A year later

"Blaine!" Rachel shrieks, bursting into what is in truth her room at the hotel. He doesn't turn from the mirror where he is straightening his bowtie. Rachel hurries up behind him. "Stop worrying, you look gorgeous!"

"Thanks," Blaine says, smoothing down his lapel, making sure his suit is still in impeccable condition.

"Kurt is starting to stress though, so you might want to head next door. Now stop looking like a deer in the headlights, the hard part is over, right?" Blaine looks down at his left hand and fondly turns the simple band on his finger.

"I guess so. I was just in here to get a few moments to myself." Blaine offers his arm to Rachel and they walk from the room together. Rachel lets go of Blaine's arm just in time for him to catch Kurt, who literally runs into him, apparently past whatever stressing he had been doing. They laugh together and Blaine steadies his new husband, only for Kurt to throw his arms around his neck and kiss him on the full.

"Hey!" Kurt says, "I feel like I've barely seen you all day. Isn't that silly?" Blaine looks over Kurt's shoulder to Sebastian and Adam.

"Which of you slipped drugs into his coffee?" Blaine teases.

"I'm just happy, Blaine!" Kurt says, throwing himself at Blaine again, wrapping his arms around him tightly, "We just got married!"

"Come on, honey, let's go find the rest of the bridal party. We have photos to be taken." The group of them head down to the lobby of the hotel where their families and closest friends are waiting. They had selected the perfectly located hotel for the park that Kurt wanted to take the wedding photos at, and the location they had decided on for the ceremony. The reception is at the hotel, where Kurt and Blaine have a room, decidedly far away from everyone else who was staying too.

After all the pictures have been snapped they all head back to the hotel for the reception. Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand. "Hey, you'll do fine. Everyone who will be in there we have invited, because we want them there to celebrate with us. Except for maybe some unfortunate plus ones." Blaine laughs and kisses Kurt.

"I love you." The reception feels like it goes by in only a matter of minutes as everyone makes an effort to talk to the newlyweds. Everyone seems to have a question or two to ask Kurt and Blaine- about where they are living, when they could catch up next, where the honeymoon will be. Blaine is eternally grateful that he isn't a woman when he makes it to dinner and sits, realising that he is lucky to not have been in heels and a dress all day. It is only when Cooper's speech begins he realises that maybe he should have let Kurt make all the decisions himself after all.

Being two grooms, there became two of most things that the wedding had to offer- and a whole host of speeches needed to be said. Blaine hadn't realised just how talkative their friends could be. Their bridesmaids and groomsmen end up being carefully selected as two of each (with one designated to each groom), Rachel and Finn, Santana and Sebastian. But, at the reception they sit with their families, and Santana and Sebastian get ejected from their table. As Sebastian got to be the official best man, by some insane compromise Cooper gets to say the best man speech.

"I wasn't there when Kurt and Blaine met, though I hear it was crazy romantic," Cooper starts, "nor was I there when they got engaged. I also didn't even meet Kurt until their engagement party, just over a year ago, but no hard feelings there, baby bro, baby bro-in-law. I was sworn to secrecy tonight on most of Blaine's childhood, so we can just throw away these cards," Cooper makes a scene of throwing the cue cards onto the table, "because the kid did a lot of embarrassing stuff and he knows how this speech would end. But, I think it's important for Kurt, as the newest Anderson kid-"

"Hummel-Anderson," Blaine corrects.

"He still gets the Anderbro title, okay? Anyway, as the newest member of the Anderson family, it's important for Kurt to know that as a child, Blaine was convinced that he was superhero. He had a costume that our grandma made for him, all in black, and he called himself the Nightbird. Now, Nightbird got himself into all kinds of sticky situations, but there was always someone there to have his back and lift him down from the climby tree when he got stuck. Because sometimes, you don't need to be the hero, but rather take off your mask and let yourself be taken care of. In marriage, I'd like to think that you can be each other's heroes, rescue one another from the metaphorical climby trees, and go on wonderful adventures together. In Spiderman 2- which is an awful movie, as everyone knows- it is said; 'I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most.' Now, for two awesome guys like Blaine and Kurt, Squirt and Pipsqueak, the hero in them is actually one another. And I hope that in the years ahead we will see them keeping each other honest and noble, giving each other strength, and dying with pride many years into the future after having exhausted themselves making sacrifices for one another- being steady and giving up the thing they want most, because of the thing that they want even more than most; each other. So if you would like to hear some more about the many misadventures of Blaine's superhero alter ego, feel free to hit me up when we're done-" Cooper winks at Quinn, "but for now, let's toast. To Squirt and Pipsqueak!" Most of the group toasts rather to Kurt and Blaine, but the sentiment is the same.

"He kept that shorter than I expected," Blaine says, "and he only hit on girls in the crowd once."

"So which of us is which?" Kurt asks.

"I'm Squirt." Blaine rolls his eyes. Sebastian walks over at that moment and claps Blaine on the shoulder.

"Squirt and Pipsqueak, huh? Better or worse than Westley and Buttercup? Killer and Porcelain?" he asks. Kurt debates it with Sebastian, begging never to be called Porcelain again.

Blaine's focus is turned instead to the room, picking out what had changed since the last time they were gathered in a similar way, at their engagement party just over a year earlier. Quinn sits with her daughter, Beth, who has grown so much. She looks close to falling asleep on her mother's lap, and Blaine can't deny how close the pair seems, probably almost entirely down to her not going back to working full time. He doesn't miss the smile that his old friend Trent flashes at her from across the room.

Rachel and Finn are up and dancing as soon as the speeches have finished, clearly at Rachel's request. Though Blaine is fairly certain that he isn't meant to know yet, he is well aware that the tailors added in a few extra inches to make her bridesmaid's dress fit comfortably around her newly growing waist.

"You'll be next, right?" Kurt says as Blaine snaps back into their conversation. Adam and Sebastian have been avoiding any further level of commitment for months, though they are both clearly ready for it. Adam's apartment is really no more than a glorified closet, but neither would dare to admit that.

"Hopeful that you'll have another wedding to perfect?" Sebastian questions.

"Would you want my help?"

"Well, the Kurt Hummel weddings can only get bigger and more fabulous, right?"

"Hummel-Anderson," Blaine corrects, leaning into his husband's side, "and I hope you aren't planning on having another already." Kurt sighs.

"I hope I never have to get married again. Once is enough. Besides, I don't know how to top you."

Sebastian smirks. "It's all quite simple really, he just gets on all fours and-"

"Bas!" Blaine exclaims, slapping his arm.

"I meant I could never do better than you. I know how to top just fine, Bas, thank you."

"No, thank you," Blaine growls into Kurt's ear. Kurt stops Blaine's hand before it climbs too high up his thigh.

"Well, this was a delightful table talk, but you two need to get a room."

"We have a room," Blaine reminds.

"You aren't leaving that quickly. But if you want to do something to tide you over, I'll cover while you both go to the bathroom."

"We'll be fine. Just saves more for later, right?" Kurt teases, pressing a kiss to Blaine's neck before slinking off to talk to more guests.

Sebastian raises his eyebrows at Blaine. "I would follow."

"But you can't stand up because you're just a little too turned on," Sebastian supplies, "Well, my boyfriend is flirting with a couple of girls over there, so I'm going to go and steal him away. With any luck you aren't the only one getting lucky tonight." Blaine barely has time to gather his thoughts before he is in demand again.

"Blaine!" Santana trills, the next one to join him at the table, "why aren't you dancing? I've seen your booty in action boy, go and shake it! Make Hummel desperate for later!"

"Hummel-Anderson," Blaine corrects again, thinking he might need to make a sign, "and I'm just going to stay sitting for a bit longer, Tana. Where's your girlfriend at?"

"Oh my god, you have a boner," Santana says, far too loud. Blaine shushes her frantically and glances around, glad that no one seems to have noticed, "Kurt is a saucy little minx when you let him be, huh?"

"Mm," Blaine hums in agreement.

"What would you think if I got pregnant?" Santana asks from nowhere. Her relationship with Brittany has been mostly stable, save for the few short lived "break ups" that they had had, usually more of an excuse for them to have break up and then make up sex. Neither of them feels like they have any need to commit to one another more, even with all their friends racing ahead with their lives.

"I would be surprised that you let someone with a dick near enough to do that, since you're incredibly gay these days."

"But like, artificially, maybe? Just to have a kid, you know? With Britt, even! What would you think?"

"Well, if you made the decision sober, and you know, not this second, then I might support it. I think you'll make a great mom, Tana," Blaine says sincerely.

"Thanks, B. Maybe I'll have your kid for you. Who knows?"

"Offer again once you're sober, but thank you. Why do you want to have a kid now?"

"I don't know. I'm Latina." Blaine laughs and pulls his friend to her feet.

"Let's go dance, Santana."

"Yeah, yeah," Santana says, stumbling a bit as they walk to the dance floor, "an open bar was an awful idea," she counsels, leaning into him maybe just a bit too much as they dance.

Blaine waves at Dave and Jay while he dances, and they smile back at him. Every Wednesday since Blaine has been working with Jay, Dave has come into the office at lunchtime and taken Jay out- or, in the event that Jay can't possibly leave the office, he brings in food and they eat at his desk together. Blaine has long since decided that they are what he wants to model a happy marriage on. Once Quinn began working again- only part time so she has lots of time left over to spend with her daughter, helping Kurt bear some of the workload but not taking his job completely, nor taking the majority of the work on herself- Kurt has been able to come in for lunch once a week, too. Wednesdays had become double dates and they all eat together, which has only meant that Dave started to come in on Fridays and Kurt on Mondays to make up for it.

When they finally manage to make it up to their suite, Kurt and Blaine are exhausted- but not too exhausted to fill the giant bath tub and soak together, relishing in their first evening together as the Hummel-Andersons. Attached to an unnecessarily large box of condoms and bottle of lube on the nightstand they find a note from their friends.

THIS is why you let us in before you, even if you didn't know that you did so. XOXO Bas and Tana ;) ;) (Adam had nothing to do with this and wants to be clear that he just charmed the lady at the front desk into giving us the key)

After making the most of the privacy and the thoughtful planning of their friends, they flop back into the huge bed together, but stay curled close in the middle, falling asleep to whispered I-love-yous and thoughts of Versailles, their week of honeymooning in Paris, and of everything their life can be forever after.

The countdown isn't the law, Owen's words echo through Blaine's mind.

There was nothing stating that he had to marry Kurt. That he had to snuggle up with him in a hotel room. That he had to spend some of his trust fund money to plan an even better honeymoon than Kurt could ever dream. But there was no place he would rather be, and he can't thank the long since faded line of zeros on his wrist for everything that he has enough.