15. FAST FORWARD

“What? No way! You two look like such lovebirds! Like that just-got-together-can’t-see-the-world-beside-you phase. Three and a half years? Really?”

Blaine smiled at Mark, the new member of their theater group. It wasn’t the first time they’d heard similar words, but it never failed to give him a warm feeling. People kept wondering at how much in love they were, how it still showed on their faces, in their actions and their eyes. You have hearts in your eyes when you look at each other, one girl said with envy once. As if you’re just discovering each other.

She wasn’t exactly wrong. Even after so much time, there were still so many firsts for them.

There had been the first year of college, first nights together in their first apartment, and first fight. First shower sex and being able to touch each other everywhere for the very first time. First flight back home for Thanksgiving, and first exams, and then the first Christmas they were spending in their family homes not living there. First New Year’s in New York, in the crowd at Times Square, because they had to experience this at least once in their lives. First time giving each other blow jobs at the same time, impatient tangle of limbs and cocks and mouths on the thick furry rug on their living room floor, the same rug from Blaine’s house that was a memento of their first time.

First spring in New York and their second anniversary, and then that first time Kurt took care of Blaine when he caught the flu. First all-nighters before finals, studying interrupted with stolen moments for sex. First successfully commenced year of college. First vacations spent only partially with their families, the rest taken over by work and summer courses, and experiencing the craziness that is New York in the summer.

Then there had been the second year and they weren’t timid freshmen anymore – not that Kurt had ever been timid. They’d learned and studied, and had done a lot of growing into themselves and discovering who they were, what they wanted. After a heated discussion with his parents, Blaine had ditched pre-business and took up music therapy as his second major instead. Kurt had discovered a new passion when he had to write a short play for one of his classes. Adding a second major in playwriting had been a logical next step.

Their firsts became fewer and further between, but there were still many of them. First auditions and first roles, together and separately. First time Blaine had come – hard – with Kurt’s fingers teasing his asshole while his lips were tight over Blaine’s cock. First time going to a club together. First sex fail right after, when they’d came back home drunk and horny and then suddenly everything was too much and too similar to years past, and it had ended in panic and tears and apologies.

And now they were juniors already and a new academic year lay before them, with new challenges and new firsts to conquer, together and separately. So much had changed, but their love still bloomed. Yet it had changed too, was still changing; maturing with them, its roots growing and deepening, constantly finding more cracks and fissures in them to squeeze into when they believed it can’t possibly be more than what they had. It felt like everlasting spring in the garden of their hearts.

This Christmas would mark another first as their families would be sharing Christmas dinner together. If someone had told Blaine about this years ago, he would have surely called them crazy. But now, it was stunningly natural. Consequently, it would be Blaine’s first Christmas with Kurt. He felt himself smile whenever he thought about this, his heart singing. It would be amazing.

***

Christmas came at last, preceded by a string of finals that had left them exhausted and cursing the idea of double-majoring. But finally they were in Ohio for a wonderfully lazy two weeks, and all that needed to be done was Christmas preparation, which was sheer bliss when compared to all the studying they’d done recently.

Kurt was puttering around, making sure everything was ready for the Andersons’ arrival. It had to be perfect; he needed this evening to be perfect. His inner control freak was in full gear ever since he’d woken up this morning. When the doorbell finally rang, he was checking – for the third time in an hour – that nothing was missing from the table. A minute later, he heard the cheerful chaos of greetings and the sound of coats being taken off in the hallway, and soon Blaine was there, breathtaking in his suit as he came up to hug Kurt.

Finally, everyone was getting into their seats around the big table. Blaine was making the last detour to the kitchen, where Kurt asked him to put the tiramisu into the fridge while he lit the candles on the mantel. It took a while - the fridge was so packed its contents could feed an army - but when Blaine came back, apologetic, Kurt wasn’t seated yet, either; he was just lingering in front of the unlit fireplace, correcting the placement of the candles. Blaine smiled fondly and Kurt felt like his heart would jump out of his chest, it was pounding so hard.

It was time.

He turned and took Blaine’s hand. And then he got down on one knee and everyone in the room gasped.

***

Burt felt his throat constrict when he saw his son kneeling down. He hoped he’d live to see this day, and the day of these boys’ wedding, and maybe even get to meet his grandchildren, if he was lucky. It looked like at least one of his wishes would be granted.

Kurt hadn’t told him he was going to do this, hadn’t done anything to hint it. Judging by reactions around the table, nobody had known. Burt wouldn’t cry. Of course he wouldn’t. It was just… something in his eye. Yes.

Out of nowhere, there was a small black box in Kurt’s left hand. Blaine stood motionless, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide, focused on his boyfriend like the rest of the world had disappeared, as Kurt spoke.

“I was going to do this like that, down on my knee. But then I realized that it wouldn’t be right.” He stood up, still holding Blaine’s hand. “Because I’ve learned many things in the years we’ve been together, and one of the most important ones was that we’re equals. We’re both strong and courageous, even if we both have our moments of weakness. We’ve saved each other in many ways since we met. We both give and take in equal measures, and there are no roles to fill in our relationship. So I want this to be on equal ground, too.”

Burt could see tears in Blaine’s eyes as he brought his hand up to cover his mouth, a picture of moved surprise. Kurt continued, his face so full of love he seemed to glow with it.

“Blaine, you are the love of my life. I may not have known this that day when I first met you back on Dalton’s staircase, but I knew that something sparked even then. Now, after knowing you for so long, I’m convinced those sparks were our souls finally connecting after being separate for so long. I know I lost a piece of my heart that day, because it insisted on going home with you. But it was so worth it. Because when you entrusted a piece of your heart to me, it felt like coming home. Like the world settling into being just right, the way it should be. It still feels that way, and it’s getting better all the time, every single day. And I know that’s what I want, forever – to live in a world where you are by my side, as my partner, my love, my husband. Blaine, will you marry me?”

Everyone around the table was smiling through tears by then, and the enthusiasm and pure joy of Blaine’s immediate “Yes!” made them laugh as he shot forward to hug Kurt. It was a bit like watching a kid get the present he’d been dreaming of for years.

Once Kurt could breathe again, he opened the box he was holding – bigger than a ring box, now that Burt could see it clearly. Kurt looked at his boyfriend – his fiancé­ – with a hint of anxiety that was so well covered Burt doubted anyone but him noticed it. Well, except for Blaine, of course. Blaine was like an emotional barometer when it came to Kurt.

“We already have the promise rings and I love them; I didn’t want engagement rings. So I had these made. I hope you like them.”

Burt couldn’t really see much from his seat across the table, but he watched Blaine’s face as it brightened even more.

“Kurt, they are perfect. Help me put it on?”

They were some kind of bracelets, Burt realized. Once the boys put them on each other’s left wrists and kissed, long and happy, everyone was up to hug them and congratulate. The bracelets looked like nothing much, elegantly discreet. Just a strap of intricately braided black leather with a tiny silver puzzle symbol linking the ends of it. Burt looked at Kurt questioningly.

“It has a meaning?”

Kurt blushed a little.

“Kind of. It’s from a song Blaine sang with the Warblers the day when we first met.”

Blaine laughed softly from Burt’s other side and sung quietly.

“I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece. I’m complete.”

Burt had never been into metaphors, but he had to admit this one fit perfectly.

***

They spent that night – their first night as fiancés – at Blaine’s house together. There was no other option, really. This night, of all nights, was too significant to spend apart; everyone understood that. And since Blaine’s room in the big house offered much more privacy than Kurt’s, being as far away from his parent’s bedroom as architecture allowed, here’s where they chose to go.

Blaine felt so happy it was unreal; like he was floating a foot above ground. They were engaged to be married. Kurt had asked him to marry him. The bracelets looked amazing, the black leather braids masculine where they fitted their wrists, and the puzzle pieces were perfect symbols of what they were. They even fit together. They were also…

“Platinum, Kurt? Someone’s feeling rich.” Blaine murmured into the skin of his fiancé’s neck. They were pressed together, naked, in Blaine’s old bed.

“Well, you’re worth it. Also, they’re tiny. I didn’t go bankrupt.”

“I love you. Love you, love you, love you so much. So have you thought about the wedding at all? I bet you have. You probably have it all planned already.”

He chuckled and Kurt blushed in the warm light of the bedside table.

“Not all of it. But I’ve thought about some details, yes. Like the time maybe. Would you be okay with waiting until the summer after graduation?”

“A year and a half? Sure. But why did you propose so soon then?”

“Because I couldn’t wait to be engaged to you? And I wanted to do this first, before you had the chance to beat me to it. Because you’re not the only one who really, really wants this. I dream of the day I’ll be able to kiss you and call you my husband.” Blaine felt warmth pooling in his chest at Kurt’s words. It wasn’t anything new and surprising, not really, but hearing it like this still meant so very much. Kurt stroked his cheek and added. “Besides, planning a perfect wedding takes time, I’ll have you know.”

“Oh really? Sounds like you know your weddings.” Kurt snorted. “Okay, tell you what. I’ll let you plan everything about the wedding – but I get to have opinions – if you let me plan everything about the honeymoon without you having opinions.”

“Really, everything?” Kurt’s eyes flashed.

“Really.”

“Deal. God, I love you.”

The rest of their conversation was way less wordy. After all, there was so much skin to rediscover, make sure it still smelled and tasted the same now that they were engaged. It was a serious change after all, everything was possible. They were unhurried, treasuring every moment, every touch, cherishing another of their first times together – first time sex as fiancés.

It was with his mouth sliding up and down Kurt’s cock and his fingers teasing around Kurt’s hole to the accompaniment of moans and soft cries muffled by a pillow that Blaine decided to add one more first to this special night.

Kurt loved ass play. Blaine liked it, now that every last bit of fear and uncertainty was gone, but Kurt absolutely loved all of it. Blaine’s fingers sliding along his crack; kissing and nipping of his ass cheeks; Blaine’s hands gripping his ass fiercely when he was close and they were rutting against each other. There was one more thing Blaine wanted to try for some time and was almost sure Kurt would love.

He slid his mouth off the delicious cock and in one fluid motion pressed Kurt’s knees up and apart. In the next instant Blaine’s tongue was on Kurt’s balls, then his perineum, and then…

Kurt shouted into the pillow when Blaine’s tongue slipped even lower and swirled around his asshole. Kurt’s breathing turned shallow and panting almost immediately and his muscles were quickly tensing to the point of shaking. He was already close, so very close.

Blaine focused on his actions. He knew the theory and watched a couple of… let’s say, instructional movies, but actually doing this was something else entirely. Kurt was always impeccably clean, so there was no concern of any kind here, but it was the closest Blaine had ever been to any kind of actual anal sex. It was hard to believe how turned on he was by this, and Kurt’s reactions were only multiplying the waves of arousal flowing freely through Blaine’s body.

Teasing the puckered entrance with his tongue, he couldn’t believe something as big as a cock could fit in without causing serious damage. He trailed a series of kisses all along and around, taking a detour to nip and suck a hickey into the pale flesh of Kurt’s ass cheek while substituting his mouth with fingers again. Above, Kurt was thrashing on the bed and keening.

For a moment, Blaine felt an insane urge to just slide his finger into Kurt’s ass. Just… a little. To see how it would feel. The thought shocked him, but judging but his body’s reaction, it was far from unwelcome. Oh god. He moaned against Kurt’s hole where his mouth had returned in the meantime, and it was enough. Kurt screamed and arched on the bed, pulsing and spilling all over his stomach and chest for the longest time. The way his ass was clenching and unclenching under Blaine’s tongue was surreal and he couldn’t stop wondering how it would feel around his… No, what was he thinking? Was he beginning to consider…? No, surely not!

…was he?