#klaine advent: ornament

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Hi I’m sick right now and was wondering if you could give me some fics suggestions to get my mind of off of it ?

Sorry to hear you're sick. You need some fluffy Klaine, maybe some set at Christmas, and some general. ~Jen

Wherever you stray, i follow by somefeministtheatrepls

ii's Christmas Eve, Blaine's office is open, and he's just looking forward to the best part of the day: the elevator ride down with his cute coworker.

~~~~~

A Very Sloppy Christmas By @coffeegleek

lucy8675309 posted to tumblr a series of gifs with Kurt dressed up as an elf. It inspired me to write the following prompt, which CoffeeAddict80 encouraged me to write as a fic:

I now want a fic where real Santa’s elf!Kurt gets drunk and vents to Blaine about all the woes of working for Santa. He’s over 100 years old and the outfits are terrible. Why couldn’t they wear clothes like the elves did in that one movie? Drunk elf Kurt has no idea he’s venting to Santa’s son.

Bonus if he wakes up and realizes he just had a drunken one night stand. He isn’t sure who it was with. Only that he’s naked, the guy in the bed beside him is naked and showing off a really great ass. Then said guy turns over and after Kurt’s done staring at his dick, he looks at the guy’s face and realizes who it is.

~~~

After Work Drinks by coffeeaddict80 @caramelcoffeeaddict

Blaine and his new coworkers go out for drinks after work. One of his coworkers makes a bet that Blaine can't get the phone number of the good-looking guy sitting alone at the bar not realizing that the guy is Blaine's fiancé, Kurt.

~~~~~

Yule be Mine By scatter-the-stars

Crashing weddings is nothing new for Kurt. Being caught, however, is. When a handsome stranger comes to his rescue, he has no problem going along with Blaine’s plan of pretending to be his boyfriend for the night. But one thing leads to another and Kurt soon finds himself agreeing to spending a week with Blaine and his family for Christmas. What can go wrong? He’ll play pretend. Hang ornaments on the tree, decorate some cookies, and have fun in the snow. He won’t fall for Blaine’s family. And definitely won’t fall for the handsome, great guy he’s pretending to date. Right?

~~~

Rocking Horse Ranch by @hkvoyage

Kurt has been working hard all year, and has earned a well-deserved break. He joins his family for the Christmas and New Year holidays at Rocking Horse Ranch, just north of New York City. The all-inclusive resort has plenty of outdoor and indoor activities along with evening entertainment. It boasts that it has something for everyone. Little does Kurt know that it also has someone for everyone. Holiday maker!Kurt and activities staff!Blaine. A Klaine AU meeting. Written for Grlnxtdr29’s Klaine Christmas Eve Challenge and the Klaine Advent Challenge.

~~~~~

Don't answer the phone by dizzywhizz

Kurt gets pranked. At first, it drives him to nearly the brink of insanity, but as it turns out...

It might actually have been good for him. And for his crush, too.

Here also is our fluff tag.

If this is the stuff you want, let me know. I may do a longer response later!

[worldoflis]

Close Binaries Chapter 13. Momentum / Ornament

A/N You know how sometimes (you hear from writers how) during the writing process characters get away from you and do what they want? Right. So I SWEAR I was just gonna have Blaine seek distraction from his Theater History midterm and have him decorate the Christmas tree. Turns out, he already had a Christmas tree! So I’m very, very sorry, but he did this to himself. Pretty sure he’s got decent health insurance though? (Or does he? Who knows? Not me!)

TW for minor injury, and mention of blood? Skip the third and second to last paragraphs if you’re unsure.

1. athlete / snowman  //  2. bury / cinnamon  //  3. camera / candle  //  4. deputy / paper  //  5. exclude / ribbon  //  6. feed / festival  //  7. gradual / star  //   8. house / gift  //  9. incident / latke  //  10. joke / light  //  11. kidnap / eggnog  //  12. language / chimney

Blaine’s got a midterm tomorrow. An actual, honest to god, sit-down-and-write kind of midterm which, at NYADA, is relatively rare, since most midterms involve some performance or other.

Not Theater History though.

And it’s not like performance midterms require less preparation than written midterms, but practicing vocals or rehearsing choreo has a way of completely occupying your concentration. You’ve got to think about the steps, and your breathing, and the lyrics, and the emotion, and there’s just no room for distractions.

Or maybe it’s just easier to focus when you do what you love.

Whatever the case may be, Blaine has been sitting at his living room table, surrounded by months of handouts and notes, for a good two hours now, and he’s still staring at the same page he started with.

“The first theater piece that conforms to the modern conception of a musical is generally considered to be The Black Crook, which premiered in New York on September 12, 1866.”

Was this something Kurt enjoyed studying last year, or had he hated it as much as Blaine does?

Kurt.

The reason why he cannot focus on any of his notes, why Come what may has been playing in his head for hours now, why he’s definitely and undoubtedly going to fail his Theater History midterm.

Kurt.

It’s stupid. He’s stupid. Kurt’s essentially the first person who’s been kind to him since he arrived at NYADA four months ago, which apparently is enough for his brain to think they’re gonna get married or something.

Stupid. Pathetic.

And still...

After Kurt had saved Blaine from Rachel the other day, they’d started talking. And talking. And talking. And if Blaine hadn’t been stupid enough to yawn they might have still been talking. But he did, and so they didn’t, although Kurt did insist Blaine sleep on the couch so he wouldn’t have to cross the city in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, Blaine had actually slept, until Kurt had woken him up - ever so softly, with coffee in a to-go mug - so Rachel wouldn’t catch him and make a scene.

And people don’t stay up till 4am talking to other people just because they’re kind, do they?

Then again, Blaine has done crazier things just to get people’s attention or approval.

He just can’t trust his brain, can’t figure out whether he likes Kurt because he likes Kurt, or because Kurt’s the only person in months he’s said more than five sentences to that were not school-related. And that’s not even opening the can of worms of how Kurt feels about him.

He reaches out to grab his coffee, groaning a little when he sees it’s empty, and he gets up to refill it.

It’s a terrible mug, a hot pink rubber band over the middle where he’s supposed to hold it, and bedazzled everywhere else. It makes it hard to drink from, but it’s the mug Kurt gave him, and Blaine doesn’t actually have his own travel mug, so it’s not much of a stretch to justify using it until he gives it back.

Why he’s still wearing the shirt Kurt borrowed him to sleep in, on the other hand, ...

Blaine shakes his head, trying to get rid of thoughts he isn’t quite ready to deal with. Coffee is what he needs now, coffee and maybe some chocolate, or-

He hisses in pain, pulling away his hand that’s now dripping with hot, black coffee and in doing so hitting the travel mug which tumbles down, spilling even more coffee -and a few rhinestones- all over the floor.

“Dammit!”

His hand burns, but coffee is quickly running towards the carpet, and his mom is going to kill him if anything happens to it, so he grabs the nearest dishcloth and throws himself between the sea of coffee and the carpet.

How the next part happens will always remain a mystery to him -did his arm go too wide trying to grab the cloth? did he slip on the coffee?- but the momentum of his fall propels him forward and into the Christmas tree which heroically tries but fails to catch his fall, and when things finally stop falling and Blaine finds himself lying on his back, not sure which part of his body hurts most, he has to admit that his mother was right.

Glass ornaments had not been a good idea.

It takes him a few minutes before he manages to scramble up and take in the damage. It takes him another few before he realizes that, while he might be able to save the carpet from the coffee stains, there is no way he’s ever going to get the blood stains out. And as he’s sitting there, holding one bleeding hand full of glass shards with his other, burnt hand, there’s only one person he can think of who he wants help from right now.

He scoots over to his phone, careful to not get blood all over his history notes, and slowly, determinedly, finds his message history, and Kurt’s last message prominently on top.

He selects Kurt’s number, and presses Call.

[klaineadvent]

[mypopculturesummer]

[saywhatjessie]

Creativity is an Endurance Sport

Klaine Advent: Day 13 - Momentum/Ornament (Ao3)

“BLAINE!”

“What?!”

Kurt ran both hands down his face, seated at his special drafting table that he never actually used.

“I’m out of projects.”

Blaine paused, searching for a clue if this was a good or bad thing.

“Yay?” he guessed.

“No! Not yay!” Kurt turned, eyes frantic. “I was on a fucking roll. If I don’t design something now, I will lose momentum. And an object at rest stays at rest. I need to stay in fucking motion!”

Blaine considered 10am on a Saturday to be far too early to talk physics but there was nothing to be done about that.

“Can’t you design something for fun?”

Kurt mussed his own hair which was what told Blaine things were really bad. “But whaaaat?!”

Blaine looked around the apartment, searching for isnpiration.

He couldn’t suggest any clothes, knowing Kurt had done thousands of clothing designs so that wouldn’t be the kind of challenge he craved. Anything too big or awkward they would still have to house in some way or else pass it off to someone else as a gift.

So something small.

His eyes landed on their tasteful but mostly bland Christmas tree.

“Our tree looks pretty boring…”

Kurt looked at it, dismissvely. “It’s classic, Blaine.”

“But where’s the personality?” Blaine pushed, turning Kurt so Kurt would look at it. “It’s beautiful, yes, but this could be a tree in a catalog.”

Kurt looked at him like he was stupid.”Yes. Exactly.”

“But Kuuuurt,” Blaine whined. “Don’t you want to have a personalized tree? One that’s ours and ours alone?”

Kurt sighed, leaning his head against Blaine’s and eyeing the tree critically. “So what are you saying?”

“Design our tree!” Blaine said, gesturing to it without moving his head from Kurt’s. “Ornaments, garland placement, angel or star or whatever on top. Your challenge is to make a tree that’s still classic and tasteful but also just screams Klaine.”

“I hate that name,” Kurt, mumbled, but that same manic design energy had taken over his face. He was taking this challenge.

Blaine kissed his temple. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Kurt nodded absently, turning back to his drafting table.

Blaine smiled to himself, settling down to play a couple hours of Marvel’s Spider-Man for ps4.. His job was done.

[spaceorphan18]

Scenes From December 1/24

Written for Klaine Advent 2022. Day One: Team.

***

December, 1993

Liz Hummel leaned against the archway connecting the dining room from the living room.  She kept her arms folded securely across her chest - the old house was a bit drafty, even when full of people, but in truth, she always felt a little out of her element when visiting Burt’s family.  Most of her family remained on the east coast, and for so long it was just her and her mom that the first time she visited the Hummel household, full of its unruly and rambunctious holiday traditions, it felt somewhat overwhelming.  Of course, since then, she had been fully indoctrinated into Hummel traditions, and the busyness of the household didn’t feel so alarming.  Still.  She wished she had brought her glass of wine out from the kitchen. 

The Christmas atmosphere swirled around her.  The living room wasn’t well lit, only a few lamps in the corners omitting an orange glow, each one decorated with red and gold tinsel.  A slightly too big pine tree had been shoved into the far corner, its ornaments awkwardly hanging from its branches as the lights around it sputtered blues, reds, and greens. There still weren’t presents under there yet - the actual Mrs. Hummel, Burt’s mother, didn’t want the dogs to get into them, and kept them away until Christmas Eve. There was a wreath hung around the giant, wooden cut of Ohio that read ‘Ohio Means Home’ that always hung on the wall.  And on every surface were figurines - some of angels, some of Santa and his elves, and one of a porcelain nativity scene that sat on top of the piano.  

Burt sat on his parents’ couch - his dad and two uncles squished next to him as all of them stared intensely at the television.  There was a football game running on the TV.  Who was playing, she couldn’t say.  She only knew it wasn’t a team from Ohio, and didn’t understand why they were still loudly passionate over third downs and missed field goal attempts of teams they didn’t usually care about.  Why not just root for whatever team is winning - she once joked to Burt, much to his chagrin.  That made the most sense to her, anyway. 

Sitting in front of the coffee table was Burt’s brother Andy, trying to teach his younger cousins how to beat a level on some game they were playing on their Game Boy.  Occasionally, the girls would get a little overzealous, wanting to play for themselves, and knock into the coffee table, knocking the bowls of chips, dip, vegetable tray, and beer cans nearly on the floor.  None of the adults near them seemed to notice - too engrossed in the game, but Liz knew at some point, there would be a spill to clean up.  

Over at the piano, Burt’s sister Christine was clunking away at jingle bells as her new boyfriend tried to sing along.  He wasn’t musically inclined at all but Christine still grinned up at him fondly as she played.  It reminded Liz, slightly, of when she and Burt started dating back in college, and she would often break out into a song from her favorite musical.  Burt’s face always turned a delightful quizzical when she did that - it made her love him even more.  

A bit of laughter floated from the kitchen.  Her mother-in-law’s distinctive laugh.  The kind of laugh that only happened this time of year when she allowed herself a few more glasses of her favorite wine.  Liz craned her neck to see the women in the kitchen, Mrs. Hummel deep in one of her infamous stories, keeping Burt’s aunts entertained as they stirred and chopped and peeled dinner.  The only odd one out was the second wife of one of Burt’s uncles, who didn’t always see eye to eye with the rest of the family, but even she was grinning as she washed dishes.  

Liz’s attention turned back to the living room, back to the old, ragged lounge chair that sat in the far corner of the room.  Burt’s grandfather was there, looking comical in the Santa hat someone had lazily placed on his head.  On his lap was her seven month old child, her little Kurt.  Even through all the commotion, she could hear Kurt’s happy laughter as Burt’s grandfather leaned forward, letting Kurt try to grab at the white, fluffy ball at the end of the hat; his chubby arm not quite able to reach it.  

Endeared, Liz made her way across the room, pushing the ottoman out a little so she could sit on it.  “Having fun?” she asked, taking a moment to rub her son’s back.  Kurt didn’t usually take to new people all that well, but he seemed genuinely comfortable sitting on his great-grandfather’s lap.  He gave his mother a comforted look then tried for the white ball again.  

It was good to see Burt’s grandfather smile so grandly.  Burt had told her how worried his mother was about him.  How hard he had taken it when his wife died last year - the pain of which surely hadn’t gone away.  But with a sweet baby on his lap, the gentle man that Liz had only recently gotten to know, the one who reminded her a lot of her husband, came back alive.  

“Well, we’re both going to be upset later since we’ve both missed our naps,” Burt’s grandfather joked.  He bounced little Kurt on his leg, Kurt breaking out into giggles.  “But it’s good to be with family.”  

Liz nodded silently, as she reached out a hand to grab Burt’s grandfather’s hand.  

There was a lot of love in this home, even at its most chaotic.  And even if she wasn’t born a part of it, even if she was still overwhelmed by what a foreign experience it seemed, she could see the love.  And that was what mattered.

“Who names a baby Kurt anyway?” he asked in his playfully gruff voice. 

Liz grinned. “Well, Burt did insist on naming him after you.”    

[flowerfan2]

A Wonderful Christmastime

Klaine, 1600 words, A03.

Summary:   Sometimes being up in the middle of the night together is an act of love.  A moment of holiday peace for Kurt and Blaine.

Note:  This fic incorporates the first seven words of Klaine Advent 2020 (abashed (a classic fic word if ever there was one), brake, careless, dispensable, event, farm, and gray).  It also marks my sixth (non-consecutive) year of writing for Klaine Advent.

The inspiration for the story came from a conversation with @mildly-allergic-to-life  and is a gift for her - I hope you like it!   Thanks also to my wonderful beta,    @perryavenue.

********

Blaine snuggles deeper into the blankets and turns over, reaching out to pull Kurt against him – it’s chilly on this December night, and he knows Kurt’s feet will be cold, but he doesn’t mind.  Sadly, his hand flops onto their soft flannel sheets without finding his husband.  Moments later, Blaine’s half-asleep brain registers the sound of Kurt’s voice through the monitor and he smiles despite the late hour.

He drags himself out of bed and steps across the narrow hall to Taylor’s room.  Kurt is lying on the floor next to her crib, singing quietly with careless grace, one hand resting gently on their baby’s back.

“Hey,” Blaine whispers.  “How long have you been in here?”

Kurt twists his head to look at Blaine.  “Most of the first act, and part of the second, but I skipped some of the songs.”  He glances at their daughter and back at Blaine.  “Legally Blonde is inspirational, but not entirely age appropriate.”

“Come to bed, you must be exhausted.”

“I can’t,” Kurt says.  “Every time I take my hand off her back she wakes up.”

“Bring her with you,” Blaine says.  Since they brought their newborn home six months ago this has been the topic of constant debate in their house, and with everyone they know, who all apparently feel qualified to share their opinion on how to get babies to sleep.  They waver back and forth between keeping her in bed with them and trying to get her to sleep on her own, and various compromises in between.  (And as they told Tina, who insisted that their very lack of routine was the problem, maybe as long as the three of them are happy and healthy she should just keep her opinions to herself.)

“You have rehearsal all day tomorrow,” Kurt says.  “You need to rest.  I can stay here, I don’t mind.”  Kurt has built himself a little nest on the floor out of a spare quilt and throw pillows, and he’s wearing his fluffy slippers on his ever icy feet, but he still can’t be all that comfortable.

“I’ll sleep better with the two of you in our bed,” Blaine replies.  Kurt shrugs, and accepts Blaine’s hand as he reaches down to help Kurt up.

As predicted, Taylor blinks her gray-blue eyes open as soon as Kurt stops touching her, but Blaine scoops her out of bed and nuzzles her little face before she can make a noise.  When he looks up, Kurt is gazing fondly at the two of them.

“She has your eyelashes,” Kurt says, and Blaine grins.

“She’s a baby, they all have eyelashes like this.”

“That’s a lie, she has the best eyelashes of any baby ever.  And she’s definitely going to have your enviable curls,” Kurt goes on, touching the still wispy dark hair on their daughter’s head.

“If she does, you’re in charge of hair care.”

“As if I’d let you get your gel anywhere near her.”  It’s a running joke, but Blaine is serious – his hair looks so much better now that he let Kurt take charge of his products.  Of course, these days he’s lucky to catch a shower before running off to rehearsal, let alone have time to style his hair, but that’s another story.  Taylor comes first, and no amount of bedhead is going to change that.

Back in their own room they slide under the covers, carefully settling Taylor between the two of them, Kurt reaching across to lay his hand on Blaine’s waist.  There’s a soft reddish glow to the light, coming in from the Christmas decorations in their living room.  It feels peaceful.

“So what made you choose Legally Blonde to sing tonight?”  Blaine asks, keeping his voice quiet as Taylor settles back into sleep.  “With all the Sondheim you’ve done lately, I would have thought you’d have picked one of those.”

“I know, right?” Kurt replies.  “I think it started because I had the part about the department store stuck in my head.”

“First take a deep breath, take it all in.  Feel all the halogens warming your skin,” Blaine sings.  

“I always loved that song.  I mean, who would have thought there’d be a song about how amazing it feels to walk into the fragrance section of a department store?” Kurt says reverently.

“Right?”

“Don’t tease, you know I’m serious about the value of personal service for some things,” Kurt says.  “Websites are good for certain products, but you can’t discover your personal scent on your computer.”

“Did you know that Harry Gordon Selfridge started putting the perfume counter by the front doors in part to cover up the, um, less pleasant odors outside?”

Kurt frowns.  “No, but if that’s true, it makes sense.  I figured it was just to entice people into spending money on scent while they were on their way in looking for clothes.”

“That too.”  Blaine sighs.  “So, what made you think about department stores?  Have you been worrying about holiday shopping?  Because we said we were going to go easy on that this year.”  He inclines his head towards the baby lying between them.  They love their child more than either of them can express, but she is a money pit, and they have had to revise their current budget several times to identify dispensable items.

“I think it was more that I’m so used to searching the web for deals at night…” Kurt breaks off and glares at Blaine, “and no, I was not online shopping just now.”

Blaine smirks.  “I know.  Your phone is still on your nightstand.”  For the first few months of parenthood Kurt had spent way too much money keeping himself awake during midnight feedings by scouring the web for deals on fabric and craft supplies.  After a frank review of their credit card bills, Kurt had agreed to put the brakes on his nighttime online shopping sprees.

Kurt taps his finger against Blaine’s hip.  “I may have purchased a few items yesterday,” he admits, abashed.  “But they were all for Taylor.  Mostly I just send my dad and Carole links.  If we leave them to their own devices who knows what they’ll buy her, and they’re happy to farm out the task to me.”

They lapse into silence, listening to the even, soft breaths of their little girl, who has finally loosened her grip on the silk-trimmed blanket she can’t bear to be without.

“I do understand the urge,” Blaine says.  “Like wanting to stop and shop for unnecessary plastic objects…” Blaine says, a snippet of another song passing through his brain, and Kurt looks at him questioningly.  “You know, from Nanci Griffith’s intro to that song, when she talks about the need to go into a Woolworth’s and buy unnecessary plastic objects?”

Kurt gazes at him, charmed.  “No, I don’t know that one.”

“It’s called Love at the Five and Dime.”  Blaine hums it for a second, remembering driving in the car with his mom, singing along.  

“Rita was sixteen years, hazel eyes and chestnut hair.  She made the Woolworth counter shine.  And Eddie was a sweet romancer, and darn good dancer, and they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime.”

”And they'd sing -  "Dance a little closer to me Dance a little closer now Dance a little closer tonight Dance a little closer to me 'cause it's closing time and love's on sale tonight at this five and dime."

The melody is soft and sweet, and Blaine does his best to echo the singer’s gentle, swinging style.

Kurt rubs his thumb along Blaine’s hip.  “That’s really pretty.”

“I’ll play it for you sometime.  She does this neat thing where she plinks her guitar string to sound like the ‘ding’ of the elevator. I think it would work on the piano.”

“It’s a nicer shopping song than the Legally Blonde one,” Kurt says.

“It’s about love, not shopping, really.”

“So is the Legally Blonde one,” Kurt insists.  “Elle is taking Emmett shopping for clothes so that he has exactly the right look to give him the confidence he needs.  That’s an act of love.”

“I know.”  Blaine smiles at Kurt, thinking of all the hours they’ve spent selecting outfits, Kurt never failing to offer his opinion on what Blaine should wear for an audition, or an interview, or some other career defining event.  Kurt always does everything he can to help Blaine feel prepared to face the world, and Blaine appreciates it more than he can say.  

“Anyway, I like the song,” Kurt says.  “Sing some more.”

Blaine smiles and sings the rest of the Nanci Griffith song.  By the end, the hand Kurt had rested on Blaine’s hip has gotten restless, and is moving enticingly towards Blaine’s ass.

“Honey?”  Blaine asks, catching Kurt’s eye.  “Is me singing about shopping turning you on?”

Kurt runs his hand back over Blaine’s hip, then walks his fingers up Blaine’s chest over his pajama shirt, his touch light and teasing.  He catches Blaine’s gaze.  “You should know by now, you singing about anything turns me on.”

They both look at Taylor, who is sleeping deeply now, her whole body lax.  They obviously can’t get intimate with her lying in between them, but…

“Wanna go fool around by the Christmas tree?”  Blaine asks, grinning.

They extricate themselves from the bed carefully, arranging the blankets just the right distance away from and around their daughter, and creep out to the living room.  Kurt takes an afghan off the couch and spreads it on the floor.  They lie down together, gazing at each other under the twinkling lights, until Blaine pulls Kurt into a fervent kiss.  

At one point they roll a little too close to the tree, and they freeze, giggling, as Kurt re-positions a sparkling ornament so it doesn’t fall on them during an inopportune moment.  And if Blaine has a bit of tinsel in his hair come morning, no one minds a bit.

End notes (sorry, I seem to have a lot of notes for this little fic)

The songs mentioned are Nanci Griffth’s very lovely Love At The Five And Dime, and Take It Like A Man from Legally Blonde.  I really also wanted to work in the Barenaked Ladies ode to shopping, too, (just called Shopping) but it didn’t fit.  Title is from Paul McCartney’s song A Wonderful Christmastime, covered by the Barenaked Ladies on their holiday album (which is great and includes some really fun Hanukkah songs too).

Note also that Blaine and Kurt are also tired of people asking about their baby’s name, as well as poking their nose into her sleeping habits.  They picked Taylor because it’s gender-neutral and they like it, and not because Blaine knows the words to every Taylor Swift song.

[darriness]

Klaine Advent 2020 - Day 3

Title: Careless

Author: darriness

Word Count: 874

Summary: A Christmas accident

Author’s Note: I kinda selfishly love this one. Enjoy!

AO3 Link

Blaine is not embarrassed to say he skipped (literally skipped) a few times on his way back to the loft after going for a coffee run. He’s in New York, with his boyfriend, for a whole week, including New Year’s Eve, and there is no parental supervision in sight! Blaine still can’t quite believe his parents agreed to this but he wasn’t about to probe them any further after they said yes.

He’s just outside the heavy metal door leading into the loft, three coffees held in a carrier in one hand and his other hand on the door handle, when he hears shouting that makes him pause.

“Finn Hudson!” Kurt’s voice yells, “How can you be such a careless oaf? I can’t believe you did this!”

Blaine hears Finn’s voice rumble a reply but his volume is lower and Blaine can’t make out the actual words. Blaine sighs and pulls the door open, gearing up to help.

He finds Kurt and Finn in the kitchen. The taller man looks frightened as he holds his hands up as if to ward Kurt off. Kurt, for his part, is standing at the kitchen table with a box in front of him and a murderous look in his eyes.

“What’s...going on?” Blaine asks.

Kurt huffs, “Giant baby giraffe over here,” He says gesturing to Finn who pouts his lips slightly, “decided that ‘put the box of ornaments on top of the cupboards’ meant ‘rest them precariously on the edge so they’d fall off and shatter’.”

“It was an accident!” Finn defends himself.

Blaine sighs again and puts his hands up in an attempt at a calming gesture. Dismantling the Christmas decorations. That had been the three men’s task for the day before Blaine had gone out to grab coffee for a ‘coffee break’. Clearly, leaving the step-brothers ‘unsupervised’ had been a bad idea.

“Finn, why don’t you run across the street and pick up some donuts?” Blaine suggests.

Finn nods, seemingly all too happy to be given an excuse to leave, and quickly makes his way out of the door Blaine had yet to close. Kurt watches him leave with a scowl on his face.

Blaine makes his way over to the older man and grabs his hands, shaking them lightly to get Kurt’s attention. Kurt huffs slightly again, but turns away from the now closed door and looks at his boyfriend.

Blaine gives a little smile, “I’m sure it was just an accident.” He says softly.

Kurt looks betrayed and tries to pull his hands out of Blaine’s grasp. Blaine doesn’t quite let him though and Kurt stops trying after a half hearted attempt, “If you’re just going to side with him, then don’t bother.” Kurt says.

Blaine sighs and shuffles in closer to Kurt. He wraps an arm around Kurt’s waist and lays one on Kurt’s cheek. He looks him in the eye and says earnestly, “It’s okay to not be okay right now.”

Kurt’s eyes widen slightly and Blaine can see a million thoughts scroll through Kurt’s mind before his face crumbles as tears begin to pour from his eyes. He wraps his arms around Blaine’s shoulders and buries his face in Blaine’s neck as he cries.

Blaine hums, soothingly, and strokes Kurt’s back. He doesn’t try to get him to stop crying, he just lets him know he’s there.

Blaine may be on cloud nine to be with Kurt this week following Christmas, but he also knows that Kurt has been trying his hardest to be okay after his father told him about having cancer just days earlier.

Kurt pulls back after a moment and takes a deep breath, swiping at his red rimmed eyes with a small laugh, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blubber all over your shirt.” He says.

“Hey,” Blaine says softly, stroking Kurt’s cheek, “You have nothing to apologize for. You can blubber all over my shirt or any other part of me whenever you need to. I’m here to be whatever you need me to be.”

Kurt gives a small, watery smile and leans in to kiss Blaine softly. When he pulls back, Kurt sighs and looks toward the door, “I was an ass to Finn.” He says.

Blaine chuckles softly with a shrug, “Finn’s clumsy, less detailed oriented side chose a very bad to rear its ugly head.” Kurt snorts at the correct statement, “But,” Blaine continues, “I think maybe...he’s trying to process this just as much as you are.”

Kurt takes a deep breath in and lets it out with a nod, “You’re right.” He concedes.

“Just apologize when he comes back. He’ll accept it. He’s your brother.” Blaine says.

“Step.” Kurt amends before sighing again, “Though it feels less and less like the ‘step’ is needed.”

Blaine smiles, having seen how much like real brothers Kurt and Finn have become, before pushing up on his tiptoes to kiss Kurt’s forehead, “Let’s finish putting this stuff away and then we’ll do whatever you want to do for the rest of the night.”

Kurt sniffs slightly and wipes his eyes one more time before raising an eyebrow, “Whatever I want?”

Blaine laughs at the insinuation as he leans forward to kiss Kurt again.

[notarelationship]

Anderson’s Ghosts 24/24

Klaine Advent: Yearn

And here it is!  The last of my Klaine Advent 2019 chapters. Just in time to start thinking about 2020!

Thank you everyone for reading. I’ll be posing the last few chapters on AO3 as the final chapter there, link to the beginning is here

If you have missed any earlier entries they can be found at Anderson’s Ghosts, or each individual chapter:  Achievement, Beer, Creed, Date, Emergency, Fist, Ground, Hiccup, Interrupt, Joy, Kinship, Lecture, Monument, Nest, Overwhelm, Part, Quarrel, Reasonable, Speed, Treat, User, Verdict, Worry

--

Lunch was a bit awkward. Blaine barely knew how to behave with his own family, let alone someone else's, but when Kurt invited him he couldn’t say no. 

“Is your family still in Lima, Blaine?” Carol asked, once they were all settled around the dining table. 

Blaine cleared his throat. “Well, my brother is here, but our mother moved to Florida years ago, and she doesn’t come back to Ohio.” He didn’t add that he hadn’t actually seen her in years.

“You don’t see them for the holidays?”

Blaine hadn’t spent holidays with his family in years, but he was sure if he said that in front of this crowd there would be a mixture of sympathy, pity, and for those who knew him better, maybe a bit of private scorn. He didn’t deserve anything but the scorn.

“Nah, Blaine usually works on Christmas,” Sam answered for him.

“You work on Christmas?” Kurt asked, while helping himself to some delicious looking potato casserole. “That doesn’t sound fun.”

Blaine winced. “It’s not.” He paused as Sam handed him a plate of ham, and he took a slice and passed it on. “But I think those days are over. I’m headed over to my brother’s later tonight, and I’m actually leaving for New York in the morning.”

“Oh really? I live in New York,” Kurt said. “What are you going to do there?”

Blaine laughed quietly. “I’m not entirely sure yet.” 

From there conversation spread around the table, and Blaine could sit quietly and just soak it in. Watching Kurt, it was hard not to yearn for the life he never had, but Blaine didn’t want to mope about it. He had already changed. He may never have an opportunity again to really get to know Kurt, but he was on the road to setting things right, and he could settle for that for now.

After lunch was over Blaine followed Sam and Mercedes to the family room, where the kids went right back to playing with their Christmas gifts. Burt joined them while Carol and Kurt cleared the table.

“Anderson,” Burt said, once he was sitting comfortably in what was obviously his favorite chair. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Blaine answered, sitting on the couch, but near enough to Burt for them to have a quiet conversation. He had a feeling he knew what was coming. That was okay. Blaine wanted to talk. 

Burt shrugged. “Two weeks ago I was sure you were going to take my business. Your reputation is not unknown to me, Anderson. I knew if you wanted the shop I wouldn't be able to stop you.”

Blaine took a centering breath. The further away he got from the night before, the more everything that had happened had felt like a dream. It may even have been a dream. But it didn’t matter. He was done with that life. “I didn’t want that any more.”

“What? The money? The business?” 

Blaine shook his head, not sure how much to share. But there was something about Burt that made it easier. “It wasn’t my life. I want my life, and I think - I hope - I’m still young enough to have it.”

Burt considered him a while, studying Blaine. To his credit (Blaine hoped) he managed to hold Burt Hummel’s curious gaze. “Well,” Burt said with a chuckle. “You’re certainly young enough to do anything you want. And since I suspect money isn’t going to be a concern, I hope you choose what you want wisely.”

“Thank you,” Blaine said. “I hope I do as well. Do you mind - can I ask you a question?”  When Burt nodded, Blaine continued. “Are you feeling better?” 

Burt grunted, but not in an unkind way. “I am feeling better, thank you.” Kurt appeared then, standing next to Burt’s chair. 

“Yes but you still have a lot of recovering to do,” Kurt said. 

Burt frowned. Ignoring Kurt, he spoke directly to Blaine, “Apparently I still have a lot of recovering to do.” He thumbed over his shoulder at Kurt.

“Yes, and I’m going to be here for a while making sure you do just that,” Kurt answered anyway. Blaine smiled, watching their banter. He remembered back to when they were in school together, that Kurt had always said he’d had a great dad. Blaine excused himself as they continued to argue playfully over Burt’s condition, and found himself standing in front of the Christmas tree. 

Every year when he was little, Blaine wanted to decorate the Christmas tree, but his parents had other ideas. His father always wanted a more utilitarian tree, few decorations, all the same color. His one allowance he gave Blaine’s mother was that she could pick the color, so every year the tree was decorated a different color. Silver one year, red the next, green the next, every ornament precisely placed for the perfect magazine photo holiday spread. 

But the Hummel’s tree was covered in a jumble of mis-matched, obviously well loved ornaments of all shapes, sizes, and types. There were vintage glass bulbs, tiny wooden Santa heads, and homemade felt circles that looked like something Blaine had a vague memory of making himself in kindergarten. There was a palm sized Millennium Falcon that blinked, a glass ball with the Ohio State University logo on it, and green construction paper trees shedding glitter all over. Blaine smiled as he looked at them all, taking in every ornament and imagining its history. 

He was laughing at a green glass pickle when he saw it. A palm sized nest with two yellow canaries perched on either side. Three small, aqua, realistic looking canary eggs settled in the center of the nest. Blaine swallowed. It couldn’t be possible. It was identical to the ornament on the tree at the hospital. The one the mysterious little girl led him to last night.

“It’s a mess, I know.” Kurt appeared next to him, and Blaine startled.

“No, it’s beautiful,” Blaine said, staring at the ornament. He looked at Kurt. His mouth was parted as if he was going to say something else, but Blaine had to know. He pointed to the nest. “Where is this from?” 

“Oh, my gosh,” Kurt said. “It was my mother’s. I think she had it from when she was a little girl. I’m always surprised when it comes out of the box and it’s still in one piece.”

Blaine wanted to shout or scream or anything, it was too much. Of course it was possible that there could be two of them, but to Blaine, it was the final confirmation. Whatever he had experienced, It had been real. And it had led him back to Kurt. He was supposed to be here. 

“So I’m going to be in Lima probably for another month,” Kurt was talking, and Blaine had to refocus his attention to get all the words. “But when I’m back in New York, would you like to get together for a drink, or dinner or something? Catch up?” Kurt was smiling at him, inviting him to dinner? 

“Yes,” Blaine managed to say. “Yes, I would like that a lot.”

~

the end

[kriskubed]

Blaine loved the city at Christmas. He loved the spectacle of the tourist traps like Rockefeller Center and the store windows at Macy’s and Saks. It brought a smile to his face when Christmas tree stands popped up on street corners and he inevitably encountered some couple or family navigating the busy sidewalk with an evergreen in tow on his walk home from the subway. And he adored the cozy holiday displays at the tiny tucked away mom and pop stores and artisan shops he’d discovered as he explored new neighborhoods throughout the year. He loved the connections he’d made with the owners and employees whenever he stopped in to visit them, which he made sure to do at the holidays as he shopped for gifts for his family and friends. 

And so his bags were full of presents and his heart was full of cheer as he opened the door to the apartment after a successful Christmas shopping venture. “I’m home,” he called out to Kurt as he put down his bags and took off his coat. Coming home to Kurt every night was still new, and the contentment he felt uttering the simple statement warmed his heart even further. 

“Do you need any help with these packages?” Kurt said as he walked over and made a show of trying to peek into the bags.

Blaine swatted him away. “You stay out of those!” he laughed. “Or Santa will bring you coal instead!” 

Kurt pouted playfully and stepped back. “Fine… be that way. I guess I’ll just go back to my decorating.”

Blaine took in the changes Kurt had made to the apartment while he was gone. Yards of festive garland were draped around each doorway. A centerpiece of evergreen boughs and cranberry colored candles rested on their dining table. The coordinated, personalized stockings Kurt had somehow found the time to make for them hung from the mantle. Their tiny tree stood in a corner of the living room, ready to be decorated. Kurt had added a string of lights but waited for Blaine to help with the ornaments. 

“Kurt… It’s beautiful.” Only weeks before the space had been cluttered with moving boxes, but now it was completely transformed. It truly felt like a home, and not just a place Blaine happened to live. “You’re magical,” he said.

“It’s just a few decorations…”

“But it really means so much more,” Blaine said. He guided Kurt beneath a nearby sprig of mistletoe and poured the love he felt into a sweet and lingering kiss.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

OK . . I think I did this right? For the 2023 Klaine Bingo

1.) Debut Fanfic:

Trick or Treat by bitbybit (puttingittogether)

2.)Page-turning Fanfic that made you stay up past your bedtime:

Soulsongs and Seastars by GleefulPoppet

3.)Fanfic that made you reach for a box of tissues:

The Edge of the Light by gemjam

4.)Fanfic where one has an unusual occupation.:

Bicycle Patrol Unit by CoffeeAddict80

5.)Wild Card - any fanfic you wish to highlight.:

Yule Be Mine by scatterthestars

6.) Fanfic set during the summer:

Miles To Go by hundredindecisions

7.) Fanfic is written for a challenge.

Myosotis series by  maanorchidee ( Written for Klaine Advent Challenge 2019)

8.) Fanfic that made you laugh out loud.

Skylight by DivineLady91

9.) Fanfic that you enjoyed using a genre/trope that you don't normally read.

Until My Dying Breath by EmilianaDarling

Thank you Anon - for your contribution to the 2023 Klaine bingo event! ~Jen The Bingo Collection now on Ao3!

1. Debut Fanfic

Trick or Treat by bitbybit (puttingittogether) @bitbybitwrites

Summary: It’s Halloween and Blaine’s favorite time of year. Little does he know that his husband has a bit of a trick and treat waiting for him when he gets home.

Based off of the Klaine Creative Challenge #1/ Halloween/Costume Klaine from the Klaine 40 FB group.

Prompt: where Kurt is in costume and ready to go out, and Blaine walks in and sees him like that. Inspired by Chris Colfer's 2021 Halloween video from Instagram and his outfit.

2. Page-turning Fanfic that made you stay up past your bedtime:

Soulsongs and Seastars by @GleefulPoppet

In a world where Doms and subs depend on the symbiotic relationship their pheromones provide, it can be a matter of life and death to go too long without a claim. When one of the most powerful Doms in New York comes home for some much-needed family time, he stumbles upon a scene that throws his instincts into high alert as he witnesses a sub do something he’s never seen before. Will the bravery of one man change his life forever? Kurt Hummel knows there’s only a one-in-a-million chance of finding his Soulsong, but what are the odds it could happen in a run-down mall in Lima, Ohio?

3. Fanfic that made you reach for a box of tissues:

The Edge of the Light by gemjam

After Kurt calls off their wedding, Blaine spirals into a bad place that he never manages to get out of. He accepts his life, working the streets at night and sleeping his days away, until a chance encounter two years later leads Kurt back into his life, and Blaine has to re-evaluate everything to see if he can really earn a happy ending.

4. Fic where one has an unusual occupation.:

Bicycle Patrol Unit by CoffeeAddict80 @caramelcoffeeaddict

When NYPD bicycle cop, Blaine Anderson, begins to fall for Kurt Hummel - the gorgeous man that he first notices while Kurt is jogging through the park during Blaine’s patrol there - it causes a rift between him and his patrol partner, Sebastian Smythe

5. Wild Card - any fanfic you wish to highlight.:

Yule Be Mine by @scatterthestars

Crashing weddings is nothing new for Kurt. Being caught, however, is. When a handsome stranger comes to his rescue, he has no problem going along with Blaine's plan of pretending to be his boyfriend for the night. But one thing leads to another and Kurt soon finds himself agreeing to spending a week with Blaine and his family for Christmas. What can go wrong? He'll play pretend. Hang ornaments on the tree, decorate some cookies, and have fun in the snow. He won't fall for Blaine's family. And definitely won't fall for the handsome, great guy he's pretending to date. Right?

6. Fanfic set during the summer:

Miles To Go by hundredindecisions

In the wake of Finn’s death, Kurt struggles to keep up with schoolwork at NYADA or engage with his life in general. He finally finds purpose again when he decides to spend the summer venturing west, to scatter Finn’s ashes in the Pacific Ocean. The road trip is long and lonely and challenging, but Kurt’s luck starts to turn around when he meets a handsome man named Blaine, who’s heading to California for his own reasons. After crossing paths in Colorado, they decide to travel together. As they get closer to the west coast they start to let down their walls, learning more about each other and revealing what they’re really seeking on this trip.

7. Fanfic is written for a challenge.

Myosotis series by  maanorchidee ( Written for Klaine Advent Challenge 2019)

Kurt remembers meeting Blaine very vividly. After all, they only just met. Blaine also remembers meeting Kurt very vividly, but to him, it's been years since they met. Now, the two of them have to find ways to (re)connect and see where their relationship goes.

8. Fanfic that made you laugh out loud.

Skylight by DivineLady91

When Blaine's mom calls from the airport to inform her son that she's shown up early for Christmas, he and Kurt are forced to scramble and clean before she arrives. Seeing as they were indulging in morning-long sex-capades, they'll need all the time they have. But their cleaning efforts get called on account of something inappropriate stuck in an unexpected place.

9. Fanfic that you enjoyed using a genre/trope that you don't normally read.

Until My Dying Breath by EmilianaDarling

*Sorry written 2012 - doesn't qualify for this bingo which is 2018-23!

[musiclovingbitch]

Creed

Summary: Kurt and Blaine spend the day in the Hudmel house decorating with their son.

Written for the 2019 Klaine Advent prompt: Creed and the third @gleepotluckbigbang prompt: Christmas tree!

~800 words

on AO3

“You know, you’d better savour this before he grows up and just wants you to buy him the new Assassin’s Creed or whatever the hot new toy will be.” Burt says to Kurt as they both watch Blaine and the newest addition to the Hudson-Hummel-Anderson family, Nick, decorate the Christmas tree.

“Trust me, I’m well aware. I already feel the panic rising up in my chest at the thought.”

Burt laughs in response. He claps his son on the shoulder and gives him a slight shove forwards. “Go, go be with your family before it’s too late.”

Kurt reluctantly stands up from the arm of the couch. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to send me away so that you can sneak in more cookies. I’m going, but I’m watching you.”

Burt innocently puts his hands up in surrender. Kurt goes over to Blaine and crouches down next to Nick, putting his hand on his back.

“How are my two favourite guys doing?”

Nick turns to him with an excited smile. “Papa, Papa, look at this star! It’s so big, it’s bigger than my hand, and it’s so shiny!” he says, sparkles in his eyes.

“That’s the star that goes on top of the tree once we’re done, because it’s so big and bright. Do you want to be the one to put it on the tree?” Blaine proposes.

Nick squeals in excitement. “Please, please, please, oh, can I?”

“Of course you can, Nick.” Kurt says, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

Almost a full hour later, they’ve pretty much finished decorating the tree. They’d taken turns asking Nick where he wanted to put the ornaments he picked and helping him place them wherever he chose.

“This one is so pretty, Daddy!” Nick said, holding up a semi-transparent angel ornament with a golden string attached to it.

Kurt turned to see what ornament Nick was talking about and felt his heart constrict, even after all these years.

“That used to be your grandmother’s,” said Blaine, swiftly crouching down and making sure the ornament wouldn’t fall and break, “we have to be very careful with it because it’s really fragile, and it’s one of the only ones of hers we have left.”

“What’s fragile mean?” Nick asked, an adorable little frown on his small face. The ache in Kurt’s heart lessened.

“It means it breaks very easily.” Blaine explained.

“Oh,” Nick said. He clutched the ornament in both his hands. “Should we not put it on the tree? If it will fall and break?” he asked, and went to put the angel back in the box he got it from.

“No, no,” Kurt said, jumping in, “just because something’s fragile doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it, it just means that we have to be more careful with it.”

He took the angel and placed it back into Nick’s hands.

“Like scissors?” Nick asked, looking down and the ornament then back up at Kurt.

Kurt smiled. “Like scissors. Only then, we’re the ones that are fragile.”

He could see that Nick didn’t entirely understand that, but he didn’t ask for an explanation so Kurt didn’t give him one. He helped Nick put the angel near the top of the tree.

“We’re done! Do you know what that means?” Blaine asked Nick.

Nick looked up at Blaine questioningly.

“It’s time to put the star on top of the tree!” he said.

Both Kurt and Blaine had to lift Nick up to do it, but the triumphant, ecstatic smile that took over Nick’s face once he did it was well worth any future ache.

“Okay now, come here, there’s one more thing left to do.” Burt said, and Nick flew out of Blaine’s hands and into Burt’s torso, effectively knocking the wind out of him.

Both Kurt and Blaine rushed forward, but Burt only laughed and hugged his grandson.

“You remember that one string we put on the tree at the beginning, the one we wouldn’t let you help with cause it was dangerous?” he said, looking down at Nick.

Nick nodded.

“Well, press that thing down.” Burt said, and pointed at the switch on the power strip. 

Nick did.

He gasped in awe as the christmas lights started flickering in multiple colours and random rhythms, absolutely, positively enchanted by them.

The adults settled on the couch, content to simply watch Nick for a while.

Kurt placed his head on Blaine’s shoulder, and smiled when Blaine rested his head and his. He intertwined their hands and brought them up to his mouth, placing a small kiss on Blaine’s knuckles. Blaine turned his head slightly and kissed the top of his head.

From the corner of his eye, Kurt saw something move.

“Dad!” he exclaimed, “no more cookies!”

Both he and Blaine burst out laughing at the sight of the guilty expression on Burt’s face.

[littlej097]

The Heart of Christmas - Day 1: Snowman

Hey guys! I am back to do the Klaine Advent 2018 Challenge! This year instead of doing drabbles I am planning to write a AU multi-chapter fic! I already have the main concept of the story in my head so I will do my best to fit in the words of the day! They will probably be more like little tidbits unless I’m super inspired by them. But, I am so excited to write this fic and I hope you all enjoy! 

Summary: Kurt is a single father just trying to make it through the Christmas season. However, when he meets, celebrity, Blaine Anderson, his world is turned upside down. If one thing is for sure, this Christmas season will change both of their lives forever.

Christmas music filled the apartment of Kurt Hummel and his five-year-old daughter, Clara. It was December 1st and that meant one thing. It was time to get ready for Christmas! They had even invited Kurt’s best friend and Clara’s godmother, Rachel over to join in on the Christmas fun.

“Daddy, do we have any more ornaments?” five year old, Clara asked as she bounced happily around the living room.

“Just a few more honey,” Kurt replied. “I think we’ve just about covered this tree,” he added with a laugh. Their Christmas tree was filled with ornaments of all kinds and this year, Clara had insisted on multi-colored lights and red and gold tinsel. It was quite gaudy if Kurt was being honest but he’d do anything to make his little girl happy.

“Here Clara, we’ve still got the star. You can place it on top of the tree.” Rachel said as she held the golden star out to the little girl. Clara’s face lit up as she ran over to her aunt.

“Daddy! Daddy! Lift me up!” She squealed. Kurt grinned at his daughter and lifted the little girl up onto his shoulders. He walked closer to the tree and Clara reached as far as she could until the bottom of the tree topper connected with the top of the tree.

“There! Perfect!” Rachel said. Kurt lifted Clara from his shoulders and placed her back on the living room floor.

“It’s so pretty!” Clara said. “Daddy, can we watch “Frosty the Snowman” now!” she asked.

“Sure honey, but we can’t stay up too late. You have school tomorrow and I have to be at the hospital pretty early.” Kurt told her.

“Okay. Can we have popcorn and hot chocolate though?” Clara begged. “Please, please, pretty please!” Kurt rolled his eyes. His little girl had him wrapped around her little finger and he simply couldn’t say no.

“Sure.”

“Yay!” Clara exclaimed.

“You find the DVD and Aunt Rachel and I will go get the snacks,” Kurt replied before walking into the kitchen with Rachel following close behind. He grabbed a bag of popcorn and popped it into the microwave. Then he grabbed his tea kettle to begin warming up water for the hot chocolate.

“So, Kurt… have you been talking to anyone lately.” Rachel probed.

“You mean a guy?” Kurt asked with a suspicious look on his face. Rachel was always trying to set him up with someone.  Rachel nodded. “And when would I have time to do that? I’m a single father with a five-year-old and I’m a  nurse working crazy hours. What guy is going to want to come into that?”

“Oh Kurt! You’re just making excuses. I’m sure that there are plenty of guys that would love to go on a date with you. You just won’t give them a chance.”

“That is not true!”

“Prove it!” Rachel retorted before snatching Kurt’s phone off the countertop.

“Rachel, what are you doing?”

“I’m signing you up for Tinder.”

“No! No! Absolutely no!” Kurt said before trying to grab his phone back from Rachel’s hands. To get out of his reach, Rachel ran to the other side of the kitchen. “Rachel, no one meets anyone decent on Tinder. That app is purely a site to find hookups.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Yes!” Kurt exclaimed. “I am not a hookup and never talk to a guy kind of person. Rachel, please, stop.”

“Too late. Already posted. You’re officially a tinder man.” Rachel replied, finally handing the phone over to Kurt.

“I am deleting this.”

“Just give it a chance. At least look at a few guys.” Rachel pleaded. Kurt sighed and made a face at his friend.

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Rachel squealed before running to Kurt’s side. “Okay, so if you don’t like a guy, you swipe left. And if you do, swipe right.”  The first picture came up.

“Too old,” Kurt said, swiping left.

“Too young.”

“Too hairy.” Kurt grimaced looking at the picture of the man on his phone and swiping left once again. Then the fourth picture appeared. The man had beautiful golden honey brown eyes and curly dark brown hair. He had a beautiful smile and was really quite attractive. He looked somewhat familiar but Kurt couldn’t put his finger on where he had seen the man.

“OH...MY… GOD!” Rachel exclaimed looking at the picture.

“What?”

“That’s my co-star!” Rachel said. Rachel had recently landed the role of Elphaba in a revival show of Wicked. “That’s Blaine Anderson. He’s playing Fiyero.”

“Wait, like Emmy award-winning, Blaine Anderson?” Kurt asked in disbelief.  Rachel nodded. Now, Kurt had figured out where he knew the man from. Blaine had been an up and coming star. He had guest starred on a bunch of shows before landing a lead role in a limited series and winning an Emmy for his work. Kurt had seen an interview where Blaine admitted he had always wanted to be on Broadway so getting the role of Fiyero was like a dream come true.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of him before.” Rachel said. “He’s so nice and he’s single.”

“He’s also famous,” Kurt said. “There’s no way that a celebrity is going to want to date me.”

“You won’t know that for sure unless you try.” Rachel prompted. She took Kurt’s phone from his hands and looked at the profile.

“Kurt, he already super liked you.” Rachel said in disbelief. “We made this profile like five minutes ago. This is a sign. I’m swiping right.”

“Rachel-!”

“Too late!” She said with a smirk. Kurt looked at his phone and on the screen were both his and Blaine’s pictures. The top read “It’s a Match!” 

“This is going to be a good thing,” Rachel reassured him. “Now come on. We’ve planted the seed and now we wait. Come on, We have a very inpatient five-year-old waiting for us and I personally am ready to see a snowman come to life.” Rachel said. She grabbed the popcorn and headed into the living room, leaving Kurt in the kitchen. He couldn’t stop staring at the screen. Blaine was attractive, but there was no way that he’d actually want to date a single father. Kurt already knew that this Tinder match was as far as this relationship would go...he was sure of it...well pretty sure anyway.

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine Advent Drabble: “Excess” (Rated PG)

Summary: Kurt and Blaine are both on the same page as far as getting Tracy everything she wants for Christmas ... they just go about it a little differently. (714 words)

Notes: Written for the Klaine Advent Drabble 2018 prompts momentum/ornament.

Read on AO3.

“Congratulations, Blaine! You are married to a genius!” Kurt announces when he opens their front door. “Because that’s what I am. A genius!”

“I knew that,” Blaine calls from their bedroom.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!” Kurt sheds his coat, his sweater, and his scarf as he walks through their house in search of his husband. “EBay! Tons of people buy blind bag toys by the box, open them, and then sell off the ones they don’t want. So I jumped online and found someone selling the exact LOL doll that Tracy wants! I probably paid double for it, but it saves us the heartache of buying her a handful and hoping for the best.”

“Yeah,” Blaine agrees. “Abso---absolutely.”

“’cause she’s an amazing little girl …” Kurt cuts through the kitchen to put on a pot of fresh coffee. “She’ll love anything we give her. But the dad in me doesn’t want her to be disappointed.”

“Me, neither. I don’t want that.”

“You know, far be it for me to judge the way others live their lives, but that’s kind of insane, isn’t it?” Kurt pauses by the tree to adjust a few ornaments that turned the wrong way. “I mean, those things go for ten dollars a pop! Who has the money or the time to …?”

Kurt stops in the doorway of their bedroom, his forward momentum halted by a minefield of litter – plastic wrappings, pink and blue half spheres, silver baggies, and an entire army of big-headed naked dolls, their wide eyes imploring and little arms outstretched as if begging for help.

“That’s … that’s great, love.” Blaine clears his throat of a huge lump of awkward, doing his best to make a path for his husband without bringing too much attention to what’s covering the floor. “That’s a wonderful idea. Good job.”

“Uh …” Kurt doesn’t know where to start, doesn’t have the words for the questions he’s trying to ask. So he starts off with a neutral and congenial: “What did you do today, honey?”

“Oh … I … stopped by work, held some extra lab hours … for students rushing to get their senior projects done before the winter break …”

“A-ha. Anything else?”

“I … I ran some errands …” Blaine continues, still subtly sweeping dolls and clothes and teeny tiny accessories aside. “Post office … supermarket … the mall …”

“Okay.” Kurt puts his fingertips to his forehead and sighs. “I’m going to just … address the elephant in the room.”

He hears Blaine swallow, and the crinkling sound of him cleaning ceases. “Yes?”

“How many did you open?”

“Well (another uncomfortable throat clear) they come in a case of eighteen … and I bought three cases.”

“That’s fifty-four dolls,” Kurt says, quickly doing the math in his head. He does another calculation, and his eyes become the size of bowling balls. “That’s five-hundred and forty dollars, Blaine!”

“It’s actually closer to six hundred,” Blaine corrects sheepishly. “With---with tax and all.”

Kurt shakes his head. “And … did you find the one she wants?”

“Strangely enough, no. Not at all.”

Kurt sighs further, sinking so far down into himself he simply sits right where he’s standing. “Blaine! What are we going to do with all these?”

“We could sell the ones we don’t want on eBay.”

“That’s ironic.” Kurt picks one of the dolls up off the floor and looks into its big, anime eyes. He never found these things cute in the slightest, and he hated that Tracy fell in love with them. Luckily, she’s not a ‘collector’. There are only a handful of specific ones she wants. Unfortunately, and Kurt doesn’t blame Tracy for this at all, the ones she wants are considered rares. That made things harder on him as a parent trying to track down exactly what she wants, but he applauded her for being discerning over gluttonous.

Now Kurt wishes she was a little greedier. Then they could wrap these up, stick them under the tree, and call it Christmas.

“According to the packaging, the balls double as ornaments,” Blaine offers.

“Well …” Kurt gets on his hands and knees, preparing to help his husband with the clean-up “… thank God for small favors.”

[spaceorphan18]

Scenes from December (24/24)

Klaine Advent 2022 Day Twenty-Four : Burst

****

December, 2083

Beth leaned against the archway connecting the dining room to the living room.  She folded her arms across her chest, thinking that she should have worn another shirt under her sweater.  Demetri’s Aunt Katharine always the heat cranked, and with the fireplace going, it felt more like the middle of summer than late-December.  Still, she didn’t mind so much.  Demetri himself was a raging furnace and between that and the pregnancy, she had just accepted being warm all the time.  

Besides - the holidays were her favorite part of the year.  

Beth was used to a much bigger family -- Great Aunts and third cousins twice removed always popping up around the holidays was the norm.  Demetri’s family was much smaller, but that didn’t make them any less enthusiastic a family.  And the house was as cozy and welcoming as any on her side of the family.  

The sleek, modern-designed house was fully decorated; the faux silver and blue Christmas tree perfectly decorated with gold and blue ornaments and bright, white lights stood in the corner next to the fireplace, where the stockings - plenty of them, each embroidered with a family member’s name, hung from the mantle.  The mantle itself had a cute, little display of Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a bunch of Elvin figurines depicting Christmas at the North Pole.   And hanging on the wall was a gigantic wreath that framed the oversized photo of the family - one taken just as she and Demetri had begun seriously dating. 

The photo featured Demetri’s grandfathers, sitting on chairs, looking dapper in their suits, as the rest of the family surrounded them.  Beth, herself, was barely visible in the back - she assumed (humorously) in case they needed to crop her out.  She remembered that day fondly, as it was mass chaos, and the only one who could get them all to focus was Demetri’s Grandpa Blaine who, unfortunately, had passed away the previous year.  Despite the cheery nature of the family, his absence was felt.  Though when Beth looked at Demetri - and noticed the same ridiculously shaped eyebrows, over the most loving of hazel eyes, she didn’t think Grandpa Blaine was entirely gone. 

Demetri didn’t notice her watching him.  He was too busy on the couch, discussing the old Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer claymation kids movie that was playing on TV with his cousin Abby and her wife.  On the floor were his brother's kids, taking turns with a gamepad, oblivious to the bizarre film that was playing in front of them.  The movie was drowned out by the sound of the electric piano in the back corner - Demetri’s uncle getting schooled in piano by his daughter Emma.  Meanwhile, over in the kitchen, Beth’s brother-in-law Arnold and his wife were in the kitchen - attempting to make dinner.  If she had leaned back far enough, she could have seen them arguing about the turkey possibly not being ready in time with everything else.  

In the dining room behind Beth was her mother-in-law, Tracy, and Aunt Katharine, setting the rarely used, large oak table with the fancy silverware.  Beth assumed she wasn’t supposed to be hearing the conversation happening, as it was in all hushed tones, but she couldn’t help but listen anyway.  

“I still can’t believe they said only three-to-six months,” Aunt Katharine was saying.  “He was just diagnosed.  That doesn’t seem right.” 

“Well, they won’t operate because of his age,” Beth’s mother-in-law replied.  “They’re afraid of any aggressive treatments, which, I guess is what he needs.”  

“Have you told him yet?” 

“No, the doctor told us that it might be easier to wait until after the holidays.  I figured we could sit him down and ask him what he’d like to do.” 

“Well, you know him.  He’s stubborn enough that he’ll make it a hundred on sheer willpower alone.” 

“Katie, you haven’t been around the past couple of years.  He wasn’t doing great before Dad died.  But after last year… I’m amazed he made it to this Christmas.  I don’t know about next year’s.”  

Aunt Katharine didn’t continue, as they both noticed that Beth could hear them.  Not wanting to intrude, Beth turned her attention to the subject of their conversation.  

Grandpa Kurt sat in the lounge chair on the other side of the room, snug with a knit blanket (with little bow ties) around his shoulders.  He seemed to be in good spirits.  Someone, earlier, had placed reindeer antlers that had little bells on them on his head, and he was using them to entertain his seven-month-old great-grandson, her sweet little baby boy, who sat on his lap.  There was a burst of laughter as the baby reached for the antlers, and at the last second they were pulled away.  One chubby arm reached out, trying to grab it, as both of them laughed at the game. 

Endeared, Beth made her way to that side of the room sitting on the ottoman next to the chair.  Demetri had always said he had been intimidated by his grandfather.  But Beth adored him for his quick wit and intelligent conversation.  She knew that underneath all those rough edges was a soft and sweet inside.  Maybe she saw that legacy in her husband, too.    

“Glad you guys could make it out to Ohio this year.”  Grandpa Kurt continued to play with the baby as he made conversation with her.  “The snow makes it hard to travel.” 

Beth smiled.  “Yes, but family’s important.  We wanted to make sure we came this year.” She rubbed her baby’s back, the little boy seeming quite at home on his great-grandfather’s lap.  

She didn’t need to elaborate on why she wanted to make sure they came this year.  As much as he seemed to be enjoying the moment, there was a weariness in his eyes that she had never noticed before.  She had a hunch that her mother-in-law was probably right.  This would be their last Christmas with him.  But at least they had this time together.  At least he would get to know her little boy, even if it were for only a short time.  At least that bit of love shared would be passed down and remembered and cherished.  

Grandpa Kurt leaned forward, finally letting the baby grab on to the antlers, making the shake and jingle.  The baby laughed gleefully.  

“Are you having fun, Kurt?” Beth asked. 

Grandpa Kurt was quick to reply.  “Why yes - I’ve been known to steal focus at many a party.” 

Beth chuckled. “You know I was talking to the baby.  But I’m glad you’re having fun, too.” 

“Clearly, the mix-ups were bound to be inevitable.  Why on Earth would you name a baby Kurt, anyway?” 

Beth reached out her hand to give his a loving squeeze.  “Well, it was a pretty easy decision to name him after you.”

[whatstheproblembaby]

Klaine Advent Day 12 - Limited

“I’m liiiimited. Just look at me - I’m liiiiimiteeeed. And just look at you, you can do all I couldn’t do, Blaiiiiine. So nooooow it’s up tooo youuuuuu-”

“I see your painkillers kicked in,” Blaine laughed, placing the final ornament gently on the tree before turning to where Kurt was snuggled up on the couch. “You feeling better?”

“Snug as a bug in a rug,” Kurt said. Blaine could see a bit of a glaze in his eyes. “And the tree looks sooo pretty, Blaine! Really good.”

“Glad you think so,” Blaine said, smiling. “You’ll have to tell me if you feel the same way when you’re sober.”

“Of course I will,” Kurt said. “Everything you do is so good.”

“You sure about that? I didn’t quite manage to catch you in time when you skidded on that ice earlier, and now....”

“S’not your fault I’m clumsy,” Kurt said, shaking his head dismissively. “And it’s only a sprained ankle. If I’d had to get an amputation or something, we might be having words, but this? This is nothing.”

“So that’s where the line is. Good to know,” Blaine said, coming over to the couch. He gently lifted Kurt’s bad leg, placing it on his lap as he sat down. “You’re right - the tree does look pretty from here.”

“I’m always right, Blaine.”

“If you say so,” Blaine said, stifling a snicker as he reached for the remote. “Now, how do you feel about watching A Christmas Prince while high on pain medication?”

“YES.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”