A light layer of snow covered London like icing sugar on a cake when Kurt and Blaine left their hotel to explore the city. The sun had recently emerged from behind a cloud and made the bare trees in Hyde Park look enchanted instead of barren. Kurt was determined to try and see as much of the city as possible in the two days that they were there, but as Blaine had shows on both of those nights, he knew they wouldn't be able to see everything he wanted to.

Kurt had decided to forgo shopping here due to their limited time - he had done a bit in Milan and would shop some more in Paris, so he figured that was enough. However, there was one store he wanted to visit: Harrods.

Blaine didn't see what the fuss was about. "I know you love shopping, Kurt, but do you know how expensive this place is?"

Kurt sighed a little impatiently as he tugged Blaine towards the multi-floor store with its bottle green awnings over the windows. "I know that, but it's Harrods, Blaine - Harrods!"

His boyfriend still looked slightly baffled but allowed himself to be pulled inside all the same. He followed Kurt around as he made his way slowly through the shop, occasionally pausing to examine something. In the end he bought something for both Carole and Rachel and then they left the store when Blaine pointed out how long they had been in there.

Next they visited another place on Kurt's must-see list: Buckingham Palace. Clusters of other tourists were gathered around outside the gates taking pictures and eyeing the uniformed guards that stood sentinel at points inside the cast iron fence. The union jack billowed in the light breeze from its flagpole on the palace roof.

"That means the Queen isn't in the palace," Kurt said knowledgeably, his eyes on the flag. He cocked his head to the side as he observed the palace musingly. "I wonder if Prince William and Kate Middleton are staying here for Christmas?"

"I wonder if it's true what they say about those guards and they really don't ever crack a smile," Blaine said as he watched a couple of people take pictures of a nearby guard.

Kurt shot him a look. "You aren't going to be one of those cringe-worthy tourists who try and get them to laugh and give me so much second-hand embarrassment that I'll have to leave you here?"

"Of course not," Blaine replied. "I could never get them to laugh, anyway." He looked away from the guard who was still standing silently and ramrod straight despite the goggling tourists and faced Kurt. "You could maybe make them laugh with one of your witty comments."

Kurt smiled at him. "You could always serenade one of them; I bet they haven't seen many people doing that before."

Blaine laughed despite his attempts to keep a straight face as he pictured himself singing to one of the guards. "I am not serenading them."

"Too bad," Kurt told him, linking their hands together as they set off around the palace, "I'm sure I could have thought of an inappropriate song for you to sing."

They headed towards the nearest tube station, still glancing up at the palace every now and then. "It's a pity we don't have time to see anything on the West End," Kurt said as they descended the stairs onto the platform.

Blaine glanced sideways at him. "Kurt, we have Broadway at home."

Kurt shrugged. "I know," he replied, unfazed, "but it's different here."

They made their way around London, visiting as much of the sights as they could. The city was busy with Christmas shoppers and tourists and Blaine was stopped a few times by fans hoping for a picture or an autograph. Kurt's show wasn't as popular in the UK as it was back home so he was able to walk the streets unrecognised, though a few of the fans who approached Blaine glanced at him knowingly.

They saw Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, and managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Piccadilly Circus - "It's sort of like Times Square's little brother," Kurt observed - before Blaine insisted that they visited one last place before going back to their hotel.

"The London Eye?" Kurt asked as they neared the large wheel that stood on the banks of the Thames. "Is that where we're going?"

Blaine nodded, tipping his head back to look at the top of the wheel. "I said we would get to see as much of London as possible today, so," he waved a hand at the giant wheel, "we're doing just that. We'll be able to see nearly the whole city from up there."

It turned out Blaine had pre-booked tickets for them, which explained why he had rushed them through a few of the last places they had visited, and they got a capsule to themselves which allowed them to stand with their arms around each other as they gazed out over the city without stares from other people. As they got closer to the top, they moved away from each other to take in the view better. They were silent for most of the time except for when they occasionally pointed something out to the other, preferring to quietly observe the city spread out below them: Big Ben, the houses of parliament, Battersea, Buckingham Palace...

Blaine broke the silence when he noticed Kurt leaning against the railing and gazing out over the city wearing a wistful expression.

"We'll come back to Europe by ourselves," he promised, moving to stand beside his boyfriend, "when we have no restrictions on what we can do because of my tour."

Kurt hummed in response and shuffled closer to him, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine wrapped an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Kurt smiled and tilted his head back and Blaine bent down towards him again, their lips meeting in a soft, sweet kiss.

Kurt returned his attention to the view of London. "I'd like that," he said. "Can we go to some other places in Europe as well?"

Blaine rubbed his side. "We can go wherever you want."

They were silent for another long moment until they were moving down towards the bottom of their revolution.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Blaine asked. It would be the first time they performed their duet of ‘Baby, It's Cold Outside' in front of an audience.

Kurt nodded slowly. "I think so."

"We'll run through it again one last time during sound check," Blaine promised. He kissed Kurt's head. "You'll be amazing. We'll kill it."

The cheers and shouts of the crowd could be heard distantly over the crashes and booms of instruments from their dressing room at the O2 arena. Every now and then the sounds of the crowd would increase in volume as the opening act currently onstage finished a song. Kurt was sitting on a couch in the corner of the room and listening to these sounds. He would be onstage in front of them soon singing a duet with Blaine.

"Nervous?" Blaine asked as he sat down next to him.

Kurt shook his head. "I've stood up in front of an audience enough times that I don't get stage fright anymore." The sounds of the guitars and drums stopped and the crowd cheered louder again as another song ended. "Though none of those audiences were quite as large as this," he added.

Blaine squeezed his shoulder. "You'll be great," he said assuredly.

There was a knock at the door and then Finn entered the room followed by the rest of the band. "That was their last song," he said, waving his hand behind him to indicate the opening act currently on the stage, "so we'll be on soon." He tapped one of his drumsticks against his thigh in an unconscious rhythm.

Kurt still found it a bit strange seeing Finn with the drumsticks instead of George standing a little off to the side and attempting to twirl them. He knew it was weirder for Blaine as George had been his drummer since he had first started out. Kurt had seen him automatically give Finn a wide berth the other night at the show in Dublin as if he were still avoiding being hit by a drumstick being inexpertly twirled. Finn was a success as a drummer for the tour, but it would take more than a few weeks for Blaine to forget the ingrained habits from years of working with George.

"Ready for your duet, Kurt?" Seth asked.

Kurt nodded. "I know the lyrics, I know where I'm going on stage, I know the song, and it went well in practice, so I'm feeling confident about it."

Seth smiled at him just as there was another knock at the door. "Good."

An assistant stuck their head into the room and told them that they were due out on stage in a few minutes. The band made a beeline for the door whilst Kurt and Blaine hung back as usual.

"Everyone's asking me if I'm ready for the duet, but what about you? Are you ready for it?" Kurt asked Blaine as they slowly followed the band along the corridors to the stage.

Blaine grinned at him. "Of course I am; when have I ever messed up a performance?"

"There's a first for everything," Kurt pointed out.

Blaine stared at him with mock indignation as they caught up with the band who were preparing themselves to go out on stage. "Are you saying that you don't trust me to sing this duet well?"

Rolling his eyes, Kurt adjusted the collar of Blaine's shirt. "That's not what I'm saying." He stepped back as Blaine was passed his guitar. "Now shut up and go out there and do a good show."

The band began to file out onto the stage, but Blaine held back and pouted at Kurt. "Don't I get a pre-show kiss?"

Kurt leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss. "Now get out on that stage."

Blaine grinned and began walking out onto the darkened stage. "Yes, sir!" he called out over his shoulder, raising his hand in a salute.

Smiling at his boyfriend's antics, Kurt found a good position to watch the show from, his smile widening when Blaine launched into his first song. He would never get tired of watching Blaine perform, of seeing him throw himself into the song with the sweat on his face and neck shining under the stage lights, his curls breaking free of the gel and clinging to his skin; of seeing his face light up in an eye-crinkling smile when the crowd sang his lyrics back to him; of seeing him jump around on stage during the instrumental solos; of seeing him smile and wink at him every now and then. There was a different energy to Blaine when he was performing, a bright spark that burned with a different kind of flame to when he wasn't performing to an audience - a less intense flame. It was the same thing Kurt had noticed when he had watched Blaine play to the empty audience seats in the studios before his appearance on Kurt's show.

The concert went on and Kurt almost forgot that he had to go out on the stage and sing as he watched Blaine finish playing ‘Human'. As he strummed the final chords, Kurt's pulse leapt; it was time for their duet. A microphone was handed to him as the cheers and shouts of the crowd started to die down and he accepted it with a nod of thanks.

Blaine leaned into his microphone and grinned over at Kurt. "Seeing as it's winter and there's a bit of snow outside and the holidays are just around the corner, I thought I'd bring a bit of that into my show." He lifted his guitar off his shoulder as the crowd screamed and shouted their response to his words. He took a few steps towards the opposite side of the stage from Kurt and handed the guitar to a tech guy who sprinted on stage to collect it. He moved back across to his microphone and removed it from the stand. "The song I'll be covering has been performed by many people over the years and as it is a duet, I'll be singing it with the help of someone tonight."

The crowd went wild and Kurt swallowed against the prickle of nerves he was feeling. From where he stood he could see countless cameras and cell phones held in the air and he knew they were only a small fraction of what was present in the whole audience. All of them would be photographing and filming him and Blaine as they sang and if he screwed up in any way it would end up all over the internet. He had told Blaine earlier that he didn't get stage fright anymore, but he had forgotten the pressure of being in front of a live audience with no editing if he messed up. He hadn't experienced this since high school show choir competitions and those were nothing compared to this. The venue was packed with fans of Blaine, who would post any mistakes he made on the internet before the night was over. His stomach started churning.

The plan was to not introduce Kurt before the song, but to just launch straight into it once Blaine finished introducing the song to the crowd. Kurt forced his mind off his mounting nerves to listen to what Blaine was saying; he didn't want to miss his cue and mess up before he had even walked out onto the stage.

Blaine was smiling at the audience. "The song's called ‘Baby, It's Cold Outside'."

The venue erupted with cheers and screams again. Whether they recognised the song or not, Kurt didn't know, but each and every member of the audience, from the ones standing at the metal barriers directly in front of the stage to the ones sitting in the tired seats, was roaring their approval.

The band started to play and Kurt took a few shaky steps forward as Blaine got into position on stage, smiling softly as him. He heard his cue in the music and walked out onto the stage singing the opening line of the song, his gaze locking on Blaine's. They darted flirtatiously around the stage as they sang, never once breaking eye contact. The cheering crowd seemed distant to Kurt, as if they stood watching them from miles away and all traces of the nerves he had experienced earlier had long since evaporated. He forgot about the crowd, about all the cameras and cell phones trained on him, about Finn and the rest of the band, about all the watching crew members and security personnel; all he could see and hear was Blaine, all that mattered was Blaine.

They sang the final line of the song standing merely inches apart and with huge smiles on their faces. Blaine leaned forward and brushed a quick kiss across Kurt's cheek and it was as if someone had suddenly turned up the volume control, the cheers and screams from the crowd were almost deafening.

The ear-splitting roar of noise had Kurt looking out over the crowd for the first time since he'd stepped on stage and for a moment he was stunned by the sheer number of people cheering and waving phones and cameras in the air.

Blaine laid a hand on his shoulder. "Give it up for my duet partner, Kurt!"

The crowd roared and applauded again and more cameras flashed in their direction, creating bright starbursts of light in the dense sea of bodies. Kurt smiled at them and did a little bow before meeting Blaine's eyes. Blaine squeezed his shoulder and Kurt turned and left the stage, returning to his spot just off it to watch the rest of the show, exhilaration thrumming through him like electricity.

"Are you sure you know the way?" Kurt asked as they turned down another street almost identical to the last one.

"Of course I do," Blaine replied with mock indignation, "it's not exactly hard to find the Eiffel Tower."

"If you say so."

Blaine swung their clasped hands as they made their way along the narrow street lined with boutique shops, small cafes, bustling restaurants, and stylish apartment buildings. Despite the freezing temperatures, Parisians and tourists alike where out on the streets, bundled up in coats and scarves and wearing boots to protect their feet from the dusting of snow on the sidewalks. The night sky wasn't completely clear; the velvety blanket with its scattering of diamond-dust stars was broken up by pale grey clouds that promised flurries of snowflakes.

Blaine tipped his head back and blew the air out of his lungs in a stream of cloud like a dragon exhaling smoke. His breath hung in the air for a moment, spreading out steadily, before dissipating into the cold air. He grinned and blew out another breath, harder this time, and caught sight of Kurt shaking his head at him out the corner of his eye. "What?" he asked, turning his head to look at his boyfriend.

Kurt shook his head at him again, a fond smile on his face. "How old are you again?"

"You're never too old to enjoy the cold weather," Blaine told him seriously.

Kurt chuckled. "Is that what you were doing?"

"Quiet you."

"I suppose you also catch snowflakes on your tongue and have snowball fights?"

Blaine smiled at him. "Of course I do."

They rounded the corner onto another street and suddenly they could see the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower.

"Told you I knew where I was going," Blaine said triumphantly.

They walked along the path through the greenspace - Champ de Mars - that the tower was situated in. They had been up the tower yesterday morning to see the spectacular view of Paris sprawled out before them, broken up by the river Seine twisting through the city like a glittering serpent. They had pointed out the different landmarks to each other - The Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral - and compared the view to the one seen from the Empire State building. Tonight they just wanted to see the tower itself, lit up against the cloudy ink of the night sky.

There were a few other couples strolling hand-in-hand along the paths in the gardens; Paris was a city of romance after all. Blaine didn't know whether it was the beautiful old buildings with their curving architecture, the cosy restaurants waited by Parisians with their thick accents, the atmosphere of the city with its whispering river and glittering lights, or just being here with the man he loved, but Paris did feel romantic to him.

They stopped by an ornamental pond with lace-like films of ice at its edges and was surrounded by a low stone wall covered by a layer of powdery snow. The Eiffel Tower was a glittering spear illuminated by hundreds of bright white lights so it was diamond-bright in the darkness. They stood hand-in-hand and drank in the sight before them: the twinkling tower, the snowy gardens, the snow-heavy trees, and the flickering stars.

Snow began to fall, flakes drifting and twirling lazily toward the ground, becoming heavier until it was falling in a steady, gentle cascade. The cold, soft flakes kissed Blaine's face and settled on his hair and shoulders.

Grinning at Kurt, Blaine tipped his head back and opened his mouth, sticking out his tongue and feeling the cool snowflakes land on it, melting when they touched the warm flesh. He could feel Kurt's amused gaze on him and he spun back towards his boyfriend and took his face in his hands, pressing their cold lips together.

"Can you taste the snow?" Blaine asked him when he pulled back.

Kurt laughed and shook his head. "Blaine, it's just water." He laughed again. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm not!" Blaine protested, grinning. "Try catching it on your tongue." He tipped his head back again, watching Kurt out the corner of his eye as his boyfriend slowly did the same.

Lowering his face from the dark sky, Blaine stopped catching snowflakes and just watched Kurt. He smiled as he stuck his tongue out further in an effort to catch more of the falling snow. After a moment Kurt stopped, his face lit up in delight.

"You win," Kurt said, "it is fun."

Stepping towards him, Blaine raised a hand and gently brushed away a large snowflake that was resting on Kurt's cool cheek. "I told you it was," he said quietly.

Kurt sighed happily and took Blaine's hand again, linking their fingers together. They both turned to look at the Eiffel Tower again, their breath mingling in the air before them.

After a while, Blaine turned his head to look at Kurt. Snow was caught in the folds of his scarf and in locks of his hair, his cheeks were pink from the cold, and he could see the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower reflected in his eyes. A soft smile crept onto his face as he gazed at his boyfriend. Some days he could hardly believe he was with someone as beautiful, caring, witty, and perfectly imperfect as Kurt. What great deed could he have possibly done to deserve someone like him in his life? What wonderful twist of fate had caused Kurt to fall in love with him?

He maybe didn't know the answers to any of those questions, but there was one thing Blaine was absolutely certain about: he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kurt. His pulse leapt as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Rachel just before he left New York - now was the moment.

Kurt met his gaze and smiled. "I'm so glad I'm here with you," he said softly.

Blaine squeezed his hand. "Me too." He licked his lips, trying to think of a romantic way to do this but drawing a blank. Kurt was still smiling gently at him and Blaine realised that there was no need for a grand romantic gesture. They were here in Paris together, the snow falling gently, the Eiffel Tower glittering nearby, and they were in love; all he needed to do was just ask the question, the rest was perfect already.

"I wanted to ask you something," Blaine began slowly and a hint of curiosity appeared in Kurt's eyes. "When we get back to New York would you- would you want-" He took a steadying breath. "Would you like to move in with me?"

Kurt's eyes widened slightly and his lips parted in surprise and Blaine - waiting on tenterhooks for his answer - immediately started rambling.

"I talked to Rachel about it seeing as you've lived together for years and she said she knows someone who is looking for somewhere t-"

Kurt lunged forward and captured his lips in his own, effectively silencing his babbling. Wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and drawing the taller man against him, Blaine tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss.

"Yes," Kurt whispered when they broke apart. "Yes, Blaine, yes."

An uncontrollable smile spread across Blaine's face and he leaned in to kiss Kurt again, feeling Kurt's cool skin against his face and his lips warming more under his own mouth.

They were both panting a little when they parted. "I love you," Blaine whispered, nuzzling his icy nose against Kurt's.

"I love you, too," Kurt murmured.

The snow continued to fall on them in soft, icy caresses as they kissed again. Here, in Paris, by the Eiffel Tower at night, the flashing cameras of the paparazzi and the clamouring reporters felt miles away, like part of another life. Here, they were no longer two celebrities, no longer Kurt Hummel: popular talk show host, and Blaine Anderson: chart-topping musician. Here, they were just two young men in love. Here, they were just Kurt and Blaine.