Day 1: Achievement/Hallmark

"I can't believe I have to watch this," Kurt groans (not for the first time), crossing his arms and slouching on the couch in a huff.

"Oh, come on," Blaine retorts, sitting beside his husband and nudging him gently with an elbow as he places a large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. "This is a big deal for Rachel. It's her first movie!"

"It's a Hallmark Christmas movie, Blaine! Hallmark!" Kurt argues.

"I know it's not Scorsese, but it's still quite an achievement for her," Blaine reasons. He pauses, taking in Kurt's scowl, and offers, "But if you really don't want to watch it tonight, we can DVR it and watch it another time."

"No," Kurt acquiesces, sitting up properly and reaching for a fluffy, buttered kernel. "We may as well get it out of the way. Besides, I've got five bucks that says Rach calls me the second it's over, wanting me to tell her all about how wonderful it was."

Blaine chuckles and nods, knowing Kurt is probably right. "Well, just keep an open mind and maybe you'll like it?" he says, the sentence unintentionally coming out as a question.

Kurt rolls his eyes dramatically. "Oh, sure. 'Big city girl returns to small hometown to save family business at Christmas, meets way-too-handsome-for-a-small-town guy who helps her save the day, all while finding the meaning of true love and realizing that everything she ever wanted was in her small hometown all along'."

Blaine notes the time and clicks the remote to turn on the television. "Is that the plot for her movie?"

Kurt leans in and stage whispers, "That's the plot for ALL the movies." Blaine doesn't have time to reply to that jab, as the opening credits begin to roll on the screen.

Blaine is surprised that Kurt is relatively quiet for the next two hours as they watch. He throws in a couple of comments early on, like when the inevitable first product placement occurs and Rachel's character is extolling the virtues of the box of Lindor chocolates she received. "You know that's what we're getting from her for Christmas, right?" Kurt quips, earning another light elbow from Blaine. But as the storyline unfolds, Kurt's cracks end and he pays more attention. He even wraps an arm around Blaine when Blaine snuggles into him while Rachel's character and her incredibly handsome beau take a sleigh ride.

As the closing credits start to scroll, Blaine lifts his head from Kurt's shoulder to ask his thoughts. "So, what did you…Kurt? Are you crying?"

Kurt's eyes are shining and he wipes quickly at a stray tear on his cheek. "No," he denies weakly. "It's my contacts. It's really dry in here."

Blaine smiles and holds him a little closer. "Honey, you don't wear contacts," he teases, kissing his cheek lightly and catching the last tear in the process. "You liked the movie, didn't you?"

"It was cheesy," Kurt grumbles.

"Mmm hmm."

"It was corny," he continues.

"Yep."

"It was totally unrealistic," he adds.

"Totally," Blaine mockingly agrees.

A beat of silence ensues, and then Kurt lets out a long sigh, dropping his head backwards onto the couch. "Then why did I love that movie?" he cries out in exasperation.

Blaine shifts and reaches out to softly guide Kurt's head to his shoulder. "You liked it because deep down, beneath that sophisticated, worldly, New Yorker exterior, despite everything you've seen and everything you've been through, you're still the same hopeless romantic I fell in love with."

And that, Kurt decides as he gives Blaine a quick kiss and picks up his ringing phone to answer Rachel's call, is its own kind of achievement.

A/N: Hi! After missing last year's Advent, I'm going to try to participate again this year. I hope you all enjoy! I used both the Klaine Advent Drabble prompt and the Glee Potluck Big Bang prompt for today because it happened to work out. If I can work both into future chapters, I will; otherwise, I'll only use the Advent prompt.