Kurt sent him away for the afternoon as nicely as possible, but it still ripped Blaine apart to leave the Hummel-Hudson house and drive to his parents' empty one. They'd had a pleasant though extremely awkward brunch with Kurt's family, and everyone had agreed to be out of the house for the evening. And then Kurt had ordered Blaine to go home, clean himself up, get all his homework done, and come back at six that evening wearing a suit. Even though he knew that the only thing Blaine wanted to do was stay as close by his side as possible.

His obsession with setting everything up perfectly was romantic, of course, but it was also extremely annoying.

The part about wearing suits might be nice, Blaine admitted. Kurt must look fabulous in a suit.

Blaine let himself into the house and walked upstairs to his bedroom. He trusted his dom completely, and he knew that whatever Kurt was planning, it would be worth it. He knew, also, that the anticipation would heighten the enjoyment tonight, for both of them. Kurt wasn't antagonizing him needlessly.

He pulled his math homework out of his bag and set everything up on the desk. He drummed his fingers on the notebook, unable to concentrate. There were loose ends to tie up.

He called Alex and explained what had happened after their date the night before. Alex was more gracious than any real-live human being had any right to be. He was practically gleeful at Blaine's good fortune. Blaine was grinning from ear to ear by the time he hung up the phone.

Another glance at his homework, and he booted up his laptop.

Blaine Anderson changed his relationship status to In a Claim with Kurt Hummel.

Seventeen people hit the like button within ten minutes.

Sebastian Smythe: Kurt finally grew a pair, huh? Congrats.

Kurt Hummel: Blaine, I told you to do your homework.

Sebastian Smythe and three others like this.

Blaine Anderson: Sorry, Sir.

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Kurt knew that the excessive planning was unnecessary. Sure, it was kind of romantic, but mainly it was a way of coping with his own nervousness. It was basically the same thing as the Bridezilla phenomenon.

But hey, he needed a way of coping with his own nervousness right now. There was nothing wrong with that. He couldn't control everything, and he understood that he didn't need to. But he could be in control of himself and the environment he was creating, and he wanted to do as much of that as he could.

He made a shopping list. It started with condoms and lube, though he didn't actually plan to get into any activities just yet that would require condoms. It was always best to be prepared. Scented candles were next, and then flowers, and then new sheets (high threadcount). He racked his brain for more things he might need, but he couldn't wait around too long. He was going to need to get out to the mall and back quickly if he was going to have time to wash and iron those sheets before Blaine got back.

------------------------------------

Blaine couldn't stop staring at Kurt from the moment he opened the door. Kurt wasn't wearing a suit exactly, but he looked absolutely stunning just the same. He wore black pants and a white button-down shirt with a black patterned vest over it. His sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows, leaving his cuff visible. Blaine nearly dropped to his knees right there at the door.

"Hi," Kurt said nervously. "Come on in. Let's go right upstairs."

"Yeah. Great." Blaine followed Kurt into his bedroom. He didn't even try to stop himself from staring at Kurt's ass the whole way there.

------------------------------------

Kurt closed the door to his bedroom with a soft click. By the time he turned around, Blaine was on his knees. Kurt waited, watching him, anticipating, but Blaine didn't speak. The seconds ticked by, and Kurt began to wonder whether something had gone terribly wrong.

"Why aren't you asking me?" Kurt asked, nervous.

Blaine held up his arm, displaying his leather cuff. "I don't have to ask you. I'm yours."

Kurt swallowed hard. Blaine was right. A sub could always say no, of course, but as a claimed dom, he could initiate sex with Blaine whenever he wanted to. He could even phrase it as a command, from the outset. The power rush of that realization left him slightly dizzy, and he wobbled a little bit on his feet.

Blaine put his arm back down. "Would you like me to ask? I could ask ... or even beg, if that's what you want."

"No," Kurt said sharply. And then more quietly, "No. Don't ask."

He took Blaine by the hands and helped pull him to stand again. Kurt looked at him in wonderment, so handsome in his suit and black bow tie, like a gift perfectly wrapped up for him to open. The room was lit only by a small lamp and some candles, and Kurt could have stared at the play of light and shadow on his face for hours. He brushed his hands across Blaine's shoulders and down the line of his torso to his waist. "Beautiful, beautiful," he said softly. "And all mine." He gently pulled at the end of Blaine's bow tie, unraveling it in slow motion, then sliding it off from around his neck. He unbuttoned Blaine's suit jacket and slid it off his shoulders, then walked to the desk chair and hung it there, leaving the bowtie draped across.

Kurt turned back and saw Blaine waiting for him across the room. He looked so patient, gazing adoringly at Kurt with a small smile on his face, not questioning, not asking what was to come. For the first time since Kurt had known him, he looked completely happy, and that realization melted Kurt's heart. He walked back to Blaine and kissed his forehead lightly. "Such a good boy. I'm going to undress you now."

"You don't want to order me to do it?" Blaine asked.

"No, sweetheart, I'm going to unwrap you myself," Kurt said. He unfastened the top button of Blaine's shirt, and Blaine hummed in happy submission to the act. There was an undershirt beneath, he discovered at the third button. He reached down to Blaine's waist and pulled on both shirts, untucking them from his pants before unbuttoning the rest. Blaine was quiet and still, simply accepting what Kurt was doing. Kurt couldn't believe how powerful the silent, happy submission made him feel. He let the sense of power and confidence fill his mind, trusting himself to do the right things.

"Too many layers," Kurt teased, pulling the button-down shirt off his shoulders. "That's usually my thing, not yours."

"You love it," Blaine teased right back.

"I do," Kurt admitted. He kissed Blaine at the corner of his mouth and then pulled the undershirt over his head. He spun around, turning his back quickly before Blaine could respond, and brought both shirts to the chair.

And now Blaine was waiting for him across the room, bare to the waist. "Shoes off," Kurt ordered, and then sauntered back to him slowly while Blaine toed off his shoes and pushed them aside with his foot.

Kurt had seen Blaine without a shirt on before. Several times now. He'd touched that skin, kissed all over it, watched Blaine come undone under his fingertips. But, aside from that terrifying day at Sectionals, it had always been with the firm rule that this was as far as it would go. That rule had been a comfort for Kurt, a clear line that prevented him from having to face things that seemed too adult, too intense, too animalistic for him. But now that rule was entirely gone. The intent was to move right past this stage without stopping. Kurt's attitude about sex had changed somewhat, and he definitely wanted to be doing this, but still the butterflies rose in his stomach anyway. He was flying without his safety net here, and as much as he wanted to do it, as much as he felt ready, it still seemed like a giant leap.

He slid one arm around Blaine's waist and pulled him close. The warmth of his body was comforting. Blaine leaned into Kurt and took in a deep breath, his hands sliding around Kurt's waist. They rocked together for a moment, silent, and Kurt felt his courage returning. He hooked two fingers into the waistband of Blaine's pants in the back, and then slid them around to the front until his thumb came to rest on the button. Blaine let out the slightest moan as Kurt popped it open. He slid the zipper down, and couldn't help noticing that Blaine was hard already. He took a deep breath and pushed Blaine's pants down, then held Blaine's hand for stability as he stepped out of them.

Blaine's boxer briefs were a totally ordinary cut and fabric, except that they were bright red. Kurt prevented himself from laughing, his mouth twitching at the corners. It wasn't that Blaine looked silly. He looked amazing. It was that any thought process Kurt could imagine about why Blaine had chosen to wear bright red boxer briefs tonight was extremely amusing.

Blaine bit his lip. "You told me to get dressed up for you," he said, bashful.

"I did," Kurt agreed. "You look ... fantastic." He traced his index finger along the outline of Blaine's hard cock, and suddenly neither of them was anywhere near laughing.

"We're going to take these off now," Kurt whispered.

Blaine's throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Okay."

Kurt pushed Blaine's underwear down with trembling hands. He didn't look, not right away. He kept his eyes on Blaine's face, watched Blaine close his eyes and shiver a little bit, then shift as he stepped out and kicked the underwear out of the way. Kurt looked subtly away as he bent down and gathered the garments from the floor. Blaine was still wearing his socks, he noticed. He tugged on the toe of one of them. "Off," he instructed, and Blaine lifted one foot, then the other, letting Kurt remove his final pieces of clothing.

Kurt pivoted so he wouldn't see, and brought Blaine's clothes to the desk. He folded them slowly and set them down in a pile. And then he took a breath and turned.

His sub was waiting for him, standing right where he'd left him, completely naked and unashamed. There was not even a blush on Blaine's cheeks as he stood there letting Kurt look at him, which was more than Kurt could say for himself. Kurt took a moment to stand there and stare at him. His broad shoulders, muscled arms hanging at his sides. His chest tapering down to a slim waist. His cock, slightly darker than the rest of his skin, standing at attention. His legs, so solid and with dark hair covering his thighs. He looked taller than he really was, standing there openly in the middle of the room.

Kurt walked to him, taking it all in with his eyes. "You're so beautiful," he said, his voice faltering a little bit.

"Thank you," Blaine said. "Kurt? Are you still scared?" He looked up at Kurt, his eyes wide and bright, so vulnerable.

Kurt had to be honest. "Yes, a little bit."

"Me too," Blaine said. His eyes flitted down and then back up. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Kurt locked his eyes on Blaine's. "Absolutely. Are you?"

Blaine nodded. "More than anything in the world," he said, almost a whisper.

Kurt held out his hand and Blaine took it, holding on to him lightly. "Then we'll do this together," he said.

------------------------------------

Blaine let Kurt lead him to the bed. Kurt pulled back the covers and then guided Blaine to lie down, fluffing the pillow under his head and arranging everything just so. Blaine smiled, seeing the care that his dom was taking for him. He looked so confident, and his hands felt strong and sure whenever he touched Blaine. If he hadn't admitted to being scared, Blaine would never have guessed that he was.

"Are you comfortable, Love?"

Blaine nodded.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen," Kurt said. Blaine felt his whole body tingling at the authoritativeness of his dom's voice. "I'm going to get you off right away. And then I'm going to spend at least an hour taking you apart, piece by piece, before I let you come again."

"Okay," Blaine squeaked, his voice two octaves higher than usual. He cleared his throat. "Are you ... um ... are you going to get undressed too?"

Kurt traced his fingers along Blaine's collarbone. "You want to see me, hmm? We'll make that a reward, then."

Blaine whimpered. Nothing had even happened yet, and he was already so far gone. He was glad Kurt was planning to let him come right away, because he didn't think he could have lasted long at all otherwise. Kurt must have known that. Blaine loved that he could relax completely, because his dom was so smart and thoughtful and always knew what he needed.

Kurt bent down and kissed him. "I love you so very much."

"I love you, too," Blaine said. He reached up and touched Kurt's face, stroking his cheek gently.

Kurt stretched himself out on his side, facing Blaine and propping his head up on his left hand. His right hand traced swirly patterns on Blaine's chest. "I'm not giving you any orders right now. You can move, talk, anything you want. Just let me take care of you." His hand moved lower, circling around Blaine's stomach.

"Okay," Blaine said. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes.

"Eyes open," Kurt said firmly, and Blaine snapped his eyes back open. Kurt giggled. "I guess that was an order. I want you to look at me, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said, and then his breath hitched because Kurt's fingers were tracing lightly up and down his cock. "Oh god," he whispered.

Kurt bent down and kissed him again. "I love you."

"Love. You." Blaine gasped as Kurt's fingers circled around his shaft, grasping him firmly.

The part of his brain that did things like thinking was starting to shut itself off, but Blaine slowly realized that there had been hardly any commands. Don't ask for sex. Shoes off. Look at Kurt. He wasn't bound. He'd spent only a few seconds on his knees. And yet he felt entirely dominated. Kurt was so completely in control of everything that happened, and Blaine felt loved and cherished and cared for in a way that he never had before.

There were so many emotions in Kurt's eyes. Adoration and ownership and concern for his well-being, lust and enjoyment and perhaps the slightest hint of nervousness now and then, which somehow made him all the more attractive. Kurt kept his eyes mostly on Blaine's face, keeping a close watch on his reactions, but he looked down from time to time to see his body, to watch his hand move on Blaine's cock.

He was allowed to speak, but there was nothing he wanted to say. His shallow breaths and soft gasps were the only things to be heard, along with small rustles as he shifted this way and that on the sheets. The pleasure built until he could hardly take it any more. "I'm so close," Blaine whispered, not really wanting to make a noise.

"Good, sweetheart," Kurt answered, his voice clear and steady. "You can come whenever you want to."

The permission was like a flood of relief that Blaine didn't even know he needed, and he came right away, with a sound that was almost a sob. He vaguely noticed Kurt cleaning him off with some tissues. Vaguely heard Kurt murmuring, "Good, such a good boy, so good for me." But he couldn't pay attention, couldn't focus on anything. He was lost in this joy, and his dom's arms around him, and there was absolutely nothing to worry about in the world.

------------------------------------

Holding Blaine in his arms, waiting for him to come down from his afterglow, Kurt realized he wasn't at all scared of any of this anymore. It felt so natural, and it was beautiful both to watch and to be a part of. He felt like he belonged here, in this bed with Blaine, discovering together how to take joy in their own bodies and each other's.

And god, was he ever turned on and wearing too many clothes.

Blaine shifted in his arms and turned his head to look at Kurt's face. "Wow," he said, a tone of awe in his voice. "That was ..."

Kurt put a finger to Blaine's lips, playfully cutting him off. "We're not even close to done."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Kurt traced his finger down Blaine's lips, over his chin and down the line of his neck. "I've recently acquired some new ... property." His finger slid down over Blaine's chest and to his belly button. "But I hardly know what's there." Blaine looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. "I think we should ... make a map," Kurt said.

"What kind of map?" Blaine asked.

"We'll play a little game," Kurt said in a teasing tone. "I'll do two things, and you say which one you like best."

"That sounds like a good game."

"Hmm, that's what you say now..."

Kurt arranged Blaine on the bed, lying on his back. He positioned Blaine's arms above his head, bent with the elbows out and hands touching above his head. His legs were down flat, tapering outward to be about two feet apart at his feet. "Don't move," he ordered. "Don't talk except to answer my questions."

God, it was arousing, seeing Blaine laid out naked for him like that. Kurt's cock strained against his suit pants, desperate to be set free. Blaine was flaccid after their first session, but he did not intend to let him stay that way for long.

He needed to get out of some of these clothes, though, and he'd said it would be a reward. "You've done well so far, Love," he told Blaine. He unbuttoned his vest and took it off. Blaine licked his lips. Good. This was going well.

He sat on the bed and leaned over Blaine. "Fuck, you're so hot," he said. He bent down and kissed him hard on the lips, his tongue pushing into Blaine's mouth. "That ... or this?" Kurt sucked Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth, running his teeth lightly over the top.

"That. The first one." Blaine said once Kurt released his mouth.

"Good." Kurt kissed him again the way he had the first time, making it as close to the same thing as possible. "Now one," he nibbled at Blaine's jawline, "or two?" he bit a little harder at Blaine's earlobe.

"Two."

Kurt rewarded him with another bite, exactly the same way. "One," he licked around the shell of Blaine's ear, "or two?" he sucked Blaine's earlobe into his mouth.

Blaine breathed in sharply. "One."

"One," Kurt did it again, "or two?" Kurt moved around to lick his other ear the same way.

"Um ... can I say they're the same?"

"No." It was completely arbitrary, but he relished the power of denying this simple thing.

Blaine accepted his answer without question. "Okay ... um ... two."

Ten minutes later, Kurt had exhausted every spot he could think of to tease on Blaine's face, neck, and shoulders, and Blaine was panting for breath. "You're doing so well," Kurt said. "I'm going to take off my shirt now." Blaine watched as he stripped off his button-down, leaving a thin t-shirt underneath.

It turned out that Blaine's armpits were extremely ticklish, and Kurt took advantage of that for playful torture. Soon Blaine's muscles were tense and he was squeaking out answers to Kurt's questions with his eyes screwed shut, jerking with reflexive movements he couldn't suppress. By the time Kurt moved on, the sensitivity had traveled all the way up his arms to the inside of the elbow joint, and Kurt toyed with him mercilessly there as well. When he finally turned to sucking Blaine's fingers into his mouth one by one, Blaine sighed with relief.

Kurt decided that removing his undershirt and his belt and his socks was a reasonable reward, considering. The fact that he desperately wanted to be out of his clothes had absolutely nothing to do with it.

He turned his attention to Blaine's collarbone and then his nipples, still mapping out his body with the game. Blaine liked to have his nipples licked and pinched, but not sucked on, he discovered. He learned that running his fingers down Blaine's side made him shiver, but doing both sides at once was better, and the absolute best was when he dragged his fingernails with just enough pressure to leave thin white marks that disappeared almost immediately. But the big surprise was that licking Blaine's belly button was almost enough to make him come.

Kurt figured he should give Blaine a break after that, so he stood up and took his own pants off. It was only in retrospect that he realized watching that might not have been exactly a cooling-off period for Blaine.

"You're doing so well for me," he told Blaine in a soothing voice as he sat back down on the bed. "Let's see about your legs now, shall we?"

Blaine whimpered softly in answer, and Kurt reached out to stroke the inside of his left thigh. "This ... or that?" He bent down and placed a kiss at the crease between his thigh and his pelvis.

"The first one," Blaine managed to gasp.

He worked his way down Blaine's legs, enjoying every moment that he spent touching and exploring his body. But at the same time, his own needs were making themselves heard much more loudly. Kurt had been hard for what felt like ages, and there was a wet spot on his underwear from leaking precome. The sight of Blaine trembling beneath him, almost on the brink of an orgasm already but holding it back because Kurt said to, was almost too much to bear.

Kurt slid his finger along the arch of Blaine's foot, from the heel to the ball of his foot. "One ... or two?" He sucked on Blaine's big toe.

"One."

"Good, sweetheart. You were so patient. We're done with this game now." Kurt watched Blaine take a deep breath in and out. "You were so good, Love. I'm going to take these off." Kurt tugged at his underwear. Blaine's eyes widened.

Kurt stood up. This was it. The last barrier between himself and Blaine. He was about to be naked together with his sub. He should feel nervous, he thought. But he wasn't. Not any more. He knew he wasn't perfect, not his body, not his skills as a dom. But he realized now that he didn't need to be. As long as he was doing the best he could, as long as he was taking good care of his sub, things were going to be okay.

He pushed his underwear down and stepped out. He let himself stand there for a moment, quiet, exposed, letting Blaine look at him with shining, hungry eyes.

"I ... Blaine, I have a plan for how I want this to go, but before that, is there anything you need? Anything you want?"

"I want to suck your cock," Blaine said without hesitation.

Kurt was startled, but maybe he shouldn't have been. He had heard this same request from Blaine before. It must be a thing for him, a turn-on.

Kurt had also heard something pretty much like the begging that came next. "Please, Sir, I think about it all the time. I imagine what it would taste like, what it would feel like in my mouth. I want it so bad, I just want to find out ... please, will you let me?"

It took Kurt a moment to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Blaine didn't remember that he'd done it before. He'd said before that he didn't remember the details of their first encounter, since he'd been so far gone with his Sickness. But Kurt was stunned that he didn't even remember that he'd given a blowjob at all. He wanted to cry, it was so upsetting to think about how this had happened to Blaine without his knowledge. How Kurt had been a part of it, even though he'd never wanted to do this to him. He wondered if he should tell Blaine about it. Maybe someday, he thought, but definitely not now. This was not the time.

"Please? Sir?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes. Okay. Thank you for telling me what you want, that's good, I always want you to do that."

Blaine beamed with delight and excitement. "Can I be on my knees for you? While I do it?"

Kurt nodded again, holding back tears. This is now. It's not like that anymore. This is our first time. He wants this. And so do I.

"I love you so much, Blaine," Kurt said. He held out his hand. "Come here, Love. Kneel for me."

------------------------------------

It was as incredible as Blaine had always imagined. Even though it had been his own idea, his request, he felt so submissive like this. Down on his knees, naked, taking his dom's cock as deep in his mouth as he could. It felt amazing, letting Kurt fill his body, doing everything he could to give him pleasure.

He looked up, a small tilt of his head, his eyes straining to catch Kurt's face. It looked like he had tears in his eyes. Blaine hoped he was doing well enough and not hurting him. He was new at this, but he hoped he would have a lot of chances to practice. He wanted to learn how to be the best he could for his dom. This incredible man, the dom he had always wanted. Blaine still couldn't believe this was real. It was almost too good to be true.

Kurt reached down and petted his hair, and oh god, it was hard for Blaine not to come from just this, from the combination of complete submission and his dom's sweet tenderness.

"Love you," Kurt gasped. "Love you so much, Blaine, you're so amazing." Blaine's heart swelled with pride.

Kurt pulled back a minute later. "Enough, sweetheart. I don't want to come from this."

"But I want—" Blaine whined, unable to stop himself from complaining.

Kurt answered in a firm voice. "I know. But not this time. Go lie on the bed again."

------------------------------------

Kurt covered Blaine with his body. He started rutting against him immediately, he couldn't help it. His cock was trapped against Blaine's stomach, and he felt Blaine grinding back into him, his erection pressing against Kurt's hipbone. It felt amazing, all of it.

"I'm so close," Kurt gasped. "I want us to come together if we can. Are you ...?"

"Yes. Yes." Blaine was panting. "I'm almost there, I can ... yes."

Kurt lifted his hips up and rearranged how he was lying against Blaine, reaching down to make sure their cocks were lined up together. Blaine moaned when Kurt rocked into him again.

"You're doing so well for me, Love. You make me feel so good."

"Thank you, Sir."

Kurt loved it when Blaine called him Sir. It made him feel completely in control. He loved the tone of respect, almost worshipfulness in Blaine's voice. Blaine said it the way he always did, but it didn't seem like quite the right thing now. Kurt wanted something different. Something more personal.

"I'm not just any dom to you, am I?" Kurt asked.

"No, Sir. Of course not."

"You only want me, don't you? Nobody else."

"Only you, yes. I love you." Blaine was trembling on the edge of an orgasm. Kurt could see him straining to hold it back.

"Then say my name," Kurt said.

"Kurt," Blaine said, gasping. "I love you, Kurt."

"Good, Blaine, sweetheart. I love you, too. I'm almost there, okay? I want to hear my name when you come."

"Okay. Okay."

Kurt didn't know whether he wanted this moment to last forever, or to just come right now. It wasn't as if he had much choice in the matter, though. Blaine's eyes were squeezed shut with the effort of waiting, his hands gripping Kurt's shoulders as if he might fall off the earth if he let go, and Kurt couldn't hold himself back either. He came harder than he ever had before, spurt after spurt shooting between them and smearing all over their stomachs and chests.

Blaine moaned his name as he let himself go, half a second after Kurt did, and then faster, "Kurtkurtkurtkurtkurt."

"Blaine, god, I love you, Blaine."

Kurt found a comfortable position to lie in, holding Blaine a close as he could. They floated together for a few minutes, too lost in the afterglow to want to say anything. Finally, Kurt began to speak softly into Blaine's ear. "You were so good for me, sweetheart. So perfect. Such a good boy, you did everything I asked, you waited so long for me. Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you for giving yourself to me this way. I've got you, I'll take good care of you, always, I promise."

Blaine hummed happily and cuddled closer into Kurt's arms. But then he blinked suddenly and pulled himself out of his haze all at once. "Are you okay? Is there anything you need, how are you—?"

Kurt smiled. It was so lovely of him to be concerned, but there was no need. "I'm wonderful, Love. Everything is fine, you don't need to do anything. I've got you."

Blaine cuddled in again, but he was alert now, with no traces of his subspace trance left. Kurt couldn't help but be a little bit sad at that, but he figured they would have plenty of opportunities to linger in post-sex afterglow in the future. He would make absolutely certain that they had lots of opportunities.

"That was perfect, Kurt," Blaine said after a few minutes. "Really, really perfect. Thank you."

Kurt smiled. "I'm so glad. We should go get cleaned up soon, but let's cuddle a little while longer first."

Blaine hummed his agreement.

"Will you stay the night?" Kurt asked. Sleeping alone after this was unimaginable.

"There's school tomorrow..."

Kurt grinned. "I'll write you a note. 'Dear Headmaster. Please excuse Blaine's tardiness today ...' No, scratch that. 'Please excuse Blaine's absence today. His new dom had to fuck him into the mattress over and over again. Best wishes, Kurt Hummel.'"

"Oh really," Blaine said, arching his eyebrows. "Well, I don't see how anyone could argue with such an airtight excuse."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few more minutes, content just to be together without talking. Kurt broke the silence again. "Why was I ever scared of this?"

"You weren't ready. There's nothing wrong with wanting to wait until you're ready."

Kurt nodded. He supposed that was true.

"And I'm sorry that you didn't actually get to," Blaine added. "I mean, before."

"Well, you didn't either," Kurt said.

"Yeah, but I had to and you didn't."

Kurt shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It's the same thing. It's just as hard, either way, I think."

Blaine smiled sadly. "Well, it brought us together, anyway. It can't be all bad."

Kurt took his hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed it gently. "Agreed."

"Can we shower now? Because I'm totally gross."

Kurt laughed. "So romantic, Blaine."

"I love you, too."

Kurt cast a glance at the bed after they both stood up. The sheets were sticky with come and sweat, probably not beyond repair, but he'd have to make sure to spot-treat them before he threw them in the washer. The bed was more rumpled than he'd ever seen it, the sheets wrinkled and creased and coming off the mattress at one corner. "I suppose there really was no need to iron the sheets," he mused.

"You ironed the sheets?" Blaine asked, raising one eyebrow and unsuccessfully trying to hide a grin.

Kurt could laugh at himself, he really could. But he blushed at the same time. "Shut up," he said through his giggles.

"No, I love it," Blaine said. He gestured around the room at the flowers and the candles, now burnt down low. "It's beautiful and romantic. All of it. It's perfect."

Kurt kissed him on the forehead. "I love you, too."