Chapter 1-
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The box; Blaine stared at it with dreading eyes. He knew it would one day be opened but he hopped it would be on the day they had intended, and not a moment sooner. But with the way their marriage had been going, he knew they needed it.
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Kurt and Blaine had made a promise on their wedding day; not just the traditional ‘till death do us part, through sickness and in health’ vows, but a promise that if things ever got so bad that they believed they couldn’t keep going as one they would open this box that they had sealed away the night they said ‘I do.’
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”Hey babe, what about a love letter and wine box ceremony?” Kurt called from the living room where he sat on the couch with his laptop sitting on his crossed legs.
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“A what ceremony? I thought we were just going to have a traditional, nontraditional wedding?” Blaine asked as he walked in from the kitchen with a bowl of cut fruit and two bottles of water. Kurt laughed.
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“No, a love letter and wine box ceremony” He repeated as Blaine sat next to him. “Here, read this while I go to the bathroom” He said, sliding the computer onto Blaine’s lap. He pushed himself off the couch before leaning over the computer screen. “When you are done click on the next tab, that’s an idea of what some of the boxes look like,” he pointed and then quickly stole a kiss before skipping off to the bathroom.
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Blaine situated himself with the computer, popped a piece of melon into him mouth and began to read.
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A few weeks before the wedding, take some time to write a letter to one another expressing your thoughts about the good qualities that you found in your future partner, the reasons for falling in love with them, and your hopes and dreams for the future. In other words, you write a "love letter" to each other and place it in a sealed envelope, with the name of your partner on the outside. Do not read what the other has written.
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Be creative with the box by putting foam inside to support the wine bottle. Line the inside with satin material. You can also include CDs of your favorite music, favorite pictures of you together, and other mementos making it your own romantic time capsule. Keep the box in a place of honor as a constant visual reminder of your love and commitment to each other. The box can be a life preserver in years to come.

The Wine Box should be opened on your 10th wedding anniversary.

There is only one other reason the box should be opened before your anniversary. If there should come a time when you hit a bumpy road in your relationship, before you give up or make any irrational decisions, open the Wine Box. The hope is that there will never be a reason to have to open the box except on your anniversary!

Hit a rough spot in your relationship? Sit down together, open the box, uncork the wine and unseal the envelopes that you wrote for one another before your wedding, go to separate rooms and quietly read the love letter.

Even if you are not seeing eye-to-eye at that very moment, it will remind you of all the reasons you choose this person as your partner and all the things that helped shape the life they've created together. Never take your blessings of being together for granted.

The romantic sentiments you wrote, the declaration of love, the clear thoughts about why you chose this person as your life partner will help put you back on even ground. This is the perfect ritual to remind you of your wedding day and your intention to love and cherish each other in good times and bad for as long as you both shall live.
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Blaine nodded his head. “I really like this babe” he called out as he clicked the next tab.

“I knew you would,” Kurt’s voice came from right behind Blaine. He wrapped his arms around Blaine’s shoulders. “Rachel told me about it, she and Finn want to do it for their wedding,” he explained before kissing Blaine’s shoulder

Blaine ran his fingers over the engraved metal plate that sat screwed to the old leather luggage.
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Kurt and Blaine May 23, 2017 “They can't touch us, or what we have”

He wished it hadn't come to this. He still loved Kurt more than anything in the world, and he knew Kurt loved him. But over the last few months he knew both he and Kurt had been thinking the same thing; was all the fighting really worth it? Was the slamming of doors, breaking of plates and harsh unmeant words all worth it? Blaine sighed. He knew it was and maybe this is what they needed; a reminder of their love for each other. Not just the simple ‘I love you’ but to really look their relationship in the face and get back to the basics of it.
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With sweaty palms Blaine grabbed his key to unlock the box out of his wallet. He slid it into his pocket and grabbed the box into his arms before carrying it into the living room.
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Blaine could feel the tension in the air the second he stepped foot into the living room. Kurt laid on the love seat, wrapped in a blanket with a book in his hand. Quietly Blaine walked farther into the room. He stood in front of him, but Kurt didn’t take his eyes of the pages. Blaine set the box down with a slight thud to draw Kurt’s attention. It worked.

Kurt looked up at Blaine over his book, a glare still behind his eyes but it wasn’t as harsh as when he got home.
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Blaine jumped as the front door to his home was slammed shut. He could hear the frustrated rants of Kurt as he stomped his way through the house. The closet door slammed, his shoes were kicked across the floor, his messenger back thrown onto the coffee table.

Blaine stayed with his back to the kitchen door as he continued to cook dinner. He heard as Kurt walked into the kitchen, making a side-ways glance at the refrigerator as Kurt came into his peripheral. Kurt ripped open the door with such force Blaine was sure he would break it from its hinges. He grabbed a bottle of green tea and slammed the door with the same force.

“Good day at work I take it,” Blaine tried to joke but judging by the snarky noise that came from Kurt as he drank from his tea he knew the comment was probably going to just start another fight.

Great, that’s just what he wanted. It was only Thursday and three of those nights have ended with Kurt and him going to bed with their backs to each other; Blaine didn’t even think he could remember what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around Kurt as they slept.

He turned around to the island Kurt had taken a seat at. He set down the pot filled with broccoli. “What happened?” he asked as he reached into the cupboard for the strainer. He set it in the sink, stealing quick glances at Kurt as he waited for him to answer. He slowly began pouring out the boiling water when Kurt finally answered.

“You wouldn’t understand” was all he said. Blaine rolled his eyes.

“Why don’t you try me?” he challenged.

“I really don’t want to get into it,” Kurt said lamely as he picked at the label on the Snapple’s bottle.

Blaine flung the half-full pan into the sink. “So you come stomping into the house, mumbling about this, huffing about that, throwing stuff around, and then you come moping in here with a piss poor attitude when you know fully well that I’m going to ask you what’s wrong. Then you say you don’t want to get into it right now and that I wouldn’t understand?” he took a breath. “Kurt we have been together for almost 12 years, I think I know you enough to understand what is going on,” he ended with a huff.

“And now who is the one with a piss poor attitude?” Kurt all but snarled back.

Blaine fixed his eyes as he glared at Kurt. “I was in a great mood before you came home” he threw at him.

“Oh, so this is my fault?” Kurt questioned offendedly. Blaine gave him a dumbfounded look as he nodded his head slowly.

“Yes, this is your fault. I asked you a question and you are fighting me on it. So yes, that would make this” he pointed between Kurt and himself “your fault.”�

“You know what, I don’t need this,” Kurt said, pushing himself from his seat and slamming it to the counter, putting a dent in the drywall.

Blaine started a slow clap “Ladies and Gentleman, the Tony for most dramatic exit goes to, Mr. Kurt Hummel Anderson” Kurt stopped in his tracks, turning around awestricken, “No no, you go have your diva moment, superstar” Blaine threw another blow as he waved Kurt off.

“So you really want this fight to happen?” Kurt asked. Blaine could see the tears in his eyes from his comments, it hurt him to know he could be so cruel to the man he loved, but at this point he didn’t care; fighting was the only communication he had with his husband anymore.

He wanted to reach out and wipe the threatening tears from Kurt’s eyes but all that would do would end the fight as is, with both of them still in a pissed off mood, there would be no closer to the fight.

“Why not? We’ll just add it to the list of fights over the past what...6months now?” Blaine threw his hands in the air. “This is all we do anymore” he once again pointed between the two of them, “We fight, we scream, we say hurtful things and then we go to bed with our backs to each other and we wake up and do it all over again. Why should today be any different?” he turned around at the sound of the oven and turned it off, they didn’t need a fire to start on top of this wonderful evening.
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When Blaine turned back to grab the oven mitts Kurt was no longer standing in the kitchen. He threw the mitts back down and stomped to the hallway. Kurt wasn’t getting out of this fight that easy.

He looked down toward their room but then continued to the living room when he saw Kurt pass in front of the doorway.

“Why would you just walk away?” He questioned.

Kurt looked up at Blaine and just shook his head. “Because I am sick of fighting, that’s why” he answered, finally taking a stand. This is what Blaine wanted, he wanted Kurt to finally give something to one of these mindless fights they always have.

“And you think I do?” Blaine yelled “You know I fucking dread coming home from work some days. I sit there in my room while my kids are watching the clock, begging for the time to go quicker, and I am praying it slows down because I know this is what I am going to come home to” His voice began to crack, these aren’t things he wanted to tell Kurt.

“Then why do you?” Kurt mumbled.

Blaine looked shocked. “What did you say?”

“Then why do you?” he yelled, “Why do you come home if you’re just going to be so miserable with me, why put yourself though it, why do either us of put ourselves though this?” Kurt’s voice softened at the last part. Blaine eyes grew in realization.

“Are you saying what I think you are trying to say?” he asked, the threatening tears were now making themselves known but Blaine didn’t whip them away.

This isn’t what he wanted. Yeah he wanted to have this fight and to get everything that was bothering them both out there but he didn’t want it to end like this. He sank onto the couch he stood in front of, his elbows rested on his knees as he dropped his head into his hands. He wiped at his face, his hands running up into his hair before running back down his face, the cold metal of his wedding ring leaving a burning tail in its wake.

Blaine pulled his hand away and looked at the white gold band that rested on his left hand; it matched the ring that lay wrapped around Kurt’s finger. They both were engraved with one word courage something they both taught each other to have.

“I’m done,” Blaine admitted, the defeat could be felt in his voice. He pushed himself off the couch and walked to the den. He couldn’t be in the room he shared with Kurt; the room they had made love in countless times, when he knew there never may be love in that room again.
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He sat down at the desk chair, it spun as he ran his hands though his hair again with a sigh. The chair stopped and his eyes fixed on the curio cabinet that held a box, a box they promised to open if anything every went wrong
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Kurt’s eyes drifted from Blaine’s to the box he had sat on the table, the color drained from his face.

“We made a promise that if anything went wrong before our 10th anniversary we would open this and remind ourselves why we fell in love.” Kurt’s eyes began to water but he nodded his head. He knew Blaine was right; they needed to do this before they made any drastic decisions. �

His body began to shake, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. They were Kurt and Blaine. They were supposed to be able to make it though anything.

Every memory from the first time his blue eyes met Blaine’s amber on the stairs of Dalton flashed before him. Their first kiss, making love, the I love you’s. Senior year together at McKinley. Them both being accepted to NYU. When Blaine asked Kurt to marry him in front of all their friends and family their sophomore year of college. Blaine’s breakdown when he realized music may not be the way he wanted to go with his life. Their first bad fight that resulting in Blaine leaving in the middle of the night during a storm only to return an hour later begging for Kurt’s forgiveness. Their ‘I do’s’ in the beautiful garden back in Lima, moving into their first home just outside New York City, to this moment now.

Blaine sat down next to Kurt on the couch, neither of their eyes leaving the box.

“Just because we open it doesn’t mean this is the end. Maybe this is what we need, we just need to know why we fell in love,” Blaine assured him. “I still love you Kurt, I couldn’t stop if I wanted to. You are my soul mate but I really think we need this, we can’t keep going on like this.” Kurt picked up on how exhausted Blaine’s voice was, how absolutely drained he was from all half a year.

“Okay” Kurt nodded, his eyes broke from the box and he finally really looked at Blaine. He even looked physically drained from it all.

Kurt brought his right hand to Blaine’s cheek, turning his eyes to his. The look in Blaine’s eyes was enough to rip Kurt’s heart in two. “I love you too,” he whispered, his eyes shifting back and forth between Blaine’s. It scared Kurt because the word almost felt foreign on his tongue. �

He kissed Blaine’s forehead before leaving the living room to retrieve his key.