Kurt isn't sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this.

He knows his boyfriend. They’ve been together for almost four years (three years and ten months tomorrow) and there’s no doubt about the fact that Blaine loves grand gestures. On their two-year anniversary he’d shown up in New York unannounced, accompanied by ten dozen red roses (he’d paid some of the employees at the flower shop to help him carry them to Kurt and Rachel’s apartment) and serenaded a blushing but delighted Kurt in Central Park. When Kurt came home for the summer with the great news that he got promoted at Vogue, Blaine talked Cooper (who miraculously was at home) to drive them to a fancy restaurant in Westerville. The long ride from Kurt’s house was so worth it, the food was exquisite and the atmosphere was romantic and they were so happy and in love and it had been a perfect evening.

Yes, there is nodoubt in Kurt’s mind that Blaine loves grand gestures.

So it’s not very strange that he is completely baffled when Blaine, sitting adjacent from him at the rickety kitchen table in their tiny apartment (they had moved in together as soon as Blaine came to New York) and eating leftover chicken and rice, pulls out a ring and holds it out to Kurt with a warm smile and the words Kurt have been waiting to hear since the first time they kissed.

“Will you marry me?”

Kurt’s mouth falls open and he looks from the ring, to Blaine, to the ring again. This isn’t what he was expecting. This isn’t what he was expecting at all and he should really say something because Blaine seems to think his silence means something negative. His boyfriend lowers his gaze and sort of curls into himself, starting to pull back the hand holding the ring.

“I, I mean… if you don’t want to, I can –“

“Blaine, honey, no,” Kurt hurries to say, smiling as he reaches forward and grabs the retreating hand. “You just took me very much by surprise here, that’s all.

It’s matte silver and very tasteful and Kurt knows that Blaine must’ve been very careful about choosing a ring that wouldn’t clash with any of Kurt’s outfits. But he also knows that it could’ve been a lime green paper ring with fairy lights attached to it and he still would’ve worn it with everything because of what it means, because of how happy it makes him. He reaches forward and grasps Blaine’s hand between both of his own, meeting his boyfriend’s eyes.

“Blaine. I love the ring and I love you and of course I will marry you, silly. I was just a bit taken aback because well… to be honest, I sort of expected one of your trademark grand gestures to go with a proposal,” he says, gently squeezing Blaine’s hand. “Not that I’m any less happy about it being done like this,” he quickly adds, the smile on his face becoming even wider. Blaine is smiling now too, taking Kurt’s hand in his.

“I did consider that. You know, making a show out of it,” he confesses as he tenderly slides the ring over Kurt’s finger. “But then I thought, well, all those other grand gestures are for things that somehow seem trivial compared to this. This is the thing - the thing I’ve always wanted to do with you - and I didn’t want to treat it like I do every other occasion in our lives. I wanted this to be special, even if that meant it being simple.”

Blaine looks up at Kurt after making sure the ring is perfectly in place at the base of his ring finger, and Kurt can see the tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over. Kurt’s heart aches with how much he loves him.

“Simple is perfect,” he whispers, before leaning forward and pressing his lips to Blaine’s. The kiss is slow, tender, filled with passion but not heat. It’s a kiss between two people who can’t live without each other and knows that they’ll never, ever have to. When Kurt pulls away, he can see that one lonely tear has escaped Blaine’s eye and is now rolling down his cheek. Blaine smiles.

“I love you so much, Kurt,” he says, his voice a little broken.

“I can’t wait to marry you,” Kurt mumbles against his lips before kissing him again, and again, and again.