The loft was empty when Blaine stepped inside the Friday before Kurt's birthday. It had been five long weeks since he'd been in New York. Five weeks filled with long phone calls and panting breaths while they whispered all the filthy things they wanted to do to each other in those moments but couldn't. Somehow, miraculously, the distance had started to work for them, making the longing more intense and the reunions more thrilling and exciting when they finally had those brief forty-eight hours to spend together.

Blaine knew Kurt wouldn't be there until later in the afternoon, long after his shift ended and he had spent more time than he wanted on the subway. It was almost nice having the place to himself, the loft that was about to become his home when he graduated in two weeks. This morning he'd taken his last final exam in Physics with Sam, who had driven him to the station and waved him off with a cheery smile and a lot of suggestive winks about his gift for Kurt's birthday.

He'd certainly bought Kurt something, a jacket he'd been prattling on about that Blaine had stumbled across on eBay and won for a reasonable price, but the real gift, or at least what he hoped Kurt would see as the real gift, was in Blaine's plans for their first night together in so long. After months of struggling and uncertainty, Blaine thought he was there, ready and shivering at the thought of Kurt being inside of him again like he'd once been.

Blaine made himself at home, kicking his shoes off onto the little mat by the door and heaving his bags towards Kurt's room. There were boxes everywhere this time, several towers on both sides of Rachel's curtains – she was moving out as Blaine was moving in, sharing an apartment with Brody a few floors below their top floor loft. It was an expected but welcomed decision, because Santana and Rachel didn't mesh well together as roommates from all Blaine had seen and heard, and they all wouldn't fit in here by next year.

As he twirled past the second stack, Blaine caught a glimpse of the almost entirely gutted bedroom beyond. Santana, Kurt, and he hadn't discussed how they would be shifting everything around yet to utilize the space, but Blaine imagined Kurt's room – their room he reminded himself with a broad smile – would take over that corner, leaving a sizeable gap between where they would be in relation to Santana, especially when she had Alexa over.

Carefully, Blaine ducked through the parted curtains, setting his bags on the bed and glancing around at the various spots Kurt had made for him over the last month. Another night-stand had been added to the left side of the bed, bare and gutted, waiting for him to put his possessions into it. The wardrobe doors were open, showing the left half had been cleared except for a few outfits he'd left on other visits. On the opposite side from the bed, the low, long dresser had a note taped to it, telling him that Kurt had cleared two of the big drawers and that the three middles ones – socks, underwear, and pajamas– had room for Blaine's clothing to settle down beside his. It was exhilarating to think about his clothes sharing space with Kurt's, nestled down in a rickety little dresser drawer like it belonged there all along.

For the next hour, Blaine sorted through the clothes he'd brought, meticulously placing them in the drawers Kurt had given him, and beaming the entire time he added his own to the ones with Kurt's. He was giddy by the time he finished, overwhelmed and amazed at the fact that this was his home, almost. He was going to Julliard in the fall, living with the love of his life, and getting to fall asleep in his arms every day from this point on.

Overcome with the thrilling thoughts, Blaine packed away his bags in the corner and tried to control the tears threatening to fall. Eight months ago, he'd never thought this was going to be a possibility, but somehow they'd made it. Despite all the pain and misery and hurt they'd caused each other, they'd found a way through, stronger and better than before.

Blaine took his time after that, making himself an early dinner, then showering and toweling himself off before lying down on the bed. He didn't bother getting dressed, since he knew it was pointless when Kurt should be almost home by now. Besides, the apartment was rather stuffy compared to the air conditioned house he had grown up in, but he knew that here, nudity wasn't an issue. Santana wouldn't care, even though she wouldn't be home until very late because of work, and Kurt would enjoy the fact that he didn't have to wrestle Blaine's clothes off of his body when he got home in another half an hour.

By six o'clock, however, Blaine was bored and still alone. He unplugged his cell phone from its new resting place on his night-stand and dialed Kurt's number. After three rings, Kurt picked up, sounding ruffled and with an accompanying flurry of commotion behind him. Disappointment seeped into Blaine; Kurt was still at work then. There was no denying the sound of office chatter and Isabelle's voice calling out demands in the background.

"Hello?" Kurt said, sounding completely frazzled.

"Running late, I take it," Blaine commented sadly. He rolled onto his side, eyeing the bottle of lube on Kurt's night-stand, debating with himself for a moment before wiggling towards it until he could reach.

"Oh, god, Blaine, I– the system crashed and we lost half the spread and it's due by midnight– "

"Hey, shh, don't worry about it," Blaine cut in, and when Kurt was silent in doubt, he added, "really. I get it, okay? Just… hurry home."

He popped the lube bottle open right next to the mouth piece of his phone, hearing Kurt's sharp intake of breath on the other end.

"Blaine, is that– "

"Mhmm," Blaine acknowledged as he dotted his fingers with it. He made a big show of gasping at the cold liquid, moaning and grinning playfully as Kurt whimpered on the other end of the line. "Mmm, so slick and cold. Wish I had you to warm it up before it starts stretching me… "

Kurt choked this time, coughing as he tried to hold his moan in check. Still grinning wickedly, Blaine warmed the lube up and slipped it back to his ass, slowly caressing his hole and gasping and panting into the phone.

"Oh, you're going to feel so good tonight, Kurt," he murmured, arching back against his hand as he slipped the tip of his finger inside. "I need you inside me so badly, been way too long– "

He could imagine Kurt biting his lip and shifting in his chair as his co-workers continued to prattle around him – could clearly picture the stark outline of Kurt's erection as it grew and stretched along his hip and strained against his pants.

"You're– fuck," Kurt whispered. "I can't wait, but– "

"I can," Blaine teased playfully, sliding his finger back out and massaging his hole. He sighed in bliss, letting his eyes drift shut as Kurt's harsh breathing rattled in his ear. "I'll wait all night and let you really stretch me out for your cock." He paused and groaned at the thought of Kurt's cock, thick and throbbing as it pressed into him. "That thick cock that stretches me more than any of my toys; nothing fits as perfectly as you, Kurt."

"Christ, I still have work to do and– " Kurt babbled on as Blaine continued to making little needy, wanton noises into the phone, not actually fingering himself anymore but working Kurt up into a frustrated state of arousal.

"Well, I'll let you get back to work," Blaine said, sighing in disappointment. "Guess it's just me and my favorite vibrator tonight."

He grinned as Kurt groaned, loud and obvious. The chatter around him stuttered to a halt and Blaine's grin widened in delight as he did his best to hold in his laughter.

"Don't you dare, Blaine Devon Anderson, that is my– "

He hung up then, unable to stop the bubble of laughter from bursting in his chest. He giggled himself until he was in tears, slicking up the crease of his ass more to make it look like he'd done what he'd just said, before setting the lube bottle on his night-stand and opening the drawer for one of his vibrators. He slicked that up with the remaining lube on his hands and kept a hold of it as he rolled towards Kurt's side and snuggled up with the body pillow.

Kurt would rush home now, then be furious to find evidence that Blaine had gotten himself off on his own. He'd wake Blaine up in a flurry perhaps, or maybe finger him as he slept, waking him just as he slid inside of him. It was a scenario they'd been familiar with back in high school, and Blaine hoped Kurt wouldn't be too uncertain about their physicality to not do so. If he was honest with himself, that was one of Blaine's favorite ways to wake up and, as he closed his eyes, he hoped more than anything that he would do so in a few hours time.

Kurt spent ten minutes staring down at the phone in his hand before Isabelle snapped her fingers in front of his eyes and demanded his attention.

"Kurt, come on, focus. We're almost done," she said sharply and Kurt shook himself, setting the phone aside and trying to desperately ignore the twitching ache in his pants.

When he looked up, he found all of his co-workers glancing at him every few seconds. Chase was grinning mischievously, as though he knew exactly what sort of conversation Kurt had just been abruptly cut off from. The others looked bemused and mildly curiously, though Kurt didn't doubt that they at least had a hint of the sexually charged conversation Blaine had just called him for.

And Blaine–god, he'd sounded so content and needy over the phone, so absolutely ready to surrender his consciousness fully as Kurt sunk into him–

Blaine was ready.

The thought pounded through his brain as he turned back to his computer, fingers fumbling over the keys and stringing together several lines of gibberish before he caught himself. He groaned in dismay and then annoyance as he shifted in his chair and the swollen flesh stretching his pants brushed the underside of the desk.

Blaine was probably on their bed right now, ass in the air, cheeks spread as his fingers sunk past his tight rim–

"Kurt, let's go talk in my office," Isabelle said with a sigh, and he nearly jumped out of his skin at how close her voice was against his ear.

"O- Okay," Kurt agreed, not even bothering to look less guilty as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and held it in front of himself.

His state of arousal was already obvious between the sweat dripping down his face and neck and Chase snorting with laughter across the room. Walking awkwardly, Kurt hurried after her and stood beside the guest chair as she closed the door to her office softly.

"It's been a while since Blaine's been here for a visit," she remarked casually, sitting down lightly in her desk chair and motioning for Kurt to take the other seat.

He shook his head at the offer, lower lip stuck firmly between his teeth, squeezed as tightly as his cock would be in Blaine's– He shuddered at the thought and shifted the jacket in his arms in embarrassment.

"Um, f- five weeks," he rasped, voice gruff with longing and heat. "He's h- here for my birthday on M- Monday."

"Ah," she smiled, a knowing twinkle in her eyes that made Kurt squirm in absolute horror. God, he had a boner and his boss was completely aware of it. This was humiliating– "Five weeks is a long time," she added slyly, "even for someone my age. You can go for the day, Kurt."

Stunned, Kurt's arms went limp, and he almost didn't catch his jacket as it slipped from his grasp.

"What– but the spread– "

"It's almost done and you have done more than your fair share of the work on a dozen others since you started classes in January," Isabelle said simply, waving him towards the door. "Besides," she added with a teasing smile, "I know a birthday present call when I hear one, and you have a very nice present waiting back at your loft."

"But– "

"Go before I become sane and keep you here until midnight with the rest of them," Isabelle cut in, giving him a firm look and nodding her head towards the door.

Still amazed at his luck, Kurt backed over towards the door, stammering his thanks as he tried to hold his jacket over his boner and fumble with the door handle behind him. It took a few seconds, during which Isabelle shook her head in amusement and stood up, until he pushed the door open and hurried over to his desk to collect his bag.

"Wait, does he seriously get out earlier because his boyfriend gave him a boner over the phone?" Chase said in disbelief as Isabelle joined them in the larger office space.

"He's also the only part- time member of our team and has picked up the slack more than once, despite being a full-time student," Isabelle snapped. "And I don't want the rest of you popping boners because you're thinking about what he's thinking about. Get busy, people. We only have to finalize a few more things and make sure it's in the correct order."

As Kurt shouldered his bag, Chase gave him a dirty look.

"I expect full details Tuesday afternoon," he muttered as Kurt passed. "And I mean details, because that man of yours is fine– "

"Chase, focus before I make you finish the entire spread!"

Still pouting, Chase turned away and Kurt hurried from the office, down the elevator, and towards the subway station a block away. He didn't bother phoning Blaine to clue him in on his impending arrival. After that phone call, it was time for Blaine to be the one being surprised. But disappointed filled him as he entered the station and found a horde of people and several repeated announcements flashing around stating that there was a track malfunction in the exact direction he needed to be heading.

Groaning in dismay, Kurt sunk onto the first available bench to wait, jacket draped over his lap as he swung his bag around and–

"Sir! Sir, you dropped this!"

Startled at the formal title he was being addressed by, Kurt glanced up and found a young boy – young teenager, really, no older than fourteen – holding out a velvet ring box. It was almost identical to the one Blaine had given him with the letter at Christmas, except for one important change that Kurt had made. It was bigger now, big enough to hold a second ring.

"Oh my god," Kurt breathed, quickly taking it back and looking it over. "Thank you so much."

"You gonna go ask 'em tonight?" the boy inquired, eyeing the ring box Kurt was examining for damage. He'd been carrying it around in his jacket pocket ever seen he'd made a short trip to Maine with Santana to retrieve it himself instead of waiting on delivery. "That's got some big rock in it, right?"

Kurt chuckled, eyeing the boy a little warily. He didn't seem like a thief or even a kid living on the streets. His clothes were nice enough, well fit and taken care of, even if his speech patterns alluded to slang undertones.

"No, there's no rock," Kurt answered, popping it open as the boy approached cautiously. "Just two simple rings."

The boy's eyes bugged out of his skull as he plopped down next to Kurt. "You're proposing to two people? Hot damn, you didn't strike me as a playa."

Laughter burst out of Kurt again and the boy glared at him, looking upset at being laughed at for his assumption. It took Kurt a few minutes to calm down enough to correct him and explain the situation.

"No, no, one is for me and the other is for him," Kurt answered truthfully, tilting the box so the boy could catch a glimpse of the two silver bands, each with a different fingerprint along the inside band.

"Oh," the boy muttered, "so you're skipping the engagement and just getting hitched."

Kurt shook his head again as another announcement began flashing overhead. A train that would take him close to Bushwick was set to arrive in five minutes.

"Wrong again," Kurt said, shrugging a little. "They're both engagement rings, actually. One for him and one for me. But they're a lot more than just that now."

Kurt glanced over at the boy, who looked completely confused, and smiled softly. "It's complicated," he said instead of going into details. "All love is when it's worth having."

"Huh, I wonder if the girl I marry will let me have an engagement ring, too?" the boy wondered quietly.

A train whooshed into the station then, not Kurt's, but another headed for Queens.

"Gotta go! Good luck, mister!" the boy said, hopping to his feet. He started jogging through the crowd but turned back at the last minute. "And don't drop it again! Oh, and say something good, too!"

The boy disappeared just as quickly as he'd appeared and Kurt sat there, playing the conversation over in his mind. He'd actually forgotten about the ring box still lingering in his pocket after he'd tucked it away in there. Even now, Kurt didn't know when he would bring it out and slip the newest ring onto Blaine's finger, but the idea was thrilling, teasing at the back corners of his mind as a certainty waiting to reveal its moment.

It was soon, he knew. Kurt wouldn't have taken the time to search out the same ring maker and spend an entire day making the journey there and back if he didn't feel it in his bones that the time was close. Blaine was certain in his heart, had been for longer than Kurt had ever realized, and at this point, it was simply a matter of pulling the last struggling pieces of their trust together before they made their engagement official. They both knew it was going to happen for them, that that was the road they'd hoped to head down as high school boys and was now the one they had followed as adults.

With a sigh, Kurt stood as his train rumbled into the station, tucking the ring box carefully into his breast pocket before following the swarm towards the nearest car.

Maybe tonight would be their night, even if he didn't know what he was going to say. The Kurt Hummel from eight months ago would think he was stupid and naive for even taking Blaine back, but he was a different man now. Wiser and trusting what he knew was real for them both. A tangled web of mistakes between two teenage boys wasn't going to take that away everything they had together, even if it had wounded them for a long while.

After almost two hours of transferring from train to train, Kurt finally found himself stepping out of a station several blocks from the one closest to his loft. It was after nine, would be pushing past ten o'clock by the time he finally reached his street, and he was weary after the triple-time commute.

He slugged down the road, returning several text messages from Santana and Rachel, both informing him that they were out for the next few days. Rachel was helping Brody rearrange their new apartment into something suitable for living, and Santana was staying over at Alexa's dormitory at NYU. Relieved that the apartment was truly theirs for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, Kurt quickened his pace.

It was a long walk, but he managed to get back to his loft just as the clock in the main room chimed out ten o'clock. None of the lights were on and even the air conditioning unit was quiet, which Kurt realized within seconds meant that it was broken again. As he shoved the door closed behind him, a swell of heat threatened to suffocate him as he peeled his jacket and boots of and placed them by Blaine's.

A huge smile broke across his face at the sight. In another year or two, they would have their own apartment, without Rachel or Santana or anyone to worry about busting in on them. There would be quiet glances and quiet evenings curled up by their fireplace (because there had to be a fireplace in their next apartment), silly afternoons in the kitchen making dinner together while tasting their concoctions on each other's lips, and early, slow mornings with lazy kisses and stuttering hips.

Kurt wanted all of that and more with Blaine; now, tomorrow, and five dozen years into his future. No matter how he pictured his life, where he was, what he was doing, or what was happening, Blaine was always at his side, a steady, open smile and a reassuring grip on his hand.

He padded back to their room, undoing his shirt as he went. Sweat was already starting to dot his skin and brow from the excessive heat as he swept the curtains aside and spotted the sharp outline of Blaine curled up on his side towards the window. Instead of flicking on the light, Kurt stood in the opening, letting his eyes adjust as he slid his shirt and undershirt off and draped them over the dresser. After a moment, he dug the ring box out and set it on the night-stand where Blaine's phone was resting before pushing his pants and boxer-briefs down.

Even if he wasn't planning on waking Blaine up for sex, it was still too hot in the loft for so many layers. He smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed, catching sight of the lube bottle on the night-stand before he focused on Blaine beside him.

The other man was curled up around Kurt's body pillow, naked and sleeping peacefully. Kurt watched his body rise and fall gently as he breathed, his eyes tracing over the muscles of his back and the little dimples right above his ass. His tongue darted out and smoothed over his lips as Kurt lay down behind Blaine and caressed his hip.

An appreciative hum greeted him, and Kurt smiled again as Blaine unconsciously arched back towards his body. For a second he wondered if Blaine would even be interested in a second round, since there was a purple vibrator still clutched in his fist, but the thought of waking Blaine up just as he pushed in like he had done so many times in their old bedrooms in Ohio was so thrilling, it made his toes curl and his cock start to harden.

Without another thought, Kurt reached behind himself for the lube, swiped it off the night-stand and carefully coated his fingers. He took his time warming the liquid up, not wanting to startle Blaine or wake him up immediately as his left hand stroked over Blaine's hips and lower back, eliciting little content, pleased murmurs from Blaine. Kurt watched him wiggle his way back towards Kurt's body, sighing and arching until the swell of his ass brushed Kurt's erection.

Kurt groaned at the contact, pausing in his petting to breathe deeply and control himself. Blaine's little noises died away as Kurt's hands stopped moving, and, slowly, Kurt placed his lubed fingers against the crease of Blaine's ass, swearing loudly when he found it still slick from Blaine's playtime earlier.

"You are such a little minx," Kurt growled, dipping his fingers in and finding Blaine's hole, still slick and surprisingly tight considering what Kurt thought had happen– "Wait," he muttered, pressing against the tight clench of muscles. There was no way Blaine had stretched himself for that toy a few short hours ago. "Tease," Kurt hissed in disbelief as Blaine hummed softly and smiled in his sleep. "I should have known."

Grinning slyly, Kurt rubbed over Blaine's hole, quite pleased at the discovery as he teased the rim, slowly letting Blaine's muscles relax before he dipped his fingertip in. Blaine's back bowed, his ass and head pressing back against Kurt's body as he groaned, still miraculously asleep, but already enjoying what was waiting for him once he was awake.

Kurt was careful as he worked Blaine open, only brushing his prostate instead of curling his fingers against it. He wanted to wait until Blaine was as hard as himself, twisting and panting against his chest, before he woke him up and asked if he needed to be stretched completely.

As Blaine arched against him at the entry of a third finger, Kurt groaned as his rim clenched around his fingers, holding Blaine against his chest and biting down on his shoulder to stop himself from shouting in delight. It had been so long, he almost couldn't remember how to felt to slide into Blaine and work him open completely.

"K- Kurt?" Blaine murmured groggily, head twisting back towards Kurt's. In response, Kurt curled his fingers towards Blaine's prostate, jolting him awake effectively and making him call out sharply. "Christ, Kurt, I want– I'm ready– "

"Gimme a minute," Kurt gasped, pressing his cock against Blaine's ass and whimpering. "It's been so long," he whispered, swiping his tongue over the teeth marks he'd just left on Blaine's shoulder. "I just need a second– "

"Shh," Blaine murmured, one hand sliding back into Kurt's sweaty hair to bring his mouth up Blaine's. "I know, it's fine. Take your time, I trust you."

The words rattled Kurt in a way he wasn't expecting, because at the core of all of their problems since last year was trust. Blaine had doubted him, hadn't trusted that his love was absolute and still in his heart. Kurt had doubted Blaine's fidelity and honesty after he'd been unfaithful. Even before everything in October, they'd never quite grasped the maturity needed for distance, even when they had always been so solid. Knowing that his trust in Blaine was mirrored back at him was heartwarming and eased the tension that had spiked in his body at what they were finally about to share again.

"I trust you completely," Kurt murmured against Blaine's lips, kissing him softly as he worked his fingers apart one last time and slid them out.

"Condom?" Blaine mumbled as Kurt plucked the lube of the night-stand again and slicked his cock up.

As he lined the head up with Blaine's opening, he groaned and shook his head against Blaine's shoulder, where he planned on keeping it buried until he was groggy with the aftershocks of their orgasms.

"No, wanna feel you bare," Kurt decided, angling himself as Blaine's hand clutched at the nape of his neck and gripped him tightly.

It was a first since they'd gotten back together several months ago. He and Blaine had both been tested twice since then, and while they'd both been clean, they'd still hesitated at the idea of having sex without protection of any kind. But Kurt wanted to feel Blaine against his skin, have Blaine's body wrapped around him and nothing else.

Slowly he started to push in, Blaine arching and gasping wantonly as Kurt's mouth fell open against his shoulder. He was panting by the time his hips were firmly pressed against Blaine, his mind hazy and limbs shaking from the hot grip of Blaine's muscles trying to work against him momentarily. Nothing had ever felt so right in his entire life as Blaine's upper body twisted so that he could kiss Kurt's forehead.

"You feel better than I remember," Blaine murmured as Kurt trembled and attempted to close his mouth. He swiveled his hips experimentally, biting his lip as Blaine's muscles relaxed into the stretch, welcoming Kurt's body into his as he was loosened further. "Fuck, start moving– "

Kurt answered, rolling his hips back and biting down on Blaine's shoulder once more as his cock slipped out of his tightness before thrusting back in. A yelp vibrated over Blaine's skin as Kurt's back bowed and he clutched at Blaine.

A laugh rumbled against Kurt's lips. "I think you're enjoying this more than me," Blaine teased, voice high and breathy. Another kiss was pressed to Kurt's forehead as Blaine shifted some and stroked his fingers back through his hair. "Let me," he requested, shifting his body forward and off Kurt a few inches.

Without a word, Kurt's hand smacked down against Blaine's hip, fingers digging into the sweaty flesh as he held on and helped Blaine start working up a rhythm. Kurt went slack against Blaine's back, his arms and grip still tense, but his upper body was like liquid, melting into Blaine as his lips parted against Blaine's skin again. Just focusing on his breathing was another of a struggle for him right then as Blaine's ass smacked back against his hips, taking him deeply into Blaine's body before pull off almost entirely.

They'd never had a dynamic quite like this before, not with Blaine bottoming but in an easy control of their movements, while Kurt hung on desperately for the thrill of the ride, trusting Blaine entirely with his pleasure and needs.

"Tighter," Kurt groaned, hips bucking forward and slowly moving with the steady rolling of Blaine's. "Fuck, squeeze around m– yes!"

Blaine's hips stuttered to a halt as he tightened his internal muscles around Kurt, pressing back and grinding himself against Kurt's body. A strong hand clamped down on Kurt's ass, holding him there and urging him to press in deeper as Blaine whimpered and squirmed against him. He curled his left arm under Blaine's body as they grinded together, looping it around and tangling his fingers into Blaine's wet curls as Blaine's hand tugged his own head forward.

"Need you to touch me," Blaine muttered, slowly arching forward to start moving again. "Please, I'm so hard."

Kurt released Blaine's hip, brushing his fingertips over Blaine's stomach until he found his cock, slick with pre-come and throbbing against his abdomen. It surprised Kurt a little, but usually whichever one of them that was receiving had to be stroked constantly to stay that hard, unless they'd been without for a while. He took Blaine into his grip as they started moving together once more, timing the stroke of his hand with the movement of their hips smacking together.

Blaine was whimpering and jerking against him, hips rolling harder as Kurt's fist worked him over. It was the noises that unwound Kurt, his hips snapping forward rapidly as a sudden burst of heat started swirling through his belly.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could heard himself shouting and demanding for Blaine to push back against him harder, but as Blaine's voice broke and warmth started coating his fist, his eyes rolled up into his head and he was floating. His body went limp, trembling and jerking as he continued to come, but nothing else mattered except the press of Blaine's skin and the heat mingled between their bodies.

As long as Kurt had this, he would be fine. As long as Blaine kept his heart safe and they reminded each other of their trust and love, they would make it through anything else their lives had to throw at them.

Blaine's fingers were gently caressing through his hair when he finally opened his eyes. A soft, shy smile greeted him, Blaine now turned around and holding him close to his chest as he rubbed the aftershock shivers from Kurt's sides.

"You okay?" Blaine asked softly, swallowing a yawn as he nudged his nose against Kurt's chin.

"I'm with you," Kurt reminded him, not bothering to elaborate on the sentiment. The rest didn't need to be spoken out loud as Kurt eased onto his back and stretched his heavy limbs. Blaine curled up beside him, fingers petting over his chest as it rose and fell rapidly. "Do you need some tissues?" Kurt croaked after a few more moments of silence as Blaine's sticky stomach brushed his side.

"Hmm, please," Blaine murmured sleepily.

Kurt honored the request, twisting his head towards the night-stand to grab the tissues when the ring box he'd left there caught his attention. He swallowed at the sight, still plucking a handful of tissues, but pausing as his hand moved back towards the bed. It took him a second to make up his mind as he stuck the tissues into Blaine's loose grasp and popped the box open.

The two rings glinted in the moonlight from the parted window curtains. This was the moment. There was never going to be another moment where he was so absolutely sure as he was now.

As Blaine cleaned his stomach and Kurt's side off, Kurt tugged the little band meant for Blaine out of the velvet, clasped the box in his other hand and tucked it down on his right side where Blaine wouldn't see them.

"Thanks," Blaine yawned, passing Kurt the tissues so he could drop them in the waste basket next to the bed. His hand settled back down on Kurt's chest, fingers splayed out over Kurt's still pounding heart as Kurt took a deep breath and took hold of Blaine's hand, slipping the silver band onto his ring finger.

Blaine still hummed dreamily against him for a moment, before–

"Kurt? Wh– "

Blaine's eyes flew open, his gaze shifting from Kurt's steady smile to where their hands were joined on Kurt's smooth chest. His chest that was suddenly wet, Blaine's tears leaking down onto him as Kurt rolling towards him and gathered him in his arms.

"I want to marry you," Kurt told him, grabbing the ring box from behind him and pressing it into Blaine's shaking hands. "The one you made for me is still waiting for you to put it in its proper place."

Kurt snuggled closer as Blaine popped the velvet box open, carefully extracting the ring he'd made for Kurt as Kurt offered his hand to him.

"God, you would spring this on me when it's supposed to be yourbirthday weekend," Blaine said, voice shaking as he rubbed over the last knuckle of Kurt's ring finger before slowly sliding the ring on.

As the cool metal closed around his skin, Kurt beamed, leaning in for a kiss as Blaine hugged him closer.

"That was nothing like I imagined our engagement going," Blaine murmured.

Kurt laughed quietly and nuzzled against him. "I think it's best when it's simple. We both know what's in our hearts and that's more important than the words we could say right now," Kurt whispered against his cheek. "Besides, if we keep it quiet, we can see how long it takes everyone to realize we're wearing these."

Blaine's fingers twisted the ring on Kurt's finger as Kurt let his eyes close, breathing in the scent of Blaine and them that lingered on the sheets and throughout the room.

"Never take it off," Blaine said softly, kissing Kurt's neck and tucking his head under Kurt's chin.

A kiss sealed Kurt's promise this time and, as they wrapped themselves up tighter, Kurt grinned dazedly. It had taken so much to get here, so many realizations that everything in love wasn't easy and that sometimes life, and what was worth having, was painful and shattering. But moments like this, gifts between their hearts, and promises of something beyond the emotions, they knew couldn't be captured with words, made all of that seem miniscule. Their love was worth the fight, the heartache and the pain they might cause each other, because if there was one thing Kurt had learned from this past year, it was that he had to take the worst aspects of love with the best and love Blaine's flaws and insecurities, treasure and trust in them as much as he did himself.