“Well, Kurt Hummel, I’m impressed,” Ren complimented as the two boys entered the coffee shop on 7th Avenue. “You’re a man of your word.”

Kurt smiled proudly and stepped into line. “I do try. How’s your suit, by the way? Did you manage to salvage it without too much trouble?”

“A trip to the drycleaners and it’ll be fine,” Ren waved it off. “Besides, when you work at a place like Vogue, Armani suits aren’t hard to come by.”

Kurt’s mind was instantly flooded with images of Armani suits by the millions, hanging within the halls of Vogue’s office. Silk scarves hung around the necks of manikins as designers fitted vests, jackets, and fur coats to the form. It was a fashion-lover’s paradise. A small, reflective smile began creeping onto Kurt’s face as his imagination ran rapid. “Wow.”

“Judging by your fashion sense, I think you’d fit right in,” Ren agreed with a laugh. The auburn haired man gave Kurt an assuring pat on the arm, causing the slender brunette to look away and blush. Ren didn’t seem to notice as he stepped up to the cashier and ordered his coffee. Kurt also muttered out his own order before passing the cashier a ten-dollar bill.

“Is Vogue really as amazing as it sounds?” Kurt wondered as the two took a secluded seat near the back of the shop.

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Ren answered fervently as he removed the lid of his cup and stirred his latte carefully. “I won’t lie—it’s a lot of work, but if you’re truly passionate about it, the experience is unforgettable.”

Kurt leaned his chin against his hand rather dreamily. “It sounds too good to be true.”

Ren released a light chuckle and took a sip of his latte. His chestnut eyes locked onto Kurt’s, a gentle smile beginning to form on his lips. “So, Kurt, tell me about yourself. We’ve talked plenty about this internship, but I want to know more about you.”

The brunette appeared a bit baffled. Kurt wasn’t used to talking about himself, let alone with someone who appeared to actually care. “Well, um…I just moved here from Lima, Ohio—“

“Where?” Ren laughed, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a small town in western Ohio—a really small town,” Kurt elaborated with a scathing smirk. “Everyone not-so-lovingly jokes that it stands for ‘Lost In Middle America’.”

Ren winced almost apologetically. “Ouch.”

“Precisely,” Kurt rolled his ocean blue eyes. “Needless to say, I was more than willing to leave.”

“Do your parents still live in Ohio?” Ren asked conversationally.

“Yes. My dad, my stepmom, and my stepbrother,” Kurt nodded slowly, but the smile began to drift off of his face. “My real mom died when I was eight.”

Ren frowned and instinctively leaned forward when he noticed Kurt’s expression fall. “That’s awful.”

“It was a long time ago,” Kurt attempted to sound unaffected, but Ren could distinctly sense the change in Kurt’s usual up-beat tone. Ren quickly decided it would be best to change the subject.

“So what brings you to New York?” The auburn haired man returned to his characteristic relaxed grin. “Besides college and the internship, I mean. Ohio to New York is a bit of a culture shock, huh?”

“It’s definitely a welcomed change,” Kurt replied. He vigilantly exhaled and attempted to mask his bitter tone. “Lima was…a bit too conventional for someone like me, I guess. I wasn’t exactly…respected…in high school.”

Ren cocked an unconvinced eyebrow at Kurt’s conservative choice of words.

Kurt sighed again. “Alright, fine. High school was a living hell. I was tormented practically every day of my life because of… who I am. New York always seemed a bit more accepting.”

Ren nodded, listening intently. “I see.”

“So as soon as I graduated, I moved here to go to school with my friend and my boyfriend,” Kurt stared into his coffee distantly. He couldn’t believe how much things had changed in his life since he graduated. It seemed like only yesterday he and Rachel were in the city for Nationals, standing outside of Tiffany’s eating their breakfast and dreaming about life in the Big Apple.

A strange, unidentifiable expression crept onto Ren’s face. “Ah, so you have roommates.”

“Rachel and Blaine…they both went to high school with me,” Kurt nodded, breaking away from his slight daze. He noticed Ren’s gaze still boring a hole through his eyes so he took a long sip of his coffee. “And what about you, Ren? Are you a New York native or a closeted townie like me?”

Ren chuckled and let his gaze soften now that the attention was on him. His brown eyes glittered charmingly as he smiled. “I was born in Brooklyn and lived there for most of my life. I did my undergrad in New Jersey and moved into an apartment in Midtown with my boyfriend shortly before I started grad school at NYU—“

“You have a boyfriend?” Kurt asked, blinking like a lost child.

“I had a boyfriend,” Ren corrected instantly with a sardonic smile. “We broke up and he moved out.”

Kurt could feel a deep blush creeping onto his pale cheeks. He looked downward into his coffee cup again. “Oh…I’m sorry.”

Ren’s lips pursed slightly as if he tasted something very sour. “Don’t be. It was a bad relationship.”

Kurt enjoyed talking to Ren. He seemed wiser and worldlier, two things Kurt had never experienced in the cow town that was Lima, Ohio. Most importantly, Kurt thought, Ren was a friend—a devastatingly attractive, gay friend whom he seemed to share a lot of things in common with. The rest of the afternoon flew by with Kurt and Ren discussing everything from religion to bad romantic comedies until Kurt dismissed himself to meet up with Blaine and Rachel for dinner. The auburn haired man bid farewell to Kurt as the slender brunette left the coffee shop.

Ren was certainly a friend, Kurt thought to himself as he made his way down the street. And getting him into Vogue was simply a coincidental perk of their friendship.

Kurt awoke in the morning to the smell of chocolate and smoke wafting into his bedroom. It was a welcomed change compared to the usual damp scent of the apartment, but it still peaked his curiosity. Kurt let his eyelids flutter open slowly, revealing the bright beams of morning light that peeked through the blinds of the window. Squinting, Kurt rolled himself over on his lone, lumpy mattress and paused when he didn’t feel Blaine’s warm body lying beside him like he normally did when he woke up. This really peaked his curiosity. It was enough incentive for Kurt to roll off the mattress and stumble his way out the door.

The smell grew stronger and sweeter as he fumbled toward the kitchen. A bit disoriented, Kurt rounded the doorway into the kitchen to find Blaine and Rachel huddled over the countertop, whispering something incomprehensible to each other.

Kurt gently cleared his throat. “Good…morning?”

Rachel and Blaine twirled around with equally surprised expressions. They took a moment to regain their wits and exchange a knowing glance before they parted, revealing a freshly iced cake sitting on the counter.

“Happy Birthday, Kurt!” They chorused almost musically, grinning ear to ear.

Kurt blinked, bringing his eyebrows together. “Huh?”

Blaine released a laugh as he wandered toward Kurt, draping an arm over the brunette’s shoulders and kissing him full on the mouth. “Don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday.”

Instantly, Kurt’s eyes snapped toward the refrigerator where a calendar hung on the front. Indeed, it read September and the words ‘Kurt’s Birthday’ had been scribbled onto the 24th box in Blaine’s messy scrawl. Had that much time really gone by already? Kurt squinted in contemplation.

“Blaine and I just finished baking your cake,” Rachel explained, prancing over to Kurt and pecking her friend on the cheek.

Blaine leaned his head against Kurt’s and spoke softly into his ear. “It’s red velvet—your favorite.”

Kurt was stunned. He couldn’t believe he had nearly forgotten his own eighteenth birthday. He was sure that if not for Blaine and Rachel he would’ve continued on with his day without any sort of notion that it was already the 24th of September. But, more importantly, Kurt couldn’t believe that he had people as lovely as Rachel and Blaine that truly cared this much about him. Kurt felt extremely lucky at that moment as he watched Blaine and Rachel flash him their most dazzling of grins with wide, appreciative eyes.

“Thank you both so much,” Kurt finally said, still a bit sleepily. “This is much more than I expected.”

“Clearly,” Rachel rolled her chocolate eyes. “Because, apparently, you didn’t even realize today was your birthday.”

“And since it is your birthday,” Blaine began, excitement bubbling. The dark haired boy placed his hands on either one of Kurt’s shoulders and led the taller boy to the kitchen table. Kurt obeyed and took a seat. “I thought we could do something special.”

Kurt’s grin and eyes both widened considerably at this news. He looked back and forth between Rachel and Blaine as if for confirmation. “Like what?”

“I’m meeting Mr. Meyers today at the coffee shop to go over…business details,” Rachel explained, breaking eye contact uncomfortably. She hadn’t told Blaine or Kurt about the money required for her audition. She knew that if she did they would try to talk her out of paying such an absurd amount of money. They didn’t understand, Rachel told herself. They didn’t understand how far Rachel was willing to go to reach her long-awaited dream. “So you and Blaine should go celebrate together.”

Blaine beamed as he held up a simple white envelope. “My parents’ check came in the mail yesterday. I thought we could use some of the money to go out today, Mr. Eighteen-year-old,” Blaine winked at his boyfriend, causing a light blush to spread over Kurt’s cheeks. “The three of us can meet up later on at my restaurant for dinner—I’m performing tonight.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Kurt replied breathlessly. His eyes flickered to Blaine who was now sitting beside Kurt at the table, leaning in close as if he didn’t want to spend a moment apart from him. “So what’s on the itinerary for today?”

“We live in the most exciting city in the world,” Blaine reminded a grinning Kurt with his hazel eyes sparkling. “We can do whatever you want.”

As Kurt walked through the pathway of golden, autumnal trees in Central Park—hand in hand with Blaine—he couldn’t remember ever having a more enjoyable birthday. The air was crisp and smelled like dry leaves, but was just pleasant enough to bear as the final vestiges of summer drifted away. The park was lively on such a nice afternoon—couples could be seen lying together in the fiery leaves, families were milling about, taking in the picturesque scenery, and a musician played his guitar under a nearby bridge. Kurt and Blaine continued down the path at a leisurely pace, every now and then taking turns at squeezing the other’s hand as it grasped their own.

“You know,” Kurt began with a gentle smile. “Usually I’m all about flair, but—I must say—this has got to be the best birthday gift ever.”

Blaine’s face twisted into utter disbelief. “Who are you and what have you done with Kurt?”

The slender brunette bumped into his boyfriend with his shoulder, giggling. “I’m being serious,” The two had slowed their pace so that they were at a standstill, continuing to hold each other’s hands tightly. Kurt, facing Blaine, stared straight into his eyes and couldn’t contain his grin as he lost himself in the golden-green orbs. “I mean, look at us, Blaine. Here we are—in public—holding hands…behaving like any other couple would. And as far as I can tell, no one’s glaring or insulting or throwing slushies into our faces.”

Blaine scanned the area. Kurt was right—no one was even glancing in their direction. The dark haired boy nodded in agreement. “We’re definitely not in Ohio anymore.”

“Thank God,” Kurt exclaimed, causing Blaine to chuckle. He cocked his head to the side as he watched Kurt’s eyes twinkle with bliss, attempting to comprehend the sheer perfection of the boy in front of him. Without another thought, Blaine leaned forward almost desperately and touched his lips to Kurt’s. They stood there, connected, for what seemed like hours until Kurt pulled away slowly.

A rosy color spread across the entirety of Kurt’s porcelain complexion. The taller boy giggled a bit self-consciously and carefully glanced around the park to make sure no one had suddenly decided to condemn acts of homosexuality. “What was that for?” He nearly whispered.

“I thought I’d try something a little different,” Blaine shrugged, his lips curling upward. He pressed his forehead against Kurt’s. “I figured that since nobody cares, I can kiss you whenever I want.”

“I like that idea,” Kurt squeaked out in what he hoped was a somewhat alluring tone. Unfortunately, he had a haunting notion that it ended up sounding more nervous and timid than anything else, like most of his attempts at provocativeness. Blaine, however, didn’t seem to mind Kurt’s apparent lack of sex appeal. He simply touched his lips to Kurt’s again, just as eager as last time.

The musician’s guitar began playing louder as the melodic strums carried across the soft breeze. Blaine leaned away, donning a playful smile, once the music passed through his ears. “I know this song.”

Kurt rolled his ocean eyes, but laughed in spite of himself as Blaine took a few steps backward, bouncing along with the music energetically. The dark haired boy spun around in place just as he began singing the words to the musician’s song.

Blaine jumped and danced around Kurt with the kind of contagious showmanship that had gotten him so many solos with the Warblers and New Directions. Kurt watched—clearly entertained—as Blaine pointed a finger at him.

Kurt’s eyes widened as Blaine grabbed his hands and twirled him around to the beat. An undeniably hopeful look crossed Blaine’s face that all but begged Kurt to sing along with him. Shaking his head in defeat, Kurt easily gave in as the chorus began, their voices mixing together in perfect harmony.

The two boys laughed as the music swelled around them. Kurt danced along with Blaine, losing himself in the song like he always used to in glee club. The music transitioned into the next verse and Kurt took it upon himself to sing it as a solo.

Blaine snuck up behind Kurt and wrapped his arms around his slim waist, swaying along with the music. Kurt squirmed flirtatiously and twirled around so that he faced his boyfriend. His arms snaked around Blaine’s neck as the two finished the song together.

The song ended and the music faded away, but Kurt and Blaine continued to laugh and lean against one another. Both breathless, the miniscule sliver of distance between their faces finally registered in their minds. They blinked at each other for a moment before Blaine’s lips lifted into another tender smile.

“Happy birthday, Kurt,”

Rachel was still gone when Kurt and Blaine returned to the apartment late that afternoon. The sunlight was already becoming significantly less bright as it shone through their window, but, nonetheless, it didn’t fail to illuminate their dim room. Kurt walked into the terribly drab living room, wincing in disdain at the empty, colorless cream walls.

“I think I’d like my belated birthday gift to be a paint job for these walls,” Kurt complained like he did nearly every time he walked into the apartment. “The least we could do is hang some pictures on this blank canvas.”

Blaine slipped out of his jacket and motioned for Kurt to give him his. He turned around and began walking into their bedroom with the jackets. “That’s a waste of a birthday request—we were going to paint it eventually, regardless.”

“Yes, but Rachel wanted this heinous lemon color,” Kurt explained contemptuously, following Blaine into the bedroom. Kurt leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms across his chest defiantly. “Seeing as it is my birthday, I would like something a bit easier on the eyes.”

Blaine chuckled and approached Kurt, resting his hands on his shoulders. “Well, as long as it’s your birthday, you can paint it rainbow or tie-dye for all I care.”

“Oh, I think you’d care,” Kurt raised an eyebrow accusingly. Blaine snickered as he leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on Kurt’s mouth, but Kurt held him there, placing a hand on Blaine’s cheek. The shorter boy did not object—he merely inched closer, minimizing the space between their bodies. Soon, Blaine had Kurt pinned against the doorframe, letting his arms drape around Kurt’s neck while the brunette ran his fingers through the back of Blaine’s gelled hair.

It was then that Kurt’s mind went blank or at least slowed down enough for him not to realize Blaine leading him toward the mattress. They slowly lowered their bodies without breaking the kiss until Kurt was lying on his back with Blaine hovering over him carefully. Kurt did his best to ignore his heart that had now decided to pound against his chest with vigor—and it was precisely that pounding that forced Kurt back to reality. He and Blaine were kissing on their bed and a bed is where people traditionally have…Kurt practically whimpered into the kiss.

Blaine released his mouth and stared down at Kurt as if he were determined to memorize his entire face. The expression Blaine wore was that of longing, adoration, and slight apprehension. Kurt stared back with equal intensity, studying every inch of Blaine’s face in turn. It wasn’t until Kurt latched his gaze onto Blaine’s hazel irises that Santana’s advice from Brittany’s graduation party found its way back into his head. Blaine was always respectful of Kurt’s limitations—sometimes overly so. He never forced Kurt to go further than he was comfortable even though they have been together for a year and a half. It would be easy for Blaine to expect more, but, to Kurt’s surprise, he never did. Perhaps Santana was right—maybe they needed to take the next step now that they were living together. Maybe Blaine expected it now that they slept on the same mattress every night.

“Blaine…?” Kurt whispered; barely audible. Blaine didn’t need to respond verbally for Kurt to know he was listening. “…I’m ready.”

Perhaps it was the trembling of Kurt’s voice that caused Blaine’s expression to morph into one of concern and unease. The dark haired boy lifted his face a bit further away from Kurt’s. “Wait…Kurt, that’s a big deal.”

“I-I’m ready,” Kurt said again, this time a bit louder, but still not above a whisper. He nodded briskly as if to keep himself from taking back his own words even though they felt strange and unfamiliar on his tongue.

Blaine was clearly quite conflicted—he didn’t want to do anything they would both regret, but it took every ounce of restraint to keep his lips from crashing onto Kurt’s again. He raised his eyebrows slightly in askance as if to silently make sure Kurt meant what he was saying.

But Santana’s words rang persistently in his ear. He didn’t want he and Blaine’s relationship to become awkward because one of them wanted something more than the other was prepared to give. And Kurt would rather burn all of his pairs of designer jeans than be the cause of any romantic tension between him and Blaine. Kurt responded by pulling on the front of Blaine’s shirt until their lips desperately met again. This kiss felt rougher than the previous one—the fictional line that Kurt had drawn between ‘romance’ and ‘lust’ was quickly being crossed after all this time. Blood pounded relentlessly in Kurt’s ears as he felt Blaine practically melt at their touch.

It suddenly occurred to Kurt that he had absolutely no idea what to do next. In fact, Kurt wasn’t quite sure what he had just gotten himself into. Just the mere thought of sex still made him squirm with discomfort, and now here he was instigating it. It’s the right thing to do, Kurt told himself strictly. Blaine gently leaned into Kurt as their lips moved together in a faster rhythm. Air seemed to escape Kurt’s lungs as their kiss deepened and his heart continued to beat dangerously inside of his chest.

Blaine lifted his shirt over his head at top speed, carelessly tossing it to the floor. Next, he began fumbling with the buttons of Kurt’s shirt until it, too, rested beside Blaine’s on the floor. Kurt was silently thankful that Blaine had handled the buttons—Kurt was positive that his hands would be too shaky to even attempt such a feat. The brunette’s breath got stuck inside his throat when Blaine’s warm, bare chest pressed down against his own. The sensation was pleasurable yet petrifying at the same time—this is too much, the wiser half of Kurt’s judgment chorused repeatedly inside his mind. Blaine’s mouth finally broke away from Kurt’s and began trailing warm, smooth kisses down the side of his neck. It wasn’t until Blaine’s hands started working on the zipper of Kurt’s pants that fear overcame all of his senses.

“Wait, Blaine—stop,” Kurt gasped, his voice unwillingly rising a few octaves. As soon as the words left Kurt’s mouth, Blaine paused and sat up. His breathing was a bit irregular as he watched Kurt with wide, overwhelmed eyes.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked cautiously.

Kurt didn’t know why it felt so difficult to answer. Perhaps it was because he felt like a brick was being pressed firmly against his lungs or because he could feel tears stinging the corners of his eyes. Either way, Kurt didn’t respond. All he could do was sit up and avoid Blaine’s wary gaze with an expression that could only be defined as terrified—and he would have been successful if it weren’t for a stray tear that traveled its way down his cheek, much to Kurt’s embarrassment.

“Kurt—“ Blaine breathed. The dark haired boy wrapped his arms around Kurt’s figure, bringing their unclothed bodies together once again. Kurt released a single sob as he buried himself in the embrace, mentally cursing himself for being so weak.

“I’m sorry,” Kurt mumbled into Blaine’s shoulder.

“Please don’t apologize, Kurt,” Blaine said rather forcefully. He pulled away from his boyfriend and looked him straight in the eye with the utmost sincerity. “It’s not your fault—I should be the one apologizing.”

Kurt continued to avert his gaze, suddenly self-conscious as he sat shirtless in front of his boyfriend. “I still don’t feel…comfortable with…everything.”

Blaine reached out to take Kurt’s hand, stroking it soothingly with his thumb. “Then why did you tell me you were ready?”

“I didn’t want to make you wait anymore,” Kurt admitted softly. Discomfort flooded through his entire body, resulting in a deep blush across his face. “I thought you expected us to…now that we’re living together…”

“Hold on—wait a second,” Blaine flailed his arms, bringing the conversation to a halt. He narrowed his eyes at Kurt in bewilderment. “You thought I expected us to have sex?”

Just the mere sound of the word sent a shiver down Kurt’s spine. The brunette simply nodded as another tear made its way down his face.

Blaine promptly extended a hand to wipe the tear away before it reached Kurt’s chin. “If you truly thought that, then I must be a horrible boyfriend.”

“Santana made it seem like—“

“Santana?” Blaine’s face contorted into suspicion. “What did she tell you?”

Kurt exhaled. He wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible. “She started making me think that there’s something wrong with us because we haven’t taken the next step yet…and I thought that maybe you were just waiting on me to do something about it…but when we start going too far, I just—I can’t—not yet.”

“Kurt, we don’t have to do anything,” Blaine told him.

“But we should!” Kurt cried. The words began pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Today’s my eighteenth birthday—it’s special. Today should be the day I’m ready…but instead I just ruin everything and I don’t want to disappoint you—“

Blaine couldn’t take it anymore. He took Kurt in his arms again, pulling him close to his warm body and protecting him with his embrace. “Hey, hey—listen to me. Nothing is ruined, okay? I’m not upset.”

Kurt breathed heavily against Blaine’s revealed skin as he cuddled closer into his boyfriend’s arms. “Blaine…”

“I don’t care if we’re living together or married with ten children,” Both boys felt heat rush to their cheeks as these words escaped Blaine’s lips. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with—I promise. I never want you to feel pressured. I’m perfectly happy just being with you like this.”

Kurt truly wanted to take the next step with Blaine, but he just couldn’t put his fear of physical intimacy aside. The vulnerability, the wild emotions, the pain…butterflies continued to flutter inside Kurt’s stomach just thinking about it. Perhaps one day he’d be ready, but, for now, sex could wait. Kurt was able to feel close to Blaine just by lying in his arms and that was all he could ever ask for.

“So what did you and Blaine end up doing today?” Rachel asked conversationally as she and Kurt took a seat at Fedeli’s—the restaurant Blaine now worked at. The Italian restaurant was tucked between a record store and a clothing boutique, expertly attracting hungry shoppers who had spent their day walking along the streets. Kurt and Rachel made sure to claim a table near the back of the restaurant so they received a full view of the makeshift stage that was set up against the far brick wall.

“We took a walk through Central Park,” Kurt said slowly. His mind quickly flashed through images of the events that took place after they had returned to the apartment—lips feverishly colliding, hands exploring warm bodies, how good it felt to have Blaine so close to him…and then Kurt had to stop. Blaine had hugged him and told him it was okay as he pulled his shirt back over his head, but Kurt still felt guilty for spoiling what might have been their only opportunity to have a romantic moment alone. Kurt’s stomach flipped around inside of him at the memory. “Then we hung out at the apartment.”

Luckily, Rachel seemed too preoccupied to question him further about the nature of their afternoon. The small brunette simply nodded and stirred her lemon water aimlessly. “Well, that sounds nice.”

“It was,” He nodded. “How was your meeting with the agent?”

“Oh! It was lovely,” Rachel answered, perking up suddenly at the mention of Dean. “We talked about my audition.”

Kurt smiled. “And when is the big day?”

“January 5th,” said Rachel. She conveniently ended the conversation when Blaine stepped onto the stage with his guitar. She didn’t want anyone to know that she had written a $10,000 check to Dean earlier that day.

“Good evening, everyone,” Blaine spoke into the microphone, his silky voice resonating through the speakers. A small, polite applause broke loose throughout the restaurant, mostly courtesy of Rachel and Kurt. Blaine’s eyes travelled to their table. “Today is someone’s birthday—someone who’s very, very special to me. I’m dedicating my first song to that person.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline as Blaine surreptitiously winked at him and began strumming a very familiar tune on the guitar. Rachel nudged Kurt with a grin.

A smile instantaneously spread across Kurt’s face as Blaine sang ‘Teenage Dream’ in his direction. It reminded him of when they first met at Dalton two years ago—Blaine had serenaded him with the same song. This version, however, was slower and sweeter and Kurt couldn’t help but notice a few of the lyrics had been subtly changed.

Guests at the restaurant glanced around the room to find the terribly lucky individual who was being romantically serenaded. Their eyes landed in the direction of Blaine’s tireless gaze, Kurt and Rachel’s table. At a first impression, people probably thought he was singing to the cute brunette girl, but Kurt didn’t mind. He knew that Blaine’s eyes were staring straight into his own—no one else’s.

A louder applause than the first time erupted from the guests as Blaine’s final note drifted into silence. Rachel cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered as Blaine bowed courteously to the audience. Kurt simply stared, wide-eyed and full of wonder, at his boyfriend. He grinned slightly dazedly as Blaine’s eyes landed on him once again.

“I love you,” Blaine stated proudly into the microphone, beaming with adoration. The crowd clapped louder. Kurt breathed in quickly, mouth dropping open slightly in surprise. The brunette leaned his chin against his palm before he mouthed, “I love you, too” back to the amazing boy who stood before him.