CHAPTER 11

 As the wedding approached, Kurt made arrangements to take a leave from his show, which had opened to rave reviews.  His work at Vogue.com, as well as his independent designing and costume design work, were largely done on his own time, so other than telling Isabelle he would be unavailable for a couple of weeks, there were no arrangements to be made for those.

The guest lists were finalized and the invitations sent.  Other than being astounded at the sheer number of people they discovered they knew and wanted to share in their happiness, there was little surprise to the guest list.  Only one conflict arose:  Blaine felt they should invite Sebastian Smythe, as he had been a Warbler.  Kurt pointed out that first, he had not been in the group with either of them, and second, he had hit on Blaine despite knowing Blaine was dating Kurt and finally, even more important, he had severely injured Blaine, causing him to require surgery, while attempting to injure Kurt.  Blaine's mother intervened, siding with Kurt; Kurt won the argument, and no more arguments or discussions arose regarding the list. 

Blaine's mother made more frequent trips to New York as the wedding grew nearer.  On one afternoon, in which she, Kurt, and Blaine were to make the final choices of flower arrangements, cakes, and tuxes, Blaine finally broke his silence.  “You two do know that I know what you're doing, right?”

“What are you talking about, sweetheart?”  Kurt asked innocently.

“Everything you let me choose from is either all stuff you like already, or it's the one thing you want plus a bunch of stuff so awful there's no way I'd choose it,” he said.  “That way, there's no chance I'll pick something you don't want.”

“Um,” Kurt tried to formulate an answer that didn't sound ridiculous, while exchanging guilty looks with Blaine's mom that made it clear they were caught.

“I knew it!”  Blaine exclaimed.

“You already said that,” Kurt pointed out.

“Yeah, but I wasn't sure until you two looked at each other,” Blaine told him.

“How?”  His mom inquired.

“Really, Mom?  It's not like this is the first time you've done this.  You do it to Dad, you do it to Cooper, and you do it to me.  We all know about it.  We joke about it.”  Blaine informed her.

“None of you have said anything to me before,” she said, sounding a bit petulant.

“And you can do it, we're used to it, although we have discussed picking one of the obvious losers to teach you a lesson,” Blaine said to his mother, who blanched at the thought, before he turned to Kurt, saying, “But I wanted you to know that I know, and to let you know it's not acceptable between us, except for the wedding.  I'd let you have anything you wanted for this.  Once we're married, if you ever try to pull something like this again, I will call you on it, or pick something you hate intentionally just to punish you, and you'll have to live with it.  Understand?”

Kurt nodded sheepishly, before saying, “I really do love you.  Does that help?”

Blaine snorted but smiled.

* * *

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived, on the heels of one of the worst blizzards the northeast had seen in years.  It had hit on Christmas Day and lasted three days.  By late morning on the twenty-eighth, the airports were reopened, along with major highways in the cities.  Most major roads were open that afternoon, with side streets following that evening.  Blaine had spent the time since the weather predictions began talking of snow the week before Christmas trying to calm Kurt down.  The morning of the twenty-ninth found him massaging Kurt's shoulders as Kurt stared at the television and listened to the reports of which roads were open and closed upstate.  They were due to leave around noon, along with most of their friends, most of whom had flown in the day before if they weren't already in New York.  The original plan had been for Blaine's parents to drive up separately, one of them bringing Blaine's car, which had been left in Ohio, but with the weather, they decided to fly, and rent a car once in New York.  Kurt and Blaine were waiting for the rental car company to deliver their car, and as they waited, Kurt sat stiffly and chewed his impeccably manicured nails, stopping only when Blaine pointed out what he was doing.  When the knock sounded on the door Kurt nearly jumped out of his skin, and Blaine breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the rental car representative.  The man brought reports from the agency's other offices around the state, reporting that major roads were clear, and the only troubles were on rural roads and side streets.  Kurt paled at that, but a quick call to the inn assured them that there would be no trouble reaching it. 

They loaded their bags into the car and headed out slowly, taking care to watch for slick patches on the road.  Kurt kept his coat on in the car and turned the heater up on his side, while Blaine reached into the back for a blanket to tuck around him.  Kurt smiled at him gratefully, thankful he was about to marry someone as wonderful and thoughtful as Blaine. 

They arrived at the inn around dusk, giving their bags to the bellman to place in their rooms before rushing to the rehearsal at the church.  The church was even more beautiful than the pictures, and Kurt sent a silent thank you to Mrs. Anderson for finding it.  The rehearsal was over quickly, as there wasn't really much to rehearse; they'd all been in weddings before, other than the ring-bearer, three year old Stephen, so they all knew what to do.  A few attempts to coach Stephen led to the decision to have him go out with his father and stay with him throughout the ceremony.  After that, everyone trooped back over to the inn for the rehearsal dinner, before returning to their own rooms for the night.  Kurt and Blaine lingered in the dining room until Mercedes pointed out it was nearly midnight, and they didn't want to see each other on the day of the wedding until the actual wedding, at which point they scrambled for their separate rooms.

Neither was able to sleep well.  Kurt blamed it on wedding nerves, running through all the things that could go wrong over and over in his head.  Blaine was perhaps the more honest of the two; he knew they belonged together, and no matter what happened, they were getting married tomorrow, which was perfect and right, regardless of anything else that might go wrong.  He blamed his inability to sleep on the fact that he was alone.  Even at home, he slept restlessly until Kurt was in bed with him; he suspected Kurt was the same, since Kurt going to bed alone usually resulted in the bed looking like it had been attacked by a wild animal.  The result was a late night and an early morning and two tired grooms.

Kurt watched the sun rise over the trees, making the snow glitter like diamonds.  Suddenly, he began to worry they might not make it to the church because of snow on the roads, even though no new snow had fallen.  By the time Finn came to check on him, he was in a panic.  Finn tried briefly to calm him before calling in reinforcements.  Soon, his room was crowded as his attendants surrounded him.  All things considered, the two grooms had decided to surround themselves with their best friends, regardless of gender.  Finn was Kurt's best man, joined as attendants by Mercedes, Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Tina, Puck and Mike.  Artie had been asked, but work on the west coast had made him uncertain he would even be able to make the wedding.  It fell to Mercedes and Santana to calm him, Santana saying, “Hey, we're all here, where the party is, and there's booze.  What more do we need?”

Mercedes sent her a glare, telling him, “Look, Boo, the roads were clear last night.  Nothing's changed.  The minister made it last night, she'll make it this morning.  And one way or another, you're getting married today.  Nothing else matters.  Flowers don't matter, the cake doesn't matter, none of it does.  All that matters is that you and Blaine love each other, and you're going to tell each other that in front of all of us, as if we didn't already know, and promise forever.  And he does love you, you know.  So much.  As much as you love him.”

“Not possible,” Kurt sniffled, finally starting to feel better.

“Yeah, it is,” She told him, “You can't miss it, any time you look at him.  Now let's go make you beautiful for him, because right now you're a hot mess.” 

Things were a bit more serene in Blaine's room as Cooper, Sam, Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Jeff and Nick filtered in through the morning.  He just had to make a couple of phone calls to iron out a single wrinkle in the plans, and then he relaxed.  His groomsmen were supposed to be keeping him calm, but it wasn't necessary.  As Cooper told tales of Hollywood and the former Warblers entertained Sam with stories of their show choir days, to compare with the New Directions, Blaine drifted off.  Cooper noticed and started to wake him, but Sam stopped him.  “Let him sleep,” he instructed.  “I don't think he sleeps well alone anymore, and he'll need to be alert later.  One of them should be, anyway.  Mercedes told me she doesn't think Kurt slept at all last night, and he's a disaster.”  Cooper bowed to the superior knowledge of a best friend over that of a much older and more distant brother, even though he was the best man.  They placed a pillow under Blaine's head to make him more comfortable and continued their conversation in more subdued tones. 

The attendants bustled back and forth between the rooms during the day, keeping tabs on both men.  Mercedes assumed the duties of best man/maid of honor, sending Finn to tend the ring bearer and make sure he took a nap so he wouldn't be fussy during the ceremony.  She sent a knowing smile towards Quinn's retreating back as she followed Finn to his room to help him with the children.

Around mid-afternoon, Kurt began to prepare in earnest.  Looking pleadingly at Mercedes, he asked, “Is Blaine alright?  I mean, everything's going well in his room, right?”

“Honey, while you've been in here panicking and working yourself into a state, he's been taking a nap.  He's fine.  I'm not so sure about you,” Mercedes told him.

“What?”  Kurt shrieked.  “He'll never be ready in time.”

“Don't get your panties in a twist.  He'll be ready.  He's been ready for ages.”

Right on cue, Blaine's mother knocked on the door.  Mercedes let her in, and she quietly approached Kurt.  “Kurt, Honey, I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news.”

“Oh, no.  Oh, my God.  Blaine changed his mind, didn't he?  He's backing out, isn't he?”  Kurt began to panic and looked as though he might hyperventilate.  Blaine's mother suddenly looked horrified and much more nervous.

“Calm down and listen to her,” Mercedes instructed in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

“No, it's nothing like that,” Blaine's mom said, very glad for Mercedes' presence.  “It's the carriage.  The path through the woods isn't even really a road, and well, it's not clear.  What I'm trying to say is they can't get the carriage down the path, so you'll just have to come back here by car.  We were taking Blaine and you were going with your folks, and I've already talked to them.  We'll ride back with them and you and Blaine can take our car.”

Kurt looked as though he might cry, but then Mercedes stepped in and said, “Listen, Kurt, all that matters is that you're getting married today.  It doesn't matter how you get to the church or back.  All that matters is that you're going to have a husband at the end of the day.” 

Kurt took a deep breath and looked at her gratefully.  “You're right.  Thank you.”

“Of course I am.  Now let's finish getting you ready,” she said, as Blaine's mother retreated.

Blaine's mother hurried down the hall to Blaine's room, where he was now awake and in the process of dressing.  Smiling, she informed him, “It's done, he knows about the carriage.”  Blaine beamed his thanks to her as she continued, “You look so handsome.  I can't wait to watch you get married.” 

He leaned in to kiss her cheek before turning back to the mirror to finish his hair.  It was now usually free of gel, and he and Kurt both preferred it that way, but he was trying to reach a happy medium between the gelled-down helmet of his high school days and his hair's now usual state of wild curls.  He was beginning to think he should have practiced this, before abandoning the attempt.  To the astonishment of his groomsmen, he stripped out of his tux, laid it across a chair, and entered the bathroom.  A moment later they heard the shower.

Sam opened the door to the shock of a few of the former Warblers, yelling into the room, “Hey, shave.  Kurt made Cooper and I promise to make sure you shave, and to shave you by force if necessary.  He doesn't want any stubble in the wedding pictures.”

“My stubble's sexy,” Blaine called back.

“Yeah, well I don't know about Coop, but I'm not willing to die so you can be sexy.  And Kurt will kill me, so you're going to shave,” Sam replied.

Blaine just laughed.  He emerged, freshly shaved, a few moments later, back in his underwear, and redressed.  His hair was wild and free of product, but everyone knew Kurt loved it, so no one said a word.  He was straightening his own bow tie after helping several of his groomsmen tie theirs when they heard a knock at the door. 

Jeff opened it to find Mercedes, hands on hips.  “You'd best be ready in there, because it's time to go,” she announced.

“We are,” Blaine smiled, motioning to the groomsmen who would follow he and his parents in two cars.  The journey to the wedding was carefully coordinated, from leaving the rooms to the wedding march, to prevent the grooms from seeing one another before the ceremony began.

Half an hour later, Kurt entered his parents' rental car, along with Finn and Stephen.  Quinn and the rest of the girls had commandeered Carole Ann, who although dressed as a flower girl (and officially listed that way on everything) would, at only a year old, sit with her grandparents during the ceremony.  They were following in one car, Puck and Mike in another.

Finally, they arrived at the church.  As they pulled in, they saw Artie struggling to extract his wheelchair from his car and set it on the icy pavement.  Puck and Mike bolted from their car as soon as they managed to get it parked, Mike taking the wheelchair up to the church entrance while Puck carried Artie.  Kurt rushed to give him a hug.  “I'm so glad to see you!  I thought you weren't going to make it,” he gushed.  He was amazed; Artie had taken a job with a production company in L.A. immediately upon graduating a year ahead of schedule last spring.

“I wouldn't miss this for the world, but let me tell you, the weather did not help.  Then, trying to find a car I could borrow since most rental car places don't have handicapped accessible ones . . .“ Artie trailed off, as Kurt looked at him with understanding and gratitude for the effort required to get there.  Puck placed Artie in his chair and Artie took it from there, wheeling himself into the church and straight to Kitty, who squealed with delight.

Kurt looked to Mike, who, as Tina's fiancée, was more up to date on the members who had joined during Tina and Blaine's senior year.  “Yeah, they're still a thing,” he said, “I'm not sure exactly what, but they're something.  She's going to school in Palo Alto, but I hear she spends a lot of weekends in L.A.”  Kurt smiled.  He wouldn't have guessed it when he first met her, but Kitty truly cared for Artie, and was sweeter than he thought she would turn out to be, and he wanted Artie to be happy.

As Kurt waited outside, Finn went inside to tell everyone they were there.  Blaine was hidden safely in one room, so Kurt was shepherded into another.  Fifteen minutes later, everyone was seated and it was time for the ceremony to begin. 

Blaine walked down the aisle, escorted by his parents.  He was followed by the attendants, more or less in pairs:  Finn and Cooper, with Stephen between them, then Mercedes and Sam, Santana and Wes, Brittany and David, Quinn and Thad, Tina and Trent, Puck and Nick, and finally, Mike and Jeff.  Once all the attendants were at the altar on their respective sides, the Wedding March began to play, and Kurt was finally walking down the aisle, escorted by Burt and Carole, his eyes fixed on Blaine waiting for him at the altar. 

Despite Kurt's fears, there were no disasters.  No one's dress ripped, no one's tux fell apart, Blaine didn't leave him, he didn't faint, the roads weren't blocked by snow.  Everyone was thrilled to be there, watching the two men they all loved get married.  Although no one could quite put their finger on it, they all knew there was something about the wedding that said Kurt.  Kurt, of course, knew.  He had designed the beautiful bridesmaids' dresses, ice blue silk shot through with silver, reminiscent of the snow outside, fitted perfectly on top, but full below the waist to allow dancing at the reception.  The groomsmen and grooms wore tuxes that were classic yet somehow different.  Kurt had designed them, and they were tailored carefully to each wearer; he had had the most trouble with Blaine's, as his groom had a tendency to wiggle, squirm, and giggle during fittings – at once point prompting Kurt to threaten to stab him with a pin while attempting to get the crotch and back seams fitted properly.  Each of the men wore cummerbunds that matched the girls' dresses, and a black bow tie, except for Kurt, whose bow tie matched the dresses as well – something that Blaine insisted on, after seeing the fabric near Kurt's eyes.  Kurt and Blaine's mother had designed all the floral arrangements and other decorations, and they had been perfectly executed by the chosen florists and decorators.  The scene was one out of a fairy tale or a fantasy; the only difference was that this was real, and Kurt was really, finally, getting to marry the man of his dreams.

As he approached the altar, Kurt's father hugged him, and Carole planted a quick kiss on his cheek, before they each squeezed his hand and Kurt took the last few steps by himself, thinking joyfully that they were the last he would ever take alone.  He ascended the steps and faced Blaine, taking both of Blaine's hands in his.  The minister said something that both men missed, too busy staring into each other's eyes, smiling like they would never stop.  A few minutes later, she said, “Um, gentlemen, if you would turn your attention to me for a minute, we can get this show on the road,” and the spell was broken as the congregation laughed and Kurt and Blaine exchanged sheepish looks before turning to face the minister.  Addressing the congregation again, she quipped, “Believe it or not, ladies and gentlemen, when the happy couple is too wrapped up in each other to notice their own ceremony, it's usually a good sign.”  Focusing again on the men before her, she told them, “I know you're a bit behind, so let's bring you up to date.  We all know why we're here, and you've been given away.  Oh, and no one here seems to be able to think of any reason why you shouldn't get married.  I believe you both had something to say to each other before your friends and family?”

Turning to Kurt and taking his hands, Blaine began, “Kurt, it's a miracle that we're here today.  First, we were friends, and as special as that was, this is so much more, and I'm sorry it took me so incredibly long to figure out how wonderful you are, and how much I wanted to be more than friends, because I know you realized it right off the bat.  Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake, so thank you for still being there once I figured out what was apparently blatantly obvious to everyone other than me, if what our friends tell me now is true.”  A wave of giggles went through the church as a number of the attendants nodded in agreement.  “We've made our mistakes, and we'll make more; we've hurt each other, and as much as I hope we won't, I know we'll do it again.  But I believe that we'll make it; we'll forgive each other for whatever happens, large or small, and we'll be stronger for it, because we love each other, and we need that love more than we need food to eat, water to drink, or air to breathe.  Without it, without each other, we cannot truly live.”

Kurt swallowed.  He shouldn't have ever agreed to let Blaine go first, because now he was wondering how on earth he was going to be able to talk around the huge lump in his throat and he was blinking back tears.  He took a deep breath and prayed that his theater training would get him through this speech.  “Blaine, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, on the stairs at Dalton.  And I would like to take a minute to thank Puck for sending me to spy on the Warblers.  Without you, Puck, I would never have met Blaine, and I might have decided to give up theater and go into espionage, a career for which I am obviously not suited.”  Again, laughs echoed through the church.  “But Blaine, I'm so glad that you were blind to how far and fast I had fallen that day, because it allowed us to become friends.  And through it all, being boyfriends, breaking up, getting back together, being roommates, being lovers, it's made us stronger.  And being friends means we'll be better husbands to each other.  Being friends means we've made it through all the stupid things that we've done, to ourselves and each other.  I wish I could say we've gotten smarter, and we won't do stupid things anymore, because God knows, we've already done our share, but I'm pretty sure that we're not, so I think the best we can hope for is to not do the same things again.  But whatever we do, our friendship, and our love, will get us through.  Because I do love you, Blaine, and I know you love me, and I plan on spending the rest of my life, no matter what happens, with you, showing you just how much I love you.”

As Kurt finished, the two began to lean towards each other, only to hear the minister say, “Not yet, boys.  Don't worry, I'll tell you when.”  Kurt and Blaine stood up straight again, Kurt thinking he liked this woman more than any other clergyperson he'd ever met, even if she was keeping him from doing what he wanted to do right now, which was kiss Blaine until he was forced to come up for air; she was smart, witty, and sarcastic, and clearly didn't condemn them for being gay.  She continued, “Okay, let's get on with this, because these two young men are clearly looking forward to the end of the ceremony.  Do you, Blaine Devon Anderson, take Kurt Ethan Hummel to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and hold, from this day forward?”

Breathlessly, Blaine said, “I do.”

Looking to Kurt, she said, “Do you, Kurt Ethan Hummel, take Blaine Devon Anderson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward?”

Kurt's voice rang clearly through the church, “I do.”

She then instructed Blaine to repeat after her, saying, “Okay, the first bit is a bit repetitive of what we've already done, but we'll get to the good part pretty quickly,” and shortly his voice could be heard ringing through the church.

“I, Blaine Devon Anderson, take you, Kurt Ethan Hummel, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, from this day forward, until death do us part.”

A minute later, it was Kurt's turn.  “I, Kurt Ethan Hummel, take you, Blaine Devon Anderson, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, from this day forward, until death do us part.”

“Do we have the rings?”  The minister asked.

Finn and Cooper each reached into their inside breast pocket and produced a ring.  Kurt and Blaine had wanted Stephen to actually carry the rings on his little pillow, but they had been overruled by not only Carole and Blaine's mom, but by Finn, who said, “Come on, guys.  You've met him.  He'd lose his head if it wasn't attached.”  Each best man handed the rings to the minister, who said a prayer over them.  She then handed Kurt's ring to Blaine.

Blaine slid the ring onto the ring finger of Kurt's left hand, saying as he did so, “Kurt, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and our love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.  With this ring, I thee wed.”

The minister handed Blaine's ring to Kurt, who took Blaine's left hand and slid the ring on Blaine's ring finger, saying, “Blaine, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and our love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.  With this ring, I thee wed.”

The minister said, “I now pronounce you husbands, and we've finally made it to the part you've been waiting for.  You may now kiss your groom.”  Huge smiles spread over both men's faces, and they leaned in for a kiss that was both tender and passionate.  The wedding guests applauded, and they continued to kiss, until giggles forced them apart when they heard the minister say, “This looks like it might take a while.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Blaine and Kurt Hummel-Anderson.”

The men turned to face their family and friends for the first time as a married couple, taking each other's hands to walk, smiling, back up the aisle. 

The church was packed to the rafters, and for the first time, Kurt realized with astonishment just how many of their friends had come.  Pretty much everyone who had been in either Glee Club or the Warblers with either of them was there, along most of the staff of Vogue.com, personnel from many of the major New York fashion houses, Blaine's band, friends from the theater world including not only actors, dancers, and singers, but directors, writers, producers, choreographers, and theater staff (causing Kurt to wonder if Broadway had shut down for their wedding), friends from both Columbia and NYADA, including Cassie July and Carmen Tibedeaux, staff from the clubs and restaurants where they'd worked, and neighbors.  David Karofsky was there, smiling and holding his boyfriend's hand.  Even Adam was there; the theater world was relatively small, and no one could afford to make enemies, so Kurt and Blaine had made the effort to reach out to him, and although it was difficult for both Blaine and Adam, the three had become friends.  The only person missing of note was Rachel:  she had expected to be Kurt's maid of honor, and was very annoyed when she found out Finn was to be best man instead; Kurt realized how uncomfortable it would be for Finn if Rachel was also an attendant, and, to be honest, Kurt still couldn't forgive her for what she had tried to do to Carole Ann, so he didn't offer her a place as an attendant at all.  Rumors had reached Kurt that she was furious and was planning to punish him, so he wasn't surprised when he received her R.S.V.P. card with a note telling him that although she would be sad to miss his big event, she couldn't possibly take time off from her show.  The reality was that the show's reviews had been poor, and although a lot of hype had been attached to it before it opened, it could never live up to the expectations that had been built up in the press, and it was in danger of closing early.  However, he couldn't bring himself to care about her pettiness or her absence.  Almost everyone he loved was there, watching him marry the person he loved most of all.

After walking up the aisle, the two men retreated to the room where Blaine had waited before the wedding.  The guests left, heading back to the inn for the reception.  Kurt and Blaine reentered the church, along with the wedding party, their parents, and Carole Ann.  The next half hour was spent taking picture after picture.  They would have plenty to choose from.  Then the photographer said, “Okay, I have all I need with the wedding party and the parents, but I need just a few more with the grooms.”  Kurt couldn't imagine any more were needed, but went along with it.  He barely noticed when his parents and Blaine's parents left.  It wasn't until afterward, when the photographer told them she was done until the reception, that Kurt realized the problem.

“Oh my God, Blaine, our parents left!  We drove with them and the carriage can't get through the snow.  How are we supposed to get to the reception?”

Blaine smiled and took his hand.  “You'll see,” he said mysteriously, leaning in to kiss Kurt tenderly.  He reached out to open the door to the church, watching Kurt the entire time, and was rewarded when Kurt's eyes grew large and round and his mouth dropped open.  He gently slid Kurt's dress coat up his arms and over his shoulders while Kurt continued to stare out at a sleigh, drawn by four grey Percherons.  After donning his own coat, he took Kurt's hand and pulled him out, saying, “Come, on, we have a party to get to.”  Once he had Kurt seated, he took a moment to tuck the heavy blankets that were stashed in the sleigh around them before signaling the driver.  Kurt's smiling face and laughter as they traveled the carriage path through the woods to the inn were all Blaine needed to know his surprise had worked out just as he'd planned.

They arrived at the inn to find everyone outside waiting for them.  Kurt quickly wondered if he was the only one who hadn't known about the sleigh, but Mercedes assured him a few minutes later that in fact, only Blaine and the grooms' parents had known at the church, although everyone else was told once they arrived at the inn.

Going inside, the reception began.  While the wedding had been all Kurt, the reception, from the music playing to playful, casual touches in décor, reflected Blaine.  Blaine would have been happy to have everything focused on Kurt, but Kurt wanted the party portion of the evening to be more about Blaine.  He would be the first to admit that he was more formal, and he wanted control over the formal part of the night, although small touches of Blaine were evident, from the fact that the wedding was in a church to Kurt's bow tie; Blaine, on the other hand, was more casual and more comfortable in a fun, party type setting, and Kurt wanted the reception to reflect that.  They dispensed with the formal reception line in favor of just greeting guests as they encountered them throughout the evening.  Kurt did, however, keep control over the menu for the formal dinner that began the reception (“Blaine, it's a wedding reception, not a kegger; we will not be eating college bachelor food.”).  After several courses of elegant food, it was time to cut the cake.  They stood together, smiling and both holding the knife, for a minute to let the photographer get her pictures before sliding the knife through the cake.  They each took a forkful from the first piece cut, and seeing the mischief in Blaine's eyes, Kurt hissed, “If you smash cake on my face I will be so mad . . . .”  Blaine looked chastised and when given the okay by the photographer, gently fed Kurt the bite of cake on his fork as Kurt did the same for him.  As they finished and the inn staff took over duties cutting and serving cake, Finn and Cooper took the stage.

“Wow, we finally got to see out little brothers get married,” Cooper began.

“For a while, I thought it was never going to happen,” Finn said.

The two bantered back and forth, rambling on together and telling stories.  Somewhere in there each of them made at least one toast to the grooms, but mostly reminisced about their brothers, although Cooper had an edge, having known Blaine and been his big brother since Blaine's birth, while Finn met Kurt in school and had only been his step brother since their junior year of high school.  That, however, did not stop Finn from matching Cooper story for story.  Everyone was laughing, including the grooms, by the time Cooper said, “Finn, I think it's about time these guys showed us what they've got.  Is everyone ready for the first dance?”  Finn nodded, and a round of applause from the guests indicated their approval.  Most of the guys from glee club and a few of the Warblers had made their way to the stage to join Finn and Cooper, and Blaine led Kurt onto the dance floor.  Kurt had no idea what was coming, but prayed it wouldn't be disco.  He knew it wouldn't be “Come What May;” even though he still loved the song, as far as singing it at the wedding, it belonged to an earlier time, and it had become entangled in his history with Adam, so it was out.  Sam took a microphone and began to sing as the band started to play.  Kurt smiled and moved into Blaine's arms as he recognized the song, and the men on the stage took turns singing.

“I wish I was singing to you, because this is exactly how I feel,” Blaine told him as he held him tenderly in his arms and they danced slowly.

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

‘Cause I'd miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

‘Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream would never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

Lying close you feeling your heart beating

And I'm wondering what you're dreaming

Wondering if it's me you're seeing

Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together

And I just want to stay with you

In this moment forever, forever and ever

I don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

‘Cause I'd miss you, baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

‘Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream would never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

I don't want to miss one smile

I don't want to miss one kiss

Well I just want to be with you

Right here with you, just like this

I just want to hold you close

I feel your heart so close to mine

And just stay here in this moment

For all the rest of time, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Don't want to close my eyes

Don't want to fall asleep

‘Cause I'd miss you, baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

‘Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream would never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

I don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

‘Cause I'd miss you, baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

‘Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream would never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

Don't want to close my eyes

                I don't want to fall asleep, yeah

                I don't want to miss a thing

                I don't want to miss a thing[1]

As the music died down, the two shared one more slow, sweet kiss before parting.  As the band began the next song, Blaine led his mother onto the dance floor, and Kurt made his way over to Carole.  “May I have this dance?”  He asked.  He had discussed this with Finn and Blaine.  Although Carole could never replace his mother, and had never tried, she did do her best to fill that role to the extent he would let her; she was the closest thing he had had to a mother since he was eight years old, and as she had been his stepmother for six years, he'd had her almost as long as he'd had his mother.  Carole was surprised; she hadn't expected this.  She looked back at Burt, who smiled and motioned for her to get up as Kurt took her hand, and they joined Blaine and his mother on the dance floor.

After the boys finished dancing with their mothers, they took the stage to sing together and everyone spilled onto the dance floor.  The evening continued with a never ending rotation of singers.  Kurt and Blaine alternated between dancing together, dancing with their friends, singing, and taking time out to talk to guests and catch their breath.  It was fun and casual.  A few of the typical reception traditions, both old and modern, were missing:  neither wanted to have a garter or to throw their boutonnieres, so nothing was thrown, and Kurt found “money dances” to be crass, so they didn't have one, much to the Andersons' relief.  As it turned out, it didn't matter; everyone was having too much fun to notice any omissions. 

As the evening wore on, however, the sleepless night began to show itself, and Kurt started to yawn.  Seeing the yawn, Mercedes grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him up on stage for a duet, calling for Kurt and Blaine to dance together; as they took the floor, Mercedes said, “Okay, y'all, our two handsome grooms are starting to look a bit tired, and we want them to have enough energy to start their honeymoon, so this is going to be their last dance and then we're sending them off to bed.”  Catcalls erupted around the room and Kurt blushed all the way to his hairline, causing Blaine to laugh.  “But don't worry,” she continued, “The rest of us are going to keep the party going.”  She then nodded at the band, and soon she and Sam were singing The Time of My Life.[2]

What Kurt and Blaine were doing was less dancing and more holding each other and swaying.  Kurt kept trying not to yawn, while Blaine tried to keep from laughing at Kurt's efforts.  As the song ended, Blaine took Kurt's hand and pulled him toward the grand staircase, their guest parting to let them through.  As they made their way to the staircase, rice was tossed their way; Blaine smiled – he had wanted this, but Kurt thought it was messy, and had thought having the reception inside and staying at the reception location would mean they could avoid it, but a well-placed word with a few groomsmen had assured a shower of rice.  They made their way upstairs, to the honeymoon suite.  Kurt had spent the night there last night, and Blaine's luggage had been moved there by the inn staff after they left for the wedding.  Everything was ready for them to start their lives together.

“Ugh!  I have rice everywhere.  It's in my hair, in my shirt, God, I think somehow it even ended up in my pants,” Kurt complained.

“Mmm.  Let me help you with that,” Blaine offered, reaching out to take Kurt's jacket and loosen his tie.

“Did you engineer the rice just to make sure I'd take my clothes off and not fall asleep fully dressed?”  Kurt demanded.

“Maybe,” Blaine answered playfully.  “Really, I didn't.  I mean, I did engineer the rice, but I didn't think about where it would end up and the fact that it would make you want to undress.  That's just an added side benefit.” 

He continued to help Kurt undress, shedding his own clothes along the way, thinking as he did so that damn, that rice really DID get everywhere, all while kissing his new husband passionately and backing him toward the bed.  After they had divested themselves of their clothing, Blaine laid Kurt tenderly on the bed and then lay down beside him.  Before they went further, he needed to check one thing.  “Baby, honestly, are you too tired?  Because if you are it's okay; we don't have to do anything tonight.  There's no pressure.  We have the rest of our lives.”  Kurt answered by reaching up with one hand, pulling on the back of Blaine's neck to bring him in for another kiss, while he ran the other down Blaine's body.  Shuddering, Blaine gasped, “I'll take that as a no, you're not too tired.”  They took their time, making love slowly, sweetly, exploring as if this was new territory.  Eventually, however, exhaustion took its toll, and they both had to admit that as good as the concept of making love over and over again all night sounded, they were not up for another round.

“Mph.  Never moving again,” Blaine mumbled, half into a pillow.

Kurt rolled over and began to stand on somewhat unsteady legs.  At a questioning look from Blaine, he muttered, “I'm icky and gross.  You too.  Have to clean up.”

Blaine protested but Kurt ignored him, so Blaine got up to help, half afraid that in the state he was in Kurt might fall and hurt himself.  Following Kurt into the bathroom, he saw the enormous Jacuzzi tub for the first time.  They would be leaving to start their honeymoon tomorrow afternoon, so this might be their only chance to use it, and Blaine was not going to let the opportunity go to waste.  Kurt was groping for a washcloth, but Blaine pulled him toward the tub and sat him down on the edge of it while it filled.  Once it was full, he stepped in and helped Kurt in, and then turned on the jets.  He gently cleaned Kurt off, and allowed Kurt to do the same to him before simply cuddling together until the water started to cool.  By then Kurt was dozing off every few minutes, so Blaine decided that both for comfort and safety they should move to the bed. 

Back in bed, they snuggled together.  Kurt was asleep before his head hit the pillow.  Blaine followed soon after, with his last thought that this was the most perfect day he could have ever imagined.

* * *

The next day they took their time.  They had arranged for a late check-out, and used some of the extra time to relax and enjoy the tub again.  Room service was ordered and eaten, and they finally called for a bellman around one in the afternoon.  It was a five hour drive back to New York, and their plane left at nine thirty that evening; they wanted to leave a bit of extra time, just in case anything went wrong, and they wanted to arrive early, since security was higher on international flights.  They would be celebrating New Year's in the air.

Blaine awoke as the plane began its descent.  Kurt was still asleep.  He looked so peaceful that Blaine really didn't want to disturb him, but he knew if Kurt missed his first chance to see Paris he would never forgive him and what happened when Kurt found out would be anything but peaceful, so he leaned over and gently kissed him awake.  “Hey, baby, wake up.  We're almost there.  You'll be able to see Paris in a few minutes.” 

Kurt woke up with a start, looked out the window and then up at the little lights above his head.  The seat belt light was not on, so he grabbed a small toiletries kit from under the seat, muttered, “Morning breath,” and climbed out over his husband, heading for the small lavatory in the front of their first class section.  He returned a few minutes later and settled in, eagerly looking for the first glimpses of the city to be visible through the clouds.

The honeymoon, complete with first class plane flights and luxury accommodations, was a wedding gift from Blaine's parents.  Blaine had been to Paris a few times on business trips and vacations with his parents, plus a school trip with the Warblers, but Kurt had never been, and Blaine's parents were well aware of how much Kurt longed to go there some day.  They spent the next week and a half prowling the streets of Paris, visiting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and many other of the most popular tourist destinations, and exploring the shops that crowded the ancient city in between.  They stopped for food and coffee in tiny street side cafes and bistros near whatever they were visiting that day.  The only thing that limited their explorations was cold; it had been a hard winter in Europe as well as in the United States, and when the wind blew it seemed even colder.  Blaine could have happily walked along the Seine for hours, but when he noticed Kurt beginning to shiver, he would quickly find a shop, café, or museum to duck into, finding a reason to stay until Kurt warmed up.  Unsure of when they might be able to return, Blaine made sure they visited Moulin Rouge one evening, knowing that for Kurt's first trip to Paris to be complete that was a must.  Nights were spent walking in the moonlight before returning to the hotel to hold each other through the night, making love as often as they wanted and without regard to anyone's schedule.  It was a gift neither would ever forget, and they were both incredibly grateful.

Soon, however, it was time to return home to New York.  They left at eight in the morning Paris time, and arrived home just after ten in the morning East Coast time.  It took nearly three hours to clear customs, not due to any problems, but because of the huge crowds.  “Note to self:  never fly back into New York from out of the country.  If we'd flown into Ohio the crowds wouldn't be so bad,” Kurt grumbled.

Blaine laughed, “I'm not sure we could get direct flights from Paris to Ohio, but you're right, I'm pretty sure customs is less crowded in Ohio.”

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon by the time they made it back to their apartment.  Kurt wanted to go to bed, but Blaine told him the best thing for jet lag was to stay up until as close to his normal bedtime as possible.  Kurt wasn't happy about it, but set about putting things away from the trip, lining things up for the laundry and dry cleaners.  Blaine knew from experience that this was the worst part of any trip to Europe:  adjusting to the time at home once one returned.  He had another week before his classes began again for his final semester; he did have one meeting about his latest play, but not for three days, and he wasn't expected at band practice until the day after tomorrow.  Kurt, on the other hand, was expected at the theater tomorrow, and had to bring his A-game, as he was resuming his role as the lead in a smash Broadway show; he couldn't afford to take several days to adjust.  Around five Blaine ordered a pizza, and once it came they ate and got ready for bed.  Blaine managed to read for an hour, but Kurt fell asleep as soon as he collapsed on the bed.  Blaine just prayed that Kurt would manage to sleep straight through until he had to wake up, rather than waking up in the middle of the night, when it would be morning in Paris.

Fortunately, Kurt's need for sleep overwhelmed whatever internal forces might have aligned with Paris time, and he slept until it was time to prepare to leave for the theater.  It must have been enough, because the next morning the papers and internet both heralded the triumphant return of Kurt Hummel-Anderson, née Hummel, to Broadway.

[1] I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith, from the album Armageddon:  The Album, written by Diane Warren.

[2] From the movie ­­Dirty Dancing.