It first occurred to him on Monday, when he and Kurt were busy arranging the just delivered furniture, Kurt intent on placing each piece exactly right. Their hands had brushed when they were moving the armchair into position and Blaine’s heart had skipped a beat and he’d spent a moment just staring at Kurt’s hands.

Kurt’s bare hands.

Carole’s words about their lack of wedding rings had come to mind and he spent a moment wondering what it would be like for Kurt to wear Blaine’s ring on his finger. He found he liked that idea more than he’d expected.

He liked it so much that the idea wouldn’t leave him alone. He kept coming back to it, the thought popping up randomly – when they were grocery shopping on Tuesday, when they toured the NYU campus on Wednesday to take a break from unpacking and to take advantage of the nice weather, when they bumped hands on Thursday night while reaching for the popcorn as they “hate-watched” Treme together.

So on Friday, while Kurt was out shopping for apartment things with Rachel and he was supposed to be buying school supplies, Blaine found himself in a jewelry store. The woman behind the counter flashed him a sneer before hiding it behind a smooth indifferent mask, taking in his age no doubt and probably dismissing him as an unlikely sale. He didn’t let that deter him though.

Charming smile in place, Blaine approached her.

“May I help you?” she asked, looking disinterested.

“Yes,” he replied. “I’m looking for wedding rings.”

“We have our sterling silver and cubic zirconia selection right over here,” she began, moving toward a case. “Let me know if there’s one to you’d like to see.”

Blaine just kept his smile in place. “It needs to be more special than that.”

The sales clerk paused and then looked up at him. “How special?”

“Well, we’re so in love that we ran off to Canada and eloped,” Blaine told her. Something in her face softened and Blaine couldn’t help but wait for the day when he could tell this story and know there was some truth to that lie. “And in the rush, we kind of didn’t plan on getting rings.”

She was eyeing him critically now, taking in his clothes and his demeanor. “Of course. Our white gold bands are…”

Blaine shook his head, and she trailed off. “It needs to be really special.” He tacked on a wink.

“Well,” she said, clearly taken by surprise. “If you come this way, there’s a few in our platinum section that might interest you.”

“Absolutely,” Blaine agreed. She motioned him over to another counter, and Blaine peered inside.

“Now a lot of our wedding rings come in sets – an engagement and a band, if that’s something that would interest your wife.”

“Actually,” Blaine replied. “I’m looking to for two bands, one for me and one for my husband.” He smiled at her again and this time she positively melted.

“I think I have just the thing,” she finally said, reaching into the case, and pulling out one of the rings. She set it gently into Blaine’s palm and he inhaled when he stared at it.

It was perfect.

*

Kurt was ecstatic. He was over the moon. He was so happy he was sure to start bouncing up and down while he walked (and that wouldn’t even come near to the strangest thing he’d seen since they’d moved to New York).
He burst into the apartment and shouted for Blaine.

Blaine came from the hallway, looking startled.

“I got it!!” Kurt exclaimed, bouncing up and down for real this time. “You are looking at the newest intern for Vogue dot com!”

Blaine’s face lit up and he rushed over, throwing his arms around Kurt. Kurt relished the feel of Blaine pressed up against him, Blaine’s arms holding him tight. Ever since the bullies in high school had used him for a punching bag, Kurt didn’t really like it when other people touched him. When Blaine did it though…

“Tell me everything,” Blaine said, pulling back. “What did you say? And what did they say? When do you start?”

“One question at a time,” Kurt laughed, letting Blaine drag him over to the couch to sit.

“Okay, so my boss’ name is Isabelle Wright,” Kurt began. Blaine inhaled a breath and Kurt knew that Blaine knew who she was. “I know, right? And she’s amazing. She’s from Ohio!”

“No way,” Blaine replied. “That’s awesome.”

“Yeah, except she got food poisoning at Breadstix once,” Kurt told him. “Anyway, so we talked about my designs and she loved my online resume and she offered me the job and I start on Monday!” He grew more and more excited as he talked, smiling wide.

“Kurt,” Blaine spoke his name, moving closer and taking Kurt’s hand. “I am so proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Kurt said, squeezing his fingers and blushing slightly. “I just… I’ve always wanted to perform. Broadway, you know?” Blaine nodded. “But this is a passion too, and I can’t wait to explore it.”

“I’m so glad,” Blaine murmured. “I want you to be happy here.”

“I am,” Kurt breathed out, and it was true, he was.

“We should celebrate,” Blaine suggested with a smile.

“Okay,” Kurt agreed, smiling in return. “But it’s on me this time.”

“Deal,” Blaine laughed, pulling his hands away to grab the phone. As he dialed, Kurt tried not to miss the warmth of Blaine’s hand in his.

*

Blaine fingered the jewelry box resting in his pocket for the tenth time since they’d left the house. It was the perfect night to give the ring to Kurt, but he couldn’t quite seem to muster up the courage.

He considered doing it before they ordered, but the waiter kept hovering, seeming desperate to get their food orders in and Blaine knew he wanted some privacy and didn’t want to be rushed. He debated it after the appetizer had been cleared away and before their entr�e had been brought by, but Kurt excused himself to the bathroom and the moment was lost. Blaine pondered slipping into Kurt’s glass of sparkling water but imagined his husband choking on the unexpected item and dismissed it. Same with conspiring with the ever-present waiter to slip it into the dessert.

That left him with a box in his pocket he couldn’t stop thinking about during the taxi ride back to the apartment.

“You’ve been quiet since we left,” Kurt commented as they were getting out the cab and heading inside. They both greeted the doorman, Thomas, who held the door open for them.

“I’m fine… just something I’m thinking about,” Blaine replied.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kurt asked as they got into the elevator. Blaine swallowed hard, nerves gripping him. It was now or never though, so he nodded.

“When we get inside,” he managed. Kurt gave him a worried look but didn’t say anything as the elevator dinged onto their floor and they let themselves into the apartment.

*

Kurt fought back the panic rising up in his chest. Was Blaine rethinking the plan? Did he want to call off the marriage? Sure, it wasn’t exactly the love match Kurt had always dreamed of but he liked Blaine a lot and sometimes he felt like it could be more than that (as terrifying as that prospect was) and he didn’t want to give that up. Not to mention, he really did need to see this through, to get the money.

Blaine gestured for him to sit and Kurt did, watching as Blaine joined him, one hand stuck in his pocket. He’d been doing that all night; Kurt had noticed and wondered if Blaine was picking up a nervous habit.

“Please tell me you don’t want the annulment right now,” Kurt breathed out before he could stop himself. Blaine looked startled and then sat down next to Kurt on the couch.

“No, God, no,” Blaine replied. Kurt let out a sigh of relief. “Give me your hand,” Blaine asked, holding out his. Kurt eyed him but put his hand in Blaine’s after hesitating a second. He took Kurt’s hand in both of his and then looked up. The expression on Blaine’s face when their eyes locked nearly took Kurt’s breath away. Blaine was staring at him with an intensity he’d only seen a few times on his husband’s face – both times, in fact, when he’d thought Blaine was about to kiss him.

Kurt figured both of those moments had just been his over-active imagination and dismissed his notions as silly and seeing what he wanted to see, but maybe… maybe he’d been right. Maybe Blaine did want to kiss him.

“Kurt, I…” Blaine seemed to be struggling for words, swallowing hard. “I… I overheard you and Carole talking when we moved into the apartment,” he said.

Kurt thought back to that conversation, wondering what about would have made Blaine so nervous he couldn’t even find words.

“Something she said kind of struck a chord with me,” Blaine continued, taking one of his hands way and slipping it into his pocket. He pulled out a small square box and that was the moment Kurt was sure he started to hyperventilate a little. Blaine flipped the box open to show matching wedding bands inside and Kurt’s heart actually stuttered in his chest for a moment. He searched for words but couldn’t find any and it didn’t matter because Blaine kept talking.

“I know it must seem silly,” Blaine said, “to get them under our circumstances, but these rings are special.”
Being reminded of their deal was like a cold shower to Kurt and it brought him back down to Earth for a moment.

“What do you mean?” he asked softly.

“These are Claddagh rings,” Blaine explained. “They’re an Irish tradition. The hands represent friendship, the crown is loyalty and the heart is love. I know we’re not exactly up on our Irish heritage,” he chuckled, “but the ring can mean different things depending on how you wear it.”

“Oh?” Kurt asked, eyebrows raised.

“If you wear it on your right hand with the heart pointing out, it’s a friendship ring. If you wear it on the right hand, heart facing in, it means you’re in a relationship,” Blaine explained. “If you wear it on the left hand, heart facing out, you’re engaged.”

“And if you wear it on the left hand facing in?” Kurt wanted to know, feeling breathless.

“It means you’re married,” Blaine answered, setting the box down on his lap and pulling one of the rings out. It was thinner than the other but otherwise they looked nearly the same. Kurt watched as Blaine turned the ring so the heart was facing inward, holding it against Kurt’s ring finger on his left hand, poised to slide it on.
The metal was cool against his skin, Blaine moving it into place when Kurt didn’t object. It felt like it belonged there and he didn’t know what to make of that. He tore his gaze away from Blaine’s for only a second, to look down and pull the other ring out of the box. Kurt turned it so that the heart was facing inward and slid it onto Blaine’s left ring finger.

Their fingers were tangled now, their eyes locked. The moment was charged and Kurt found himself unable to get his breath properly. Blaine was leaning in now and Kurt started to tremble.

The first of brush Blaine’s lips against his was gentle but sure and Kurt felt it all the way down to his toes. His hand flexed on instinct and his eyes slid shut as Blaine drew a shaky breath and pressed his lips a little harder against Kurt’s. One of Blaine’s hands drifted up to cup Kurt’s cheek and Kurt took a deep breath in through his nose, not knowing what he was doing and not really caring.

Of all the kisses he’d had (a brief make out session with Brittany, one kiss that had been stolen by a bully in high school, and his and Blaine's kiss at the wedding), this one surpassed them all.

Kurt lost all sense of himself as they kissed, gasping for air where he could, letting Blaine press him back into the couch. He didn’t know where this was going and he didn’t care as long as Blaine never stopped kissing him.

A shrill ringing sound broke the silence of the room and made them jump apart. It rang again, and Blaine let out an embarrassed laugh before getting to his feet and picking up the phone. He was staring at Kurt with wide eyes and a bright smile and Kurt wondered what he must look like in that moment. He watched as Blaine spoke with the doorman, going from happy to confused to stunned as they talked.

Kurt grew concerned when Blaine set the phone down.

“Who’s here?” Kurt asked, finding his voice.

“I won’t believe it until I see him myself,” Blaine replied, and Kurt had no idea what the hell that meant. Just then a knock sounded at the door. Blaine moved toward it and opened it swiftly.

“Hey there, little brother,” the blue-eyed brunet standing on the other side of the door greeted Blaine. Kurt stood up, crossing the room, shocked.

“Blaine,” he said in a strangled voice, “why is the Free Credit Rating Today dot Com guy on our doorstep?”