“Yeah. Absolutely. Cure for frozen bones, that’s… probably what she was going for.” He playfully muffled those last few words against the rim of his mug as he took another sip, licking the remaining nog off his lips. He could make fun of Grandma Esther’s very likely semi-alcoholism but bottom line was that recipe was delicious and it certainly livened the hell up of any party. Even if he had been able to enjoy that particular effect of the beverage, he was sure that in that scenario, he wouldn’t need it. All those melancholic thoughts that took over at night, keeping Barry from sleeping a wink, Blaine had swept away without even trying. Just by existing that young man managed to get past all the burden that had befallen him all those years and get to the person the scientist used to be, to the point he suspected if he thought about the kind of man he had turned into, he wouldn’t recognize himself; he would be unable to justify what at other times come across as almost logical. That was one of his favorite things about Blaine ( he was trying to cut down on those, for the list was getting too long for it to be normal ): not only was he the kind that would brighten one’s mood just by walking into the room– he also inspired him to want to be a better person around him.
“You could have used being a pretty lucid sleepwalker in school?” Although, especially through college, that was what some days felt like in school, dragging his feet through hallways after having gotten close to not sleep, barely able to put two and two together. He figured that must have been the experience of most students. “Oh–” Eyebrows shot in surprise. “And I mean… am I worth the special occasion, or did you wanna tell me your friend’s name so I don’t accidentally bring this up if I ever meet ‘im?” In spite of his joke, Barry knew perfectly well the answer to the first question was the one he was looking forward to the most. “Right?” he couldn’t help agreeing as he looked around his home. “I’m looking for a place of my own ‘cause, you know– it’s long overdue, but… I don’t know, I’ve lived in here since I was eleven except when I left for college.” He glanced his way and shrugged his shoulder with a tight smile, as a way to apologize for not being able to come up with clearer words. “I don’t know, it’s hard to picture myself anywhere but here.” Or perhaps it was the people living inside the house he couldn’t see himself away from. Blaine’s next move caught him off guard, and for a second, Barry looked adopted an awestruck, flushed, foolish expression, like a teenager omg-ing inside after their crush turned to talk to them for the very first time. “Yeah. Sure.” A bright grin on his lips, he put his own mug aside, dusting his hands off in his jeans before he took Blaine’s, leading towards the dining room. “We always go for the more… traditional kinda theme. You know, tinsels and candy canes and mistletoe and… the kinda stuff you see on an NBC Christmas Special, I guess.”
“Couldn’t we all? Okay. Only if I could’ve gotten some of my work done while half-asleep.” He mused over the rim of his mug savoring the smell of cinnamon and eggnog underneath his nose. A small huff of laughter caused a rippling wave in the thick liquid. “Scratch that. I’m pretty sure I did pull that off on more than one occasion now that I’ve thought about it.” Stopping at the question, Blaine lowered his mug and ran the edges of the top row of his teeth across the corner of his bottom lip. “You would be the special occasion. You and your company,” his voice was lower and waivered just a tad. A bit of insecurity showed in how his smile jerked back into place, wobbly at first but still there. Was that too much? Did he imply too much with that? Christ, he didn’t want to scare him off by crossing a line he wasn’t sure where the beginning was.
“I haven’t had anyone at my place or actually showed up to somewhere I was invited to for a Christmas or two,” he tried justifying his answer without dismissing the fact that he was truly happy that Barry was the one to break the cycle of only phone calls and dinners for one that tapered off to nothing special after the first depressing year of way too many leftovers by being someone he found himself incapable of saying no to or giving some flimsy excuse to avoid visiting. “So..yeah. I meant the first part way more than the second.” Considering the person in question and Barry meeting was about as far from a possibility that it could be.
Jumping at the chance for a change of subject. Both from where he might’ve put his shoe in his mouth and possibly lead the conversation into topics far too dismal for the last waking hours of Christmas night. Blaine hopped off of the couch and followed happily behind Barry stopping in front of the tree with a slack jawed look of awe. The tree was beautiful from the distant view of the living room. Seeing it up close though? Filled Blaine’s stomach and chest with a warmth that put the one from the spiked eggnog to shame. “It’s gorgeous,” he reached out and carefully pressed the tip of his finger underneath a particularly shiny golden icicle shaped ornament smiling at the warped and weird reflection of them on it’s surface. “NBC Christmas Special or not? You can tell happy people put this together and that’s what’s important. Isn’t it?” His head cocked to the side and he made an unconscious pout as he moved the ornament to the left and right watching it gleam and shine. Definitely a house full of happiness and love. All shown in the pretty package of a tree that was utterly breathtaking. Not that it needed it. You could feel it radiating from the walls here.
pianokeysandbowties back up 