"Dont be ridiculous. No, I dont know when well get married yet. Spring or autumn, Id say."

Blaine hummed and blinked awake. It was a little after dawn and Kurt was sitting in the window seat in his room. Pale, long, and lean, Kurt stretched his bare legs out in front of him and kept his gaze out the window. It wasnt a sight Blaine had ever thought hed see. Only a year ago Kurt had been so nervous about being naked, even inside one of their bedrooms, that hed put his shirt and underwear on before he ever climbed out from under the covers.

Almost a year in New York had certainly changed Kurts stance on nudity. Blaine was glad in a way, hed get to see that for years to come. They were fianc�s now. Fianc�s! Kurt had said yes to spending the rest of their lives together.

"I dont know if therell be doves," Kurt was saying. He laughed brightly and shook his head. "Finn, no. Dont you dare. And no ice sculptures. Theyll melt and flood the place. Listen, Ive got binders full of possibilities separated by seasons and Ohio and New York, but I think New York is going to be our spot. Well both be living there, so youll have to come visit for the wedding, and–"

Blaine yawned and wrapped the comforter around himself like a cape. He pecked Kurt on the cheek and murmured good morning as Kurt laughed again.

"I havent– hi, good morning– no, not you, Finn. Blaines awake… yes, were naked. You damn well know what we did last night, you goof."

Kurt inched forward until Blaine could slid in behind him and wrap the comforter around them both. As Kurt leaned back against his chest, Blaine could just make out Finns excited voice. He stroked his fingers through Kurts messy hair and kissed his temple.

"So, um, have you thought about a, um, like a best man? Im guessing Blainell pick Sam," Finn said. He cleared his throat as Blaine started to doze against Kurts neck.

"I– well, I thought Mercedes a lot time ago, and then Rachel at one point, but," Kurt paused and nudged Blaine awake. "Rachel might drive me nuts. Ill be bad enough, so I think I need someone to sort of ground me a bit. Like Samll do for Blaine."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Finn said as Blaine yawned and mused up Kurts hair a little more. "So, like, Puck or Santana or someone?"

"I– Blaine, my hair is messy enough," Kurt swatted his hand away and allowed Blaine to nuzzle his face into Kurts neck. "I was sort of hoping youd want to be actually."

"Really?" Blaines head flew back at the shout from Kurts phone, his head wobbling between surprise and sleepy. "Youd– Kurt, if you want someone else– just because were brothers doesnt mean–"

"But were more than brothers, Finn, were best friends. It took us a long time to get there, but youre my first choice," Kurt said. He looked over his shoulder at Blaine and smiled. "Youre my only choice."

"Ill totally do it, dude," Finn said. "I dunno what all Im supposed to do besides the speech. Emma took care of everything when I was Mr. Schues best man, but Im your guy. Well, your other guy."

"I hope Kurt doesnt have any other guys on the side," Blaine mumbled towards the mouth piece. "This man is mine."

Finn laughed as Kurt rolled his eyes. "I cant believe you want me to be your best man, like, youre serious?"

"Yeah, I am," Kurt said.

"But, like, serious serious, right?"

Blaine and Kurt laughed. "Finn Christopher Hudson, I promise nobody else but you will be my best man at our wedding," Kurt told him. "Youre my best brother, okay? I promise."

"Oh, look at these bridesmaid dresses! Or groomsmaid dresses? They need a better name for how this works."

Rachel leapt down between Blaine and Kurt and forced the magazine into Kurts face.

"Ugh, Rachel those are," Kurt grimaced and pushed it towards Blaine to see. "Mint green. Those are awful. Were having an autumn wedding. I was thinking some sort of red or deep purple, like plum."

"Purple has my vote," Blaine said as he made a face and handed Rachel back the mint green dresses. "And–"

"Red and yellow roses," they said together. Kurt and Blaine smiled and laughed and Rachel rolled her eyes.

"You two are sickening sometimes," she remarked. "Im the best woman, dont I get a say?"

Blaine froze as Kurt slapped his magazine shut. But Rachel was still talking just as she always did.

"I mean, Im the head of that, arent I? And Im the one who has to wear it," Rachel continued heatedly. "As your best–"

"You arent," Kurt snapped. He stood up and flung his magazine in her face. "You are not my best man, Rachel Berry."

"But–" Rachel looked up at him in disbelief. "But Im your best friend! Its always been us. Us for New York, for NYADA, and Broadway."

"And Blaine, too. He was in on that," Kurt snarled. He pushed past their legs towards his and Blaines room. "And hes still– hell always be here."

Blaine stayed quiet as Kurt stormed away into their curtained off room. Rachel got up to follow him, looking hurt and angry.

"Kurt Hummel, dont you–"

"No," Blaine said sharply. He caught Rachel by the arm and pulled her back onto the couch. "Rachel, dont."

"But Im his best friend. I always thought– who is it? You know, dont you? How could he pick someone else?" Rachel demanded. "Im supposed to be his best woman! Who would he pick over me? Santana would be a joke. Mercedes, Mercedes! Thats who hes picked, isnt it?"

"Rachel, this is," Blaine paused and buried his face in his hands. Hed thought Kurt had told her, but obviously he hadnt. "Its complicated."

"Well, then hes going to uncomplicated it," Rachel said fiercely. She hopped up again, but Blaine blocked her way.

"No, its– best man, Rachel. He said best man," Blaine said, hoping shed figure it out without him having to shove a hot poker into her eyes.

"Oh, since when does Kurt care about gender roles and traditions? Like, really? Thats how youre going to defend him?"

"He made a promise," Blaine said. His voice cracked as he sat back down and rubbed his neck. "Kurt made a promise, Rachel, six months ago."

Rachel froze, her body going rigid as Blaine continued.

"The morning after I asked him, the first thing he did was call Finn," Blaine said quietly. "H- he… he said there was nobody else he wanted when he asked him. He swore to Finn that he would be his best man."

"But thats– Finn is– hes gone, Blaine," Rachel said. To Blaine it sounded like a plea. A plea for ignorance or her words to be a lie theyd all pretended was real since May.

"I know," Blaine said simply. "Kurt doesnt take back his promises, Rachel. Hes– his mind is set."

Rachel hugged herself and stared between Blaine and where Kurt was hidden in their room. Telling her what hed hoped Kurt would have explained wasnt how hed wanted to end this day or any day.

"Im just–I cant," she sniffled and hurried off to her room as Santana rolled the front door open.

"Doesnt look like much of a wedding planning party," she said as she set her purse down on the kitchen table. "Arent you two picking whatever awful dresses we have to wear?"

When Blaine didnt say anything, Santana sat down across from him. "Whats up with you? You look like Kurt cant get it up for you anymore."

"Thats– Santana," Blaine growled. "Were done for the day."

Santana stared at him for a long time until Blaine got up.

"Just check on Rachel, would you?" That was all he needed to say for Santana to stop teasing and eyeing him. Those words were all it took for her to get it.

He headed to his and Kurts room, hoping his fianc� had had enough time to cool off some. Anytime the subject was mentioned he shelled himself off from all of them.

"Kurt?"

His fianc� was laying down on the bed, facing towards the window and away from him. Blaine eased in behind him and slid his arm under Kurts and around his chest. He rubbed his fingers over Kurts heart for what felt like hours until Kurt spoke.

"Its never going to be fair, is it?" Kurt murmured. "I want them all there to see us and they wont be. Not Finn or my mother or Finns dad. I want our babies to have another uncle and grandma and grandpa. God, I dont even know him and I want him there. Isnt that weird?"

"No," Blaine said quietly. "Its honest."

"They were supposed to argue over me," Kurt said suddenly. "Rachel and Finn would get engaged and then break up and get engaged and then break up over and over again. Six years from now when were thinking about having a baby and Rachels done all of her Broadway dreams shed finally go back to Ohio to see him and theyd really get engaged and then theyd both ask me to be their best man. And then theyd fight over me until Puck showed up and told Finn that he was his wingman so the spot was his by bro code right, and that I was stuck handling Berry. And Finn would go with it, but when neither of them were looking hed give me that stupid, dorky almost wink because he couldnt ever just close one eye at a time, and Id know I was still his best man."

Kurt sniffled as Blaine held him tighter. "That would have been something to see."

"It still should be. Hes my best man," Kurt said finally. "Hes always going to be my best man."

"Okay," Blaine whispered as he kissed Kurts temple. "Okay."

Blaine eased the door shut behind him and glanced around quickly. Nobody but Kurt, just as hed hoped. Burt and Carole were out welcoming the last guests, the ladies were off in their own room finishing up, and Blaine had sent Sam to deal with a made up, bow tie stealing super villain out in the parking lot. He crept over towards Kurt as his almost-husband adjusted his tie.

"Hey, handsome," Blaine greeted as he flung his arms around Kurts shoulders.

"Blaine, oh my– you shouldnt be here!" Kurt squeaked as Blaine gave him a wet, loud kiss on his cheek.

"I wanted to see you before," Blaine said. "See how youre doing." As soon as he stroked Kurts cheek, Kurt shrunk a little. "Hey, its okay."

"I just wish they were here," Kurt said quietly. "I never even thought Id get here, but Im glad Im here with you."

"So am I," Blaine said. He hugged Kurt tightly and pressed their foreheads together until Kurt shut his eyes and sighed. "Theyre here in a way, even if its not how wed like."

"I love you," Kurt whispered, "so much it scares me enough to marry you."

Blaine laughed. "Is that the only reason?"

"Is there a better one?"

"Because we both want to be scared and happy and difficult and wonderful together. Because theres so much we still need to do, together and on our own. Maybe drag a few kids into it, see what they make of themselves," Blaine said with a smile.

Kurt gave his little squeaky laugh before a frown settled on his lips. "I miss him. He should be here instead of that stand with his picture. Messing everything up, dancing his stupid chicken dance while I pretend were not in the same family."

"I know," Blaine said. He kissed the tear that ran down Kurts cheek. "They both should be."

Kurt turned in his arms and hugged him tightly for a long time. "Go on," he said finally. "Go, before Rachel or my dad catch you. Weve got a wedding in twenty minutes and I fully intend on being Mr. and Mr. Hummel-Anderson when I stripe you out of that suit tonight."

Blaine beamed and kissed him one more time before he hurried out.

"I cant believe were having a little boy," Blaine mumbled against Kurts skin. He draped himself across Kurts chest and stared over at their newly built crib. It wasnt impressively large or the most expensive thing on the market, but it was beautiful and soft and fit just perfectly in the bay window corner of their room.

"Yeah," Kurt said as he played with Blaines hair and looked over at it, too. "I think we did a good job on it."

"Only took six hours and a few bruised fingers," Blaine reminded him.

"Its not my fault you cant use a hammer."

Kurt giggled as Blaine bit him lightly on the chest. Then the fell silent again, looking over at the wooden crib, the mobile dangling over it and the fresh, new bedding waiting for their little one in just a months time. It scared Kurt how fast seven years had gone, how quickly theyd gone from teenagers with wedding rings to husbands in a cramped, argument-causing studio apartment, always disagreeing over dishes and who checked the mail last to now.

"We still need to think up a name," Blaine said after a while. "I mean, Charlotte is a beautiful name, but I think we need, yknow, like a boys name for him."

"Well, if youd stop suggesting dumb ones we would," Kurt said tersely. Hed tensed like he always did at the thought of naming a baby boy. It was an idea that had haunted him for almost a decade because his dreams had betrayed him long ago. There was only one name that echoed in the corners and crevasses of his mind and he didnt think he could bare to utter it after keeping it silent for so long.

"What about Elliot?" Blaine asked. "As a middle name. I know youve already settled on a first name, Kurt, and I dont need to hear you saying it in your sleep to know that."

Kurt moved to roll away, but Blaine pressed his arm into the bed on Kurts other side and raised himself up to stare into Kurts eyes. "I hear you sometimes," he added. "I get up to go to the bathroom and I hear you whisper it while you smile in your sleep."

"I- I dont know if I can," Kurt said. But his mind had already chosen for him. Hed been calling their baby Finn since the day theyd found out it was a boy.

"Its okay," Blaine said quietly. He leaned down and kissed Kurt slowly. "Its okay to still hurt and miss him and to give our son a name without consulting me."

Kurt laughed a little as he started to cry. "Its– theres no other name I could even think of. Every time you bring it up or someone asks, its like I have to catch my tongue with tongs to keep from saying it."

"Its a wonderful name for a wonderful little boy," Blaine told him as he stroked Kurts cheek. "Well?"

Kurt nodded a little and looked at the crib once more. "Elliots nice for a middle name. Finn Elliot Hummel-Anderson."

Blaine smiled gently and kissed him again. "Well call Carole tomorrow and ask her permission, okay?"

"Yeah, good."

Kurt smiled as he rested his cheek on Blaines chest and gently traced the soft brown hair on Finns head.

"Hes so little," he whispered. "Gosh, I knew newborns were tiny, but hes just so… tiny."

Blaine chuckled a little, his chest raising Kurts head and Finn up and down as their baby slept peacefully. It was his first night home with them, and despite everything theyd said and everything theyd read, neither of them could bare to put him in the crib five feet away.

Kurt traced his fingertip over Finns nose, his little drooly lips, his eyelashes fanned across his tan cheeks. He was perfect, absolutely, beautifully perfect, more so than Kurt had ever dreamed up.

"Its so strange," he heard Blaine say, the sound vibrating through his chest into Kurts head. "I always thought love was something that sort of filled up around you slowly, like with you and me, but this is so full I think I might burst. Looking at him, its just instant, you know?"

And Kurt did know. It had clicked on like a lamp when the power came back, sudden and abrupt and wonderfully relieving. There were no more monsters lurking in every space his eyes couldnt perceive, no more jolting, jittery tingles, just this sudden, blinding warmth filling him as he looked over their sons sleeping face.

"We really should put him in the crib," he murmured as Blaine yawned and tightened his arms around each of them. "This is a horrible habit to start. Even Dad says so."

"Mmm, live and learn," Blaine mumbled as he started to drift off. "Love you."

"Love you," Kurt replied, he inched closer to Finn and kissed his forehead. "And I love you most of all."