Why wouldn't I be able to relate?"

"Well...Kurt, don't think of it like that...It's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, of course you can't blame yourself for never being in love." I don't know why, but that got me mad. How could Rachel just assumethat I don't know what love is like? I mean...maybe I don't but that's not the point.

"Rachel, I've been in love before. It's not like I don't know what it feels like."

"But you've never had a boyfriend."

"I-How do you know? We haven't talked in months!"

"Kurt, Facebook."

"Uh-he doesn't have a Facebook." I quickly replied. That was where the web of lies began to spin.

"Who doesn't have a Facebook? Seriously Kurt, both of my dads' have them and they swore against it a long time ago."

"He doesn't believe in social networking."

"Ooo!" Rachel suddenly sounded very interested. "He sounds like a poet or one of those kinds of people who'll spend the whole day writing in a coffee shop." She gasped. "I bet that's where you met him, isn't it! You love coffee!"

"Umm...yeeeaaahhh..." I slowly looked up towards Blaine, seeing him typing something out on my laptop, brow furrowed in concentration. I took in what he was wearing, a worn out plaid shirt and old jeans. A very stupid idea planted itself in my head. "He's actually a songwriter."

Oh god, what am I doing?

"He sounds adorable Kurt, how come you never told me?"

"Well, I don't know. I guess I didn't want you guys to freak out over me having a...boyfriend." I mentally cringed as I said the word out loud. Blaine looked up from his computer immediately, mouthing 'you have a boyfriend?' to me.

Take it back, Kurt. If you say 'just kidding' now, you will get out of this with minimal damage done. For the love of everything good, turn this shit around.

"That's so silly of you! I would never freak out!" Oh like hell you wouldn't. "What's his name?"

"Blaine." I replied

Oh my god, holy shit. What the hell was that? Wha-why did I just do that? Oh my god!

"What?" Blaine said, thinking I was talking to him. Oh god, Blaine. I'm dragging him in this with me. Why am I dragging him in this with me?

"How long have you too been together?" Rachel said, I could almost hear her flailing.

Say just kidding, damn it.

"A month."

What in the name of-!

"Aww, Kurt! What school does he go to?"

"Columbia."

GODDAMN IT, KURT. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

"Kurt, that's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine said after I didn't reply to him. I just stared wide eyed at the wall.

"I have to go, Rachel."

"Alright Kurt! I love you! And if I don't talk to you in the meantime I'll see you in a couple of days! Bye!"

"Bye."

I pressed the end call button, staring blankly at my phone. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Kurt?" I looked up at Blaine. "You okay?"

"No."

"Who was that?"

"Rachel Berry."

"Oh, okay. So, you have a boyfriend?" Blaine closed the laptop and set it on my coffee table. "I can imagine he's not too fond of me being here."

"No, he's very fond of it." I mumbled, looking down at my hands.

Silence and confusion settled in between us.

"I told her that you were my boyfriend." I spat out.

"What?"

"I know, it's such an immature, middle-school thing to do but...I just was so mad."

"So naturally you had to tell Rachel Berry that you're dating me." Blaine said sarcastically. He was actually smiling.

"She was gloating her love in my face!"

"What?" He laughed, a more entertained look on his face than bewildered.

"Look, it's just one person. I'll see her when I go home on Friday and tell her that we've 'broken up' or whatever. I just hope that she won't tell anyone else about this."

But of course, this is Rachel Berry we are talking about.

A minute later my phone started ringing again.

Incoming call from Home

"Hello?"

"Kurt?"

"Dad?'

"And Carol!" she said from the background. "Finn too...but his mouth is full."

"Mmmfrrgghh Ghhrtt." ...that must be Finn.

"Am I on speakerphone?"

"Kurt, you didn't tell us!" Carol said.

"Who's Blaine?" Burt asked.

No.

My eyes widened in terror. Time actually seemed to be in slow motion as I looked at Blaine to see him slowly react to my horrified demeanor.

"What?"

"We just hung up on Rachel, apparently you've been in a relationship for the past month." Oh god, Dad, no. No, this isn't happening. No no no no no no no.

"Kurt, are you like allergic to phone calls or something?" Blaine asked from across the room. I didn't answer him. All I did was cradle my face in one hand and hold the phone to my ear with the other.

"Oh, she told you?" My voice was shaking.

"Yeah, we just told you that hon', why didn't you tell us?" Carol inquired.

"I...I um...I...I..."

"He's not some psycho killer is he, Kurt?" my dad asked.

Not that I know of.

Well great. Now I really can't tell the truth. I'm not going to explain to my parents and Finn about why I lied to Rachel.

"No, no h-he's not. He's great, awesome even. The best boyfriend ever." I said, hoping that my hysterics came off as excitement. Blaine's attention was successfully caught when I said this. His mouth practically fell open.

"Well what are his plans for Christmas?" Burt asked.

"...what?"

"Christmas. You know...Santa Claus. Baby Jesus. Trees in living rooms."

"Yes, dad, I know what Christmas is..." I looked up and make eye contact with Blaine. "I don't know what his plans are." Blaine continued to stare at me.

"You don't know? You've been dating for how long?" Burt replied.

"NOTHING." Blaine yelled, out of the blue, loud enough to be picked up by my phone's receiver. "I DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS."

"Is that him?" Carol asked, very excitedly. "Oh, Kurt, put him on speaker!"

What is he doing?

"No, no that's not Blaine. That's the TV."

"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT THE TV." Blaine yelled again. I'm going to strangle him. I mouthed a very angry 'What the hell?' to which he replied by getting up and joining me on my sofa. "GO AHEAD, PUT ME ON SPEAKER, HONEY."

Honey? Seriously?

I've been conquered. I reluctantly pressed the speaker button on my iPhone, putting the phone on the coffee table in front of me.

"Mr. Hummel?" Blaine said with a big stupid smile of his face. "How are you doing today, sir?"

"Sir? I like this kid." We heard Burt murmur in the background. "I'm doing great Blaine, I miss my son, but I'm good nonetheless."

"How are you, Blaine?" Carol inquired.

"I'm doing very well, thank you. A bit sad though, since Kurt's leaving me on Friday." I looked up at him, noticing the mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm going to miss him terribly."

"What are your plans for the Holidays, Blaine?" Burt asked.

"Oh nothing much really. I was just going to stay here at the apartment and look after our...dog..." Since when do we own a freaking dog?

I! I mean I! I'm the only one who owns this apartment, goddamn it! Blaine suddenly had to cover his mouth, almost bursting at the seams with laughter.

"Wait a minute, hold the phone." Finn said. "You guys are living together?"

"We aren't-" I was interrupted by Blaine's hand over my mouth, too shocked to shoo him away. Blaine has never touched me before. It was then that I finally noticed how close we were sitting on the couch. I was dazed for a few seconds, just sitting there while Blaine's hand was still over my lips.

"I actually just moved in the other day."

Well at least there was some truth to that.

"Kurt, I can't believe you never told us about Blaine. He sounds delightful! God, I'm so glad you found someone to be with, especially during this season." Carol said.

"Yeah...well..." I said as I finally was able to get Blaine's hand off my face.

"Blaine, aren't you spending your Christmas with your family?" my dad said.

"They're...not available." Blaine replied very bluntly. He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Your whole family isn't available?" Burt asked.

"Yes."

"Well, Blaine, you're more than welcome to join us for Christmas." Carol said.

"HE CAN'T." I yelled without thinking. "I mean...he um...Finn sleeps in the guest bedroom doesn't he? He won't have anywhere to stay."

"Nonsense, Kurt. You do live together. I'm sure you can share your old bedroom for a couple of nights." My stepmother replied.

"As long as I don't hear any funny business going on in there." My father just had to say that.

"Wow, that's incredibly nice of you to offer. I would love to!" Blaine said as scooted closer to me and once again planted his hand over my mouth. "That would mean so much to me and Kurt, right babe?" I couldn't respond because he refused to move his hand. "Oh my god, he's speechless. You should see this. He's so overcome with emotion-he looks like he's going to cry."

Oh I'm overcome with emotion all right.

"Well, honey, I'm so glad to hear that." Carol said.

"Okay, well I'm sorry to say that we have to go. I surprised Kurt with dinner reservations to this really special new place around the block. But I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person."

"We are too. And hey, Blaine?" Burt said.

"Yes?"

"Take care of Kurt, will ya?"

"Will do, sir."

I squirmed again, trying to get out of Blaine's grip. He held me tighter and successfully muffled the noises that I was trying to make loud.

"Bye."

"Bubye."

Blaine ended the call and placed the phone back on the table. I threw his arms off of me, jumping off the couch.

"WHAT THE HELL, BLAINE."

"What? You told them I was your boyfriend. I was just going along with it." He replied with a chuckle.

"I could have handled that perfectly fine by myself, thank you! Now I have to drag you back to Ohio with me and introduce you - a hobo - to my whole family and UGH. I do not need this stress right now."

"Well hey, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"What are you talking about?" I spat back at him.

"Next week is Christmas."

"and."

"And I didn't have a place to stay did I?"

Oh. Okay. Well now I feel like an ass.

I let out a huff as I walked out of the room. "You're lucky it's the holidays, Blaine."