#dani lives

Let’s get this holiday season started with stories I never finished last year. My November is dedicated to finishing some of the hundred or so stories half-finished in my folders! Here’s about 1400 words of holiday fluff. 

Written for Klaine Advent 2018 prompt: ribbon

Costarring Rachel Berry

(This is sort of an AU, since the timeline got all confusing for me. Suffice it to say, this happens either in an actual Christmas set in season 5, or perhaps one set the next Christmas after they all return to NYC [and for some reason, are still in the loft? And Dani still exists? And Rachel isn’t in Funny Girl? Whatever]. And some version of the events of Previously Unaired Christmas happened [probably not the robbery]. Oh, and as in that AU, Bergdorf’s is still open and has live window displays.)

“I for one think that getting the exposure that Bergdorf’s windows provides will just be a plus for our future endeavors,” Rachel stated.

“That’s what you said last year about being Santa’s elves, and look how that turned out,” Kurt said. They were sitting huddled under blankets on the couch in the loft, waiting—again—for the heat to return.  And he suspected that a chunk of ice had lodged itself in his heart in the frigid room. He wanted to just disappear under a mountain of blankets in his bed with Blaine’s furnace-like warmth. Not listen to Rachel’s absurd holiday plans.

Blaine came over to the couch, balancing a tray with hot cocoa and his latest attempt at rugelach, still warm from the oven. He slid under a corner of the blanket. “Still, you were so cute in your elf costume, Kurt.”

“What?” Kurt asked, a cookie halfway to his mouth.

“Did you think there weren’t any pictures? Santana’s Finsta was full of them. Guess she sent them to Britt to comfort her over the end of the world or something. She showed them to—well, to me, and Sam, of course, and to Finn.”

They both looked at Rachel, but she smiled in memory. “Finn told me on more than one occasion how—I believe the word he used was ‘sweet’—I looked in my costume. I would have preferred ‘sexy,’ but, you know, he was what he was.” She squeezed Kurt’s hand under the blanket.

“Well, I for one agree with Finn. You all were sweet—and sexy,” Blaine said. “Seriously, Kurt. I want to see your hair in a swoop like that again.”

“I’m sorry that you’re going to have to be disappointed. All I remember is that I had a bald patch for a week where a kid stuffed a lollipop under my elf hat.”

“And our shoes got covered in vomit. Remember that kid, Kurt?” Rachel shivered.

“And yet you want me to go through with another of your schemes?” Kurt rolled his eyes at her.

“It looks like it could be a great opportunity to be seen. AND to show off our versatility. They’re going to do ALL the songs from one of the seminal Christmas specials…”  

“NOT Rudolph. I still have flashbacks from the Island of Misfit Toys rehearsals.”

“Well, actually—”

“OMG, how are we supposed to wear couture while singing We Are Santa’s Elves?”

She sighed, pulling up the details her contact had sent. “No couture this year. I think each window will be used to display a different department—like Silver and Gold for jewelry and Fame and Fortune for leather goods—you know, like hand bags and…”

“Just tell me what color shoes with turned-up toes you are planning on squeezing me into this year, Rachel, so I can refuse and get on with my life.”

But Blaine was intrigued. Of course he was. “How would we sing different songs, though?”

“That’s why I need you—and San, or maybe even Artie or Sam. Or—do you think Elliott would do it? Because we would work as a team, and my friend says we have a better chance if we APPLY as a team—rotating through the windows somehow.”

“With different vocal ranges, I would assume?” Blaine had pulled up a playlist with the Rudolph soundtrack.                                    

“Blaine. Why are you encouraging her in this?”

“Because—because it’s Christmas in New York, Kurt! And—” he turned to Rachel. “I want to do it—IF we can avoid elf costumes. I had enough of them at Kings’ Island to last me—”

We’re on a break in between swim seasons right now, but he and his mom just showed up at my house and gave me a bag with some gifts in it as a thank you, and I was just stunned and so happy while they were at the door and didn’t look to closely in the bag, but I checked just now and at the bottom was his medal that he won! He gifted me the medal that he earned!