Kurt stands in front of the picture he's been working on for a few weeks. Rubbing his brow, feeling paint smear across his skin, he wonders if he took on a new medium too soon. He's been working with paint for about a year and a half now and it's a bit tougher than he first anticipated. Shoving his hands in the openings of his paint stained overalls; he gets a good look at his picture.

He wants to throw the picture out the window and start over with his charcoals that he's comfortable with. But doing that would only result in him getting further frustrated and upset. And it's already too late to start over on this piece when he has less than a month left before the opening.

Walking out of the room Blaine and he turned into a place he could work, Kurt goes to the kitchen and finds him sitting at the island eating lunch and finishing reading the morning paper.

It's been a little over three years since that day at the Anderson's home when Blaine told him that he was in love with him and they left together. Staying with Tilly for a few days afterwards until they could get their bearings, they went to New York after talking about what they wanted to do. With the money Tilly was adamant about him taking after she learned what he did, they used some of that to move into the apartment they now live in.

He started taking a few classes at an art school a few months after they moved to New York. The classes were great for the few months he attended them. But, he was right in the end, that taking the classes wasn't exactly for him and what he needed. So, he works at home when Blaine isn't there, liking the distraction of paints and charcoals and acrylics until he gets home.

Once, he asked Blaine if he hated him for not working in the traditional sense and staying home. Blaine reassured him that whatever he did was fine by him as long as he was happy, even if it meant he stayed home and drew just for himself. Kurt held him close and thanked him and told him he loved him so much, saying in a joking manner he would make up for it when he became a famous artist. Blaine said he shouldn't joke when it will happen for real.

So, here he is now, trying to finish off the last piece for the gallery he rented to make his grand debut into the art world.

"I think this gallery showing was a terrible idea," Kurt moans as he sits down next to Blaine, resting his head on his shoulder.

"Still the painting?" Blaine asks even though he doesn't have to.

"Yes," Kurt replies. "One day it looks great to me and the next it looks like it belongs in a landfill."

"How about you show me this ever mysterious painting and I can tell you what I think?"

"Not gonna happen. You have to wait 'til opening night," Kurt tells him. It's something he asked Blaine for when he got the gallery and immediately knew what the main piece would be. He wants to surprise him with the picture. If he ever finishes the damn thing! "Besides, you always like my stuff."

"Because there all amazing and easy to like." Blaine smiles at him, giving him a kiss that quickly becomes heated.

Kurt steps off his stool and pulls Blaine off the one he's sitting on.

"Come on," he seductively says. "We can have some fun in the shower."

Heading to the bathroom as he kisses Blaine, letting him undo the clips of the overalls, feeling it fall and hang around his waist. Pulling Blaine's shirt over his head, he lifts his arms as Blaine does the same for him. Giggling when Blaine lifts him up, wrapping his legs around his waist, Kurt loves that he has yet, and probably never will, tire of being with him.

~

Stepping out of the shower and drying off, Kurt stands in front of the mirror in the bathroom and dries his hair, noticing his hands shaking with nerves.

He never though this day would come after five months of work.

Everything that he's done so far with his art has lead up to this for him. This is his big day. This is the day he shows the world, but more like the art world of New York, who he is. This is when he can start to make a name for himself and people can start to, hopefully, recognize him for what he does and loves. This is his grand debut.

Walking out to the bedroom, he finds Blaine in only his underwear scouring the closet for something to wear.

"It doesn't have to be too formal, Blaine," Kurt reminds him. "Just something nice."

"I know, babe, but this is your big night and I want to look nice for you." He sees Blaine pull a pair of pants and consider them for a second before putting them back.

Going up to him and wrapping his arms around his waist, he kisses the back of Blaine's neck, breathing in the smell of bodywash and a smell that is all Blaine lingering on his skin and smiles. "I love you," he says against his neck.

"I love you, too," Blaine says back.

"Now sit down and I'll choose something for you." Kurt kisses the back of his neck again and shoos him away.

Looking through his clothes, he picks a pair black dress pants and simple button up shirt. Handing them to Blaine, he starts to dress as well.

Hands shaking as he does every button of his shirt, Kurt begins to get scared of no one showing up. Blaine's hands covering his calm his nerves a tad, but not enough to make him less scared. "What if no one comes?" he worriedly asks as he looks up at Blaine.

"They will," Blaine tells him as he finishes buttoning his shirt. "If not, I plan to make this night memorable."

"How, may I ask, do you plan on doing that?"

"It's a surprise." Blaine grins at him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close.

Kurt moans into the kiss Blaine gives him, knowing with at least Blaine by his side this night won't be so terrifying for him.

~

Holding Blaine's hand tight in his, Kurt walks into the gallery and stops in his tracks when he sees the crowd of people inside admiring his work and talking with each other. Getting a bit shy when everybody notices him, he smiles when Blaine quietly whispers a congratulations into his ear.

"Thanks," he softly replies, giving him a quick kiss.

"You two always warm my heart." Kurt looks to where he heard the familiar voice and flings himself at Tilly standing a few inches from him.

"Tilly!" he yells a little too loudly. He hugs her tight, feeling him squeeze her arms around him. "I've missed you."

"You saw me six months ago, Kurt," Tilly says with a small laugh, finally letting him go.

"I still missed you."

"I know. I missed you, too. It's good to see you, too, Blaine," she says.

Blaine hugs her and she hugs back. "It's great seeing you again, Till," he tells her.

"Are you taking care of my Kurt?" she jokingly asks, playfully staring him down. "I don't want to hurt you if you aren't."

"Yes, Till," Blaine replies with a little chuckle. "I think I'm doing a pretty great job so far."

"He's been amazing, as usual, Till," Kurt butts in and says, smiling at Blaine. "How's the world?"

"Beautiful and big," Tilly replies with a chuckle. "You two should let me take you somewhere. It's the least I could do."

"Nah," Kurt responds as he shakes his head. "You deserved it. Not us."

"You're still not going to tell Blaine and me how you got so much money?" Tilly questions as she reaches over and smoothes out Kurt's shirt.

"Nope." Kurt smiles, minutely shaking his head.

"Trust me, Till," Blaine adds. "I've tried. But he's keeping his lips sealed on that secret."

"Have you talked to Kennedy lately?" Tilly asks to change the subject.

"She called me this morning to congratulate me and wish me good luck," Kurt tells her as he wraps his arm around Blaine's waist. "She said she was sorry her and Riley couldn't make it tonight."

"We can show her the gallery when she visits in a few weeks," Blaine says into his ear.

"Yeah," Kurt agrees.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hummel, may I talk to you for a few minutes?" A middle-aged man in a sports coat and black glasses asks him.

"Sure," Kurt responds. He looks to Blaine as if not sure what to do.

"Don't worry," Blaine says as he gives him a quick kiss. "I need to talk to Till about something anyways."

"Okay." Kurt nods his head and watches Blaine walk off with Tilly by his side to the nearby small bar set up.

Turning his attention to the man who wanted to talk to him, he tries not to think about what Blaine needed to talk to Tilly about.

After talking to Perry, an art critic, for a few minutes, Kurt goes to where Blaine is still with a now upset looking Tilly.

"What's wrong?" he asks, worried something bad happened.

"Oh, nothing," Tilly says as she dabs her eyes. "I'm just so happy for everything good happening to you."

"What did you talk to her about, Blaine? You made her cry."

"They're happy tears," Tilly reassures him.

"I said nothing wrong," Blaine defends even though he has a sly smile on his face.

"I'm on to you, Anderson," Kurt teasingly says, playfully glaring at him. "Come on." He takes Blaine's hand and starts to walk away from Tilly. "I promised I'd show you the painting."

"Oh, the panting!" Blaine exclaims as if he forgot.

Leading him to the back of the gallery and behind a wall, about twenty people all admiring the one picture hanging up, he stops in front of the painting and hears Blaine gasp.

The picture is of Blaine from when they were at the apartment for those few days. He sits on the couch facing him, head resting on the back couch cushion and the biggest smile on his face as he looks at him. His eyes filled with pure happiness that he always sees there now.

It was always the one picture Kurt couldn't get right while they were there whenever he tried to draw it. And over the years it still proved to be a difficult picture to draw. But that image never left his head. The image of Blaine looking nothing short of completely happy is one that he won't soon be forgetting.

"It's fantastic, Kurt," Blaine whispers, eyes glued to the painting.

"Thanks," he tells him, laughing at Blaine not being able to tear his eyes away from the painting.

"Is it vain to say it's the best piece in the gallery?"

"I don't think so," Kurt responds with a laugh.

"How much?" Kurt hears a lady ask.

"Oh, I'm not su-" Kurt stops talking when he turns around and sees who's standing there.

"Mom?" Blaine whispers besides him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came for many reasons," she replies, tentatively taking a step forward. "But I came to, finally, apologize."

"For what?" Kurt asks with a bit of an edge to his voice, still seeing her as the woman who disregarded him because he was gay.

After Blaine and he left, she never made an effort, before now, to talk to him. He tried once to apologize to her, but she simply turned her back to him. After that, he wanted nothing to do with her. Hell, even after about a year, John and came and made an effort to apologize to both of them and tell them he supported them; and that because of them, he was able to come clean to Sarah and be with Avery. But Sarah never even tried with him; only talking to Blaine.

"I turned my back on you when you needed a mother most in your life. I thought for the longest time I was being just in how I was acting. But I was wrong, and I'm terribly sorry for everything." She looks at him with nothing but honesty in her eyes.

"Why?" Kurt asks hurt and still confused by her actions.

"Can I ask you to lunch tomorrow and I can explain everything?"

Kurt looks to Blaine and sees him slightly nod his head, telling him without saying anything that it might be a good idea.

Looking back to Sarah, Kurt takes a deep breath and agrees.

"Thank you," Sarah kindly says.

"Just because I do this doesn't mean I forgive you," Kurt tells her, needing her to know it won't be that easy.

"I understand." She smiles at him, Kurt seeing her vision go to the painting behind him. "You're a magnificent artist, Kurt. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"Thank you," Kurt replies, genuinely thankful for the compliment.

"I think I'll go now." Sarah takes a few steps to Blaine and kisses him on the cheek, telling him bye.

Kurt watches her walk away until she is gone from his sight. Dropping his forehead to the middle of Blaine's chest, he breathes and wonders what the hell just happened. "Did that really just happen?" he asks confounded and still a bit dazed by the whole thing.

"Yeah." Kurt smiles when Blaine wraps his arms around his waist and holds him close and tight.

"Don't tell me that was how you planned to make this night memorable?" Kurt laughs, tilting his head back and gazing into Blaine's eyes.

"No." Blaine shakes his head. "She never even mentioned once to me she was coming."

"What's the big surprise, then?"

"I can do it now."

Kurt goes with Blaine when he takes his hand, feeling him squeeze it, and feeling him slightly shaking with nerves. "You're not gonna dance are you? Because I think we should spare the people that."

"No, I'm not dancing," Blaine replies with a chuckle.

Going back to where everybody is, Kurt smiles and says hello to people, standing in the middle of the gallery where Blaine tells him to. He watches him go get Tilly, seeing her walking back and holding two flutes of champagne. Taking the one she offers, he grins at Blaine and what it is he's doing.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I wanted to first congratulate you on your first amazing gallery. It's wonderful, Kurt, and I couldn't be more proud." Blaine kisses him and smiles. "Let's drink to that."

Clinking his glass to Blaine's, Kurt raises an eyebrow and brings his glass up to his lips. It's while he tips it back does he hear the clink of something moving in his glass. Bringing it down and looking inside, he freezes at what sits on the bottom of the glass. Looking up, he gasps and covers his mouth when he sees Blaine bent down on one knee grinning up at him.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" Looking around and seeing every pair of eyes trained on them, Kurt can't believe this actually happening. His heart races in his chest and tears fill his eyes, and he already knows his answer but still wanting to hear Blaine's speech.

"Kurt," Blaine starts off, taking his hand when he drops it from his mouth. "I was eight years old when I first met you and thought you were the cutest boy I had ever seen. I have loved you from that day, and even though we had some rough patches on our journey to get here, I know with all my heart that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to share our days together until we have no more. I want to create a family with you. I want to know that I have forever with you. So...Kurt..." Blaine trails off, Kurt hearing his voice shake with nerves.

"Ask me and it's yours," Kurt tells him, saying the same thing from three years ago.

Blaine grins up at him and asks, "Can I have your hand in marriage?"

Kurt brings the glass up to his lips and drains it in one drink. Turning the glass over and letting the ring fall into his hand, he hands it to Blaine, holding out his hand.

"Yes!" he eagerly replies, nodding his head and smiling.

He feels as Blaine slips the ring on his finger and stands, smiling into the kiss he gives him. All around him the people start cheering and clapping, but at the moment all he notices is Blaine. All he cares about is the press of lips to his. All he can focus on is Blaine.

Blaine who he's going to marry and spend forever with.

Blaine who was worth fighting for.

He knows this is just the beginning of their amazing life together.