Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Glee; it all belongs to 20th Century Fox, Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, et al. I write these stories purely for enjoyment; no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is a small moment that came to me after watching the Christmas special, and while it's late, I hope all of you are enjoying the New Year and have had very happy holidays.

Blessings

As the taping for the Christmas special finished and everyone was streaming off the stage, chatting excitedly about going over to the homeless shelter, Kurt felt Blaine pull at his arm, bringing them off to the side of the stage, into the shadows and out of sight of the others. Without a word, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, and Kurt could feel him shaking with some suppressed emotion.

"Blaine?" he murmured, resting a hand at the nape of his boyfriend's neck.

"I am so thankful we will never have to live like that," Blaine said fiercely. His voice was muffled by Kurt's shoulder, but Kurt could hear the anger and anguish clearly. He carefully set his hands on either side of Blaine's face and lifted his head up.

"Closeted, you mean?" Kurt said gently, moving one hand to rest on Blaine's cheek. Blaine nuzzled into his hand and nodded, closing his eyes and blanketing, temporarily, the hurt that had radiated from them.

Kurt understood. The vintage tone of the special had made him feel more than a little awkward, in a way their other friends in New Directions never would comprehend. Having fought so hard just to be himself and acknowledge his sexuality, having endured the terrifying feeling of being bullied simply for who he was, Kurt could not imagine having to spend his entire life hiding his love and desires, nor did he want to.

"I know it was supposed to be just – fun, and humorous, a tribute to and a parody of all of those old Christmas specials from the fifties and sixties," Blaine said tremulously, opening his eyes and focusing intently on his boyfriend. "I didn't expect it to feel the way it did. I want all of those things with you, Kurt – a beautiful home, having our friends over for the holidays, singing carols with you and watching the snow come down. I want every bit of that, but I never want to hide who we are. I never want to hide who you are to me."

Kurt pulled Blaine in and kissed him, trying to convey his promise without words. "I never want that, either," he agreed tenderly. "When you think about it, we are so lucky. Even with everything we've been through, we don't have to pretend to be something we're not. The world is getting better – slowly, but it's getting better." He grinned then, just a touch of his inner diva showing through. "We are out and proud and in love, and that's the way it should be."

Kurt's face softened again as he leaned in to place a kiss on Blaine's lips. "I want all of those things, too," he whispered. "Every one of them."

Blaine smiled against his mouth, pulling him even closer before kissing him again. "I love you so much," he said fervently. "Merry Christmas, Kurt."

Kurt rubbed their noses together, in the touch that had become a constant reminder of their love for each other. "Merry Christmas, Blaine."