AN: haha uhm so this one's really short but i keep getting distracted and this is mostly just a filler so you'll have to bear with me for now:P the chapter after this one (hah!) is going to be LOADS LOADS LOADS BETTER. i know their relationship is moving at snail speed but just take a dDEEP BREATH they will make it there I SWEAR!

also: THE GLEE SEASON FOUR PROMO JUST RELEASED ON TUMBLR I LAM DLFKM SDFLJ

another also: for all those klainers out there, keep your heads high. we're going to make it through this. (if you don't know what i'm talking about, i won't spoil it for you:P)

Warning: there is kind of romantic seblaine ahead (but you don't have to worry i hate seblaine with a passion so it won't be anything too serious I SWEAR SCOUT'S HONOR)

also, this chapter is pretty quick:P my apologies in advance!

Scarves

Blaine can't get last night out of his head.

He keeps seeing Kurt, head tipped back and eyes closed; keeps imagining how wonderful it would feel to press their mouths together, soft and sweet and then entirely desperate.

If he wasn't already an insomniac, he thinks he'd have been up all night, anyway.

" –aine? Hey, Blaine!"

Jerked from his thoughts, Blaine jumps a bit and turns his head to face Sebastian. "Y-yah?"

Sebastian sighs and rolls his eyes, nodding towards a store coming up on their left. "Wanna stop and shop for a bit? I know your mom wants you home…"

"Fine. It's fine. She won't care."

Sebastian turns for a moment, angling his head away from the road to look at his friend. "You okay? You've been a lot spacey-er than usual, which is really kind of saying something."

Blaine shakes his head, kind of unwilling to share his thoughts on Kurt even with Sebastian, who has been there through all of Blaine's previous crushes (not that Kurt is a crush, no, Blaine's just a teenager and Kurt is attractive and gay and ugh, okay, maybe it's a crush – just a little one though, he swears).

"Just tired, is all."

Sebastian nods slowly, pulling into the store's parking lot and not saying a word until he's parked and the car is off. "You're sure? You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

Blaine smiles, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I know, Seb. Like I said, I'm just tired. This whole not sleeping this is kind of taking its toll on me."

Frowning, Sebastian unbuckles his seatbelt and reaches over to squeeze Blaine's hand. He pulls away quickly, but with a reassuring grin brightening his features. "You'll get through it, B. Ever considered seeing a doctor? Or even just telling your mom about it?"

As they start walking towards the store's entrance, Blaine rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "You know my mom. She'd start freaking out for no apparent reason, and would probably have a doctor flown all the way in from California or New York – just to tell me that I'm an insomniac, which is knowledge that I'm already very well aware of."

"Yah, but I mean, isn't there like…"

Sebastian trails off suddenly, staring pointedly at something hanging above them as they make their way into the store.

Following his gaze, Blaine's stomach does an uneasy flip.

Mistletoe.

Technically, this won't be the first time they've kissed. It's happened plenty of times before – at parties when they were dared to and during sleepovers when they were punch drunk and curious.

It's just that this is different.

Sebastian turns to face him, a sparkle in his eye that Blaine would otherwise roll his eyes at. "We don't have…"

But Blaine cuts him off, pushing their mouths together in a simple and chaste little peck of a kiss. No tongue, no teeth, and no touching of any sort besides that of their mouths.

It's nice, and Sebastian tastes like cherries, but that's all Blaine can get out of it.

One of the women behind the counter claps her hands over her mouth and squeals excitedly.

"Well, let's shop, shall we?" Blaine asks, grinning widely and stepping nonchalantly into the store.

Sebastian's eyes flutter open. "Uhm, y-yah. Let's."

Christmas is Kurt's favorite time of year.

Hot chocolate, bulky sweaters, cuddling (though he's only ever done that with girls, so it doesn't count as much as it probably should), lights, snow, decorating the tree, exchanging presents, singing corny little Christmas songs in glee club…

He loves it, and it's even more exciting this year because he gets to share some of the experience with Blaine.

It's three days before the actually holiday itself hits, and Kurt is sitting at their usual spot in the Lima Bean, watching snow fall outside while sipping at his hot chocolate.

He has no idea that Blaine is already inside, watching him with wide, awestruck eyes before shaking his head and walking over, thinking it no time to get caught up in a crush that will surely never go anywhere.

We're just friends, Anderson. Get that through your head.

"Hey there, stranger," he greets warmly, sitting across from Kurt and setting a carefully wrapped present on the table.

Kurt's smile is bright and energetic, and Blaine vaguely remembers Kurt telling him over one of their late-night phone conversations that December always had him in a considerably better mood than during the rest of the year. "Hey yourself." He, too, reaches to snatch a package from under his chair, wrapped in glittery red paper and tied up with an artfully tied silver ribbon.

They hadn't decided to buy each other presents this year, and had in fact protested against the idea, but it seems they've both broken their own decision.

Blaine raises his eyebrows. "You didn't have to – "

"Hush," Kurt protests, pushing the package towards his friend. "No use in saying I didn't have to when I already did."

Blaine's mouth curls into a soft, slightly shy smile as he nudges his own package across the table. "Fine, fine. It's not…much so don't…"

Kurt hushes him again. "Whatever it is will be perfect, now shush."

Blaine swallows, shakes his head a tiny bit, and starts working on unwrapping the present, careful not to actually rip the paper because he's always been a little OCD about such things.

Across from him, Kurt rips at the paper and rolls his eyes at Blaine, but with a small smile as he sets to opening the white box his actual present lies in.

When he sees what lies inside, folded carefully and pressed into neatly layered tissue paper, his heart jumps into his throat and he can't breathe. "Blaine…"

Holding his Christmas-themed bowtie, Blaine looks up at Kurt with a stupidly brilliant grin, only to have it fade when he mistakes Kurt's shock for disappointment. "Oh, y-you don't like it? I'm…I'm so sorry, Kurt…"

"Shut up," Kurt whispers, glancing at Blaine quickly before turning his focus back to the present sitting before him.

A deep blue scarf – hand-knitted, according to the tag – with white stripes looping around the ends.

Kurt had long since forgotten their stop at that scarf rack during their impromptu shopping trip, though seeing the garment now rekindles the need to gush over how perfect it is.

Fingers shaking just a little, he reaches into the box and pulls it out, running his fingers over the material while physically unable to stop the smile curling across his mouth. "You remembered. You actually remembered."

Blaine shifts, clearly not sure as to what Kurt's emotions actually are. "Yah, of course I did." Like I'd ever forget.

"Blaine it's…" He swallows hard and looks across the table, at the boy in the Dalton Academy blazer. At the boy he never thought he'd ever meet, let alone befriend, let alone fall for.

There's no denying it now, not with this scarf and Blaine's shy smile and Blaine's comforting words and their late-night phone conversations and their coffee dates that aren't actually dates…

"I love it," he says quietly.

And he's not just talking about the scarf.

What have I gotten myself into?

Face relaxing in relief, Blaine smiles pleasantly and takes a quick sip of coffee. "I love your present, too." His voice is warm and light as he turns the simple bowtie – speckled in miniature Christmas trees – over in his hands. "Like, I really love it. Bowties are kind of my thing."

Kurt just nods, still kind of caught in the weight of his realization.

Blaine looks up and reaches across the table to give Kurt's hand a quick squeeze, barely fighting the urge to sigh in relief at the contact. It feels nice – Kurt's skin on his.

"I have a feeling this Christmas is gonna rock," Blaine says with a wide grin.

And Kurt can hardly help it when he laughs, although he's internally missing the weight of Blaine's hand atop his own. "Yah, I can agree with that statement."

They sip their coffee slowly then, doing everything in their power to keep the conversation going for as long as it can.

With Christmas coming up later in the week, they know they'll hardly have any time to talk, let alone actually be with each other. They want to savor this while it lasts.

They laugh and talk quietly over anything and everything, ranging quickly from school to family plans.

Blaine plans on spending both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at his grandparent's house, about which he raves almost endlessly about his grandmother's chocolate-chip cookies. "Seriously, Kurt, I'm going to have to save you some. They are literally the best thing I've ever tasted."

Kurt is going to spend those two days quietly, helping Carole cook big dinners for both nights while Finn's grandparents stay over until sometime after New Year's. (His own grandparents live down in Florida and refuse to return to Ohio, with its cold temperatures and, god forbid, snow.)

"Which is something I'll never understand," Kurt comments with an eye roll. "The snow is probably my favorite part about this time of year."

"Agreed," Blaine says with a quick and eager nod. "I love waking up to a world of white."

And, unbeknownst to each other, they're both thinking the same thing.

We could have been made for each other.

Things are moving smoothly, though at a slow pace. Blaine wants to capture the moment and keep it going well into the night, especially after something he doesn't see or understand ruins it.

Eyes catching on something over his shoulder, Kurt's jaw falls slack and his pupils blow wide in what Blaine can only describe as fear.

"Kurt? What's wrong?"

He makes to turn around, but Kurt stops him by leaning across the table and slipping a finger across his bottom lip.

The world stops moving.

Fear replaced with shock, Kurt pulls his finger away slowly. "Uh, th-there was something on your lip…"

Blaine reaches up to brush his own thumb across the soft flesh, brain very close to short-circuiting. Kurt did…he had been so close…

He's just about to flip the table and steal Kurt's mouth in a kiss when the other boy stands up very suddenly, keeping his eyes glued to the table. "C-can we go? I mean, can…can you walk me out? I need to…I need to go home."

Wait, what?

"Kurt…"

"I-I'm sorry, Blaine, but something came up and…"

Blaine stands up slowly, wondering how this whole thing fell out of control but not willing to dwell on it for Kurt's sake. Though Blaine doesn't know what, something has spooked his friend, and he doesn't like it.

"Of course I'll walk you out."

Kurt moves quickly to his side, eyes still glued to the floor and body stiff.

Without putting much thought into the action, Blaine rests his hand on the small of Kurt's back, probably a little more protective than he should be, but too confused and high on the thrill of the touch to care.

He doesn't see Dave Karofsky standing in line or notice the way his eyes trail up the length of Kurt's body.

And he definitely doesn't see the cold stare he's given in response to his hand on Kurt's back.

True to his word, Blaine walks Kurt out to his car.

He slips his hand away with a rueful smile.

"Thank you," Kurt whispers quietly.

Blaine watches him for a second. He's never been very good at reading people, but it's clear to see just how upset Kurt is. His eyes are downcast and his back is just a little too straight, and he keeps playing with the edges of the wrapping paper he'd forgotten to throw away.

"Hey," Blaine intones, taking a step closer. Kurt's body responds to their proximity, loosening up enough that his shoulders sag and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief. "Wanna tell me what happened back there?"

A bitter smile pulls at Kurt's mouth. "Just…jumpy, I guess. One of the guys in there…he…he looked like one of the guys that beat me up back in that alley."

Understanding twists in Blaine's stomach. "Oh, Kurt – "

"Don't," Kurt says suddenly, although nod unkindly. He looks down at Blaine and his eyes warm a bit. "I don't want to think about it anymore than I already have to."

Wanting to say more but knowing that there's nothing he can, Blaine squeezes Kurt's arm and lets his hand linger for a bit longer than necessary. "You don't to go through any of this alone, okay? I'll always be here. And…I mean, I know what it's like. I've been there, too."

Kurt wants to ask more, but now isn't the time.

He looks down at his scarf and twists the yarn around his hands. "I really do love my present. It's perfect."

Blaine chuckles and plucks his bowtie out of his jacket pocket. "We do pretty great together, huh?"

Yes, yes, we do.

Now, if their story had been different – if they had met under different, happier circumstances, this would have been the part where they kissed. In fact, they probably would have already been together, ducking behind Kurt's car to snag a last few kisses before the holiday inevitably tore them apart for a week or two.

But indeed, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson had met under the worst of circumstances, and fate was not on their side – at least not in that moment.

Later, though, if they were lucky.

Kurt breaks, though, and does pull Blaine into a bone-crushing hug, melting fully into the press of the other boy's body against his own.

The embrace probably lasts a bit longer than it should, but they're both too caught up to notice, and it's not like they both aren't enjoying it. Blaine buries his head in Kurt's neck, inhaling the sweet, spicy scent of cinnamon and something a little darker that he can't quite place.

If things were different…

There's a soft layer of snow forming around them, blanketed gradually by the fat, puffy flakes falling from the sky.

There's an ache in Kurt's bones, but he ignores it and pulls back.

"Have a nice Christmas, Blaine."

"You too, Kurt."

And then Kurt gets into his car while Blaine goes into his, and they drive away.

Admittedly, Karfosky had gotten to Kurt a lot more than he'd let on (and he still feels guilty for not telling Blaine, but he was afraid of what the other man's reaction might have been).

Karofsky had actually winked at Kurt.

Re-living it actually sends chills down Kurt's spine, and it's only with his well-trained sense of self-control that he's able to keep himself from crying on the ride home.

Luckily, his father is in the garage and Carole is still at work, and Finn is sleeping soundly on the couch.

He runs up to his room, closes the door quietly, and slides down until he's curled up on the floor.

It takes a lot of deep, even breaths, but he's eventually able to pull himself together.

Karofsky can't touch you. Not here, not now.

He looks down at his scarf, and a sweet warmth blossoms comfortably in his chest.

And for the first time in weeks, Kurt Hummel feels well and truly safe.