December 11, 2012

Kurt Hummel entered his New York apartment, pausing only to remove his shoes before moving into the living room, dropping his black duffle bag on the floor, and collapsing onto the couch. The clock reminded him that it was not quite 6:00pm, but considering that they were far enough North near the middle of December, darkness shadowed the sun more than an hour ago. Only the constant glow of city lights filtered through the windows to illuminate the cozy space, no sound in the apartment apart from outside raucous and Kurts even breathing. Falling asleep right here seemed like such a simple option, but he knew it would prove a regrettable choice once he awoke. Instead he allowed himself a few minutes of relaxation; just enough time to let the tension in his muscles dissipate a bit. Sighing, he forced himself into a vertical position, moving toward the bathroom for a quick shower before starting on the stir fry he planned to make for dinner.

Elated as he felt to be a NYADA student there was no denying that a long 3 ½ years stretched ahead of him. Three months into the program he already felt like he might tip over at any minute, without warning. Between the bookwork, acting workshops, dance classes and late nights spent finishing homework five days a week, by the time Friday nights rolled around Kurt rarely made it to 9:00pm before passing out. Fortunately his roommate and boyfriend of over a year, Sebastian, understood this exhaustion and never complained about Kurt being dead to the world at the end of the school week. After all, on weekends he always made up for what Sebastian fondly referred to as his "old man behavior."

However this particular Friday evening Kurt, though physically drained, felt abuzz with an unusual amount of energy. He smiled as hot water streamed across the pale planes of his faintly aching body and steam swirled delicately around him. Happily, he reflected on the steps that led him to this moment, this night, this plan he concocted.

Sebastian transferred to Dalton during their junior year. They shared a few classes, but for the first few weeks Kurt found the new boy abrasive and rude, most often choosing to ignore his snide comments about pretty much everything. As a cruel twist of fate they ended up partners for a two week history project, forcing them to interact. Much to Kurts surprise, the experience wasnt as awful as he expected. Sure, the first couple of days were rough, adjusting to Sebastians nicknames and air of arrogance. Soon enough, however, they fell into a routine of comfortable teasing and vaguely flirtatious banter, ultimately completing the project and receiving the highest grade in the class. Afterward, the new friends became nearly inseparable. Towards the end of the summer before their senior year, Sebastian finally bit the bullet and asked his best friend out on a date. Kurt agreed, and the two were together from there on out.

When Kurt was accepted to NYADA and Sebastian received his acceptance to NYU, the couple never even considered the idea that they wouldnt move in together. The Smythe family could more than afford a small apartment for the couple and happily did so, claiming that the two should be allowed the freedom to focus on school during their freshman year, rather than finding jobs right away. Both boys agreed to make the move in July, giving them time to get comfortable and adjust to their new surroundings before school started in Fall. Kurt remembers this as the best summer of his life; exploring the city, decorating the apartment, and spending copious amounts of time naked with his gorgeous boyfriend.

Once school began, they quickly settled into their separate routines. At times one would grow frustrated by lack of attention from the other, but each argument was resolved with the acceptance of the fact that they were in New York first and foremost to complete their educations. Both made sure to carve time out for each other. Whenever possible they would eat dinner together, Kurt doing the cooking or Sebastian ordering the takeout. As often as possible they set aside a string of consecutive hours on Saturdays or Sundays to either go out on the town or lounge around the apartment in their pajamas while watching movies. Even though they were often tired by the end of any given day, their sex life was still plenty satisfying. True, the frequency of their intimate moments dwindled considerably at the end of summer, but when the opportunity presented itself each man certainly made the most of it. Life together became progressively more comfortable every passing day, rendering Kurt incapable of imagining a future without Sebastian by his side in this domestic and intimate, albeit sometimes difficult, way.

Their shared history led Kurt to this current moment, rinsing the last globs of conditioner from his freshly nourished hair and mentally rummaging through his closet for an outfit to change in to. He stepped out of the tub to dry off, proceeding to moisturize his newly scrubbed skin and manipulate his hair into its signature up-do style. Deciding exactly what to wear, he padded to the shared bedroom and made a beeline for each article of clothing. After donning a pair of simple black skinny jeans, crisp white button-up shirt and smart, classic gray vest, he added an understated gold pin featuring an interminable bird taking flight. Appraising himself in the mirror and deeming the look satisfactory, Kurt slipped one last thing into his pocket before moving out to the kitchen. Feeling slightly giddy, he grabbed an apron and assembled necessary ingredients and cooking implements before placing his iPod on the dock, selecting an upbeat playlist. Humming along to the music and merrily chopping vegetables, the man considered the rest of his evening, choosing to focus only on positive potential outcomes. Tonight would be perfect, both for himself and his boyfriend. He felt sure of it.

*****

Shortly before 8:00pm, Kurt heard the front door open.

"Hey babe, sorry Im late," boomed Sebastians voice as he bent over to untie the laces of his patent leather Oxfords, "what do you want me to order for dinner toni..."

He stopped mid-word, sniffing the air. The scent of brown rice and their favorite teriyaki sauce tickled his nose. Unless he was mistaken, the smell of beef mixed in with the smell of succulent vegetables. Kurt never brought red meat in to the household; a fact Sebastian long-since learned to deal with by occasionally sneaking off for a burger during lunch breaks at school or going for a steak when his boyfriend was out for the night. Sebastian wracked his brain for any reasonable scenario that would cause Kurt to make this extremely rare exception tonight. It wasnt their anniversary, both of their birthdays werent until Spring and to Sebastians knowledge Kurt hadnt done anything to feel guilty about or try to make up for. Maybe he had some bit of good news to celebrate?

Striding around the corner in to the part of the living room designated as their dining area, Sebastian found Kurt standing beside a fully set table, complete with candles, steaming bowls of mouthwatering food, wineglasses and a bottle of decent cabernet sauvignon.

Sebastian quickly schooled his involuntary look of surprise into a sly smile, stepping forward to embrace Kurt and place a sweet kiss to his soft lips.

"Whats all this? You never cook on Fridays. Honestly I expected to find you moisturizing and getting ready for bed."

Kurt grinned in return.

"Well, lets just say I felt particularly alert when I got home. I figured I might as well put that energy to use."

Not wasting an opportunity to use the gift of his expressive eyebrows, Sebastians smile turned into something more akin to a smirk.

"Feeling alert, eh?"

Even after all this time, Sebastian still knew how to make the other man blush.

Predictably flushing red, Kurt batted him away playfully.

"You know what I meant, ‘Bas. I just thought itd be nice to change up the Friday routine a bit."

Laughing, Sebastian pulled him in for another quick kiss before the two sat down at the table.

For the next 45 minutes they sipped wine and took their time savoring the delicious meal laid out before them. Each told stories of their week that they had yet to share, making inquiries at certain points and laughing at the appropriate anecdotes. It was easy and pleasant in a way they rarely experienced together on weekdays. Finally Sebastians curiosity won out. Drinking the little wine remaining in his glass before setting it down, he posed the question hed wanted to ask since arriving home.

"Babe," he began, catching Kurts eyes as they met his and staring purposefully into them, "I know somethings up. You havent cooked on a Friday since summer, and I dont remember a time that I ever saw you make anything with red meat. Care to tell me what the occasion is?"

Kurt drew a deeper than normal breath. He knew there was no more putting this part of the night off. Butterflies unlike any he ever felt before flooded his entire being, battering away at his insides with every fluttering beat of their wings. As Sebastian continued staring intently at him, Kurt reached his hand across the table, silently inviting his lover to take hold of it. Sebastian obliged, lacing their fingers together without removing his steady gaze. Another breath and Kurt began,

"Sebastian, I know that in the grand scheme of things we havent been together all that long, but you already know how deeply Ive fallen in love with you. In spite of all our rough patches, especially since we started living together and began to form our own lives, at the end of every day Im always glad that youre the person I fall asleep next to."

"Except for the nights one of us falls asleep on the couch," Sebastian interjected in an amused tone.

Chuckling, Kurt conceded,

"Well, yes, except for those times. My point is that I love you more than I possess words to describe, and I cant fathom a future that doesnt include you... that doesnt include us."

Kurt shifted to remove the object in his pocket, and in those couple of seconds, realization dawned on Sebastian about what was likely to happen next.

Releasing Sebastians hand and standing, Kurt closed the short distance around the table, fist clenched around a small something. Dropping to one knee beside his boyfriends chair, Kurt looked up at the currently shell-shocked man whom he loved more than anything in the world.

"Sebastian Smythe," he began, opening his hand and holding up a gold band whose gleaming metal reflected the flickering candlelight. Smiling uncontrollably and very near tears, Kurt continued, "Will you marry me?"

*****

December 13, 2012

Kurt blinked, eyelids leaden and head throbbing. Blindingly white light did his senses no favors as he waited for the world to stop spinning so that he might take stock of his surroundings. Mustering the strength to open his eyes fully, he could tell that he was lying in an unfamiliar room, although everything still appeared a little blurry around the edges. He attempted to brace himself on his right arm in order to push up into a sitting position, only to find the limb too heavy to maneuver with his considerably limited strength. Without even the wherewithal to panic, he simply felt bewildered and wondered vaguely when anything would start making some sense.

"Kurt?"

Confused though he might be, he recognized the sound of his dads voice. Sure enough, Burt swam into view, his expression a combination of concern and relief.

"Dad," he croaked, voice hoarse from disuse, "where am I? Whats going on?"

"You took quite a fall, bud. Hit your head hard and broke your right arm, too."

"When did I do that? Where am I?

Burt sighed,

"Two days ago, youve been out ever since. Youre in the hospital."

He couldnt remember this fall that his dad was talking about, but he guessed it made sense. At least that explained where he was.

"Wheres Carole? Is she on duty?"

Any relief in Burts features vanished, consumed entirely by the concern that previously scored only the edges of his face.

"Where do you think you are, kid?"

Much more alert than when he first came to, this seemed like a silly question to Kurt.

"Arent I in Lima? Or Westerville?"

Concern gave way completely to sadness as Burt shook his head.

"No, Kurt. Youre not."