Blaine decided to do it on a Wednesday. It was a tough day for Kurt and Blaine normally took care of dinner.

This week was special.

The ring had been burning a hole in the back corner of his dresser, buried among clothes Kurt would never think of borrowing. Odd how an unassuming black velvet box nestled in old high school shirts was hiding the best decision of his life.

It was spring break, so he only had occasional private lessons and had cancelled his 3pm student to get ready and cleared his day for Thursday. Kurt would have no classes and wouldn't have to go in to work (his boss allowed him to sketch at home). So, if Kurt said yes, they could bask and then tell everyone their news.

A harried Kurt called him at 5 to tell him he'd be late but hopefully no later than 9. Blaine said he'd have dinner waiting if Kurt could wait that long.

"I'll always be happy to wait for you."

The extra time gave Blaine the opportunity to clean the apartment, get food from the store, and...restock supplies. Home from the store, ladened with supplies for Kurt's favorite dinner and wine to match, strawberries and whipped cream for dessert and turned on music so he didn't worry himself to death.

First, eggplant (not in season, but he thought Kurt would forgive him) washed, salted, and compressed. Then chicken, butterflied and set to marinate. Rest of the groceries and supplies put away before turning the eggplant, stirring the chicken, and tidying the apartment. Kurt generally insisted upon keeping everything in order so it didn't take long. Putting clean sheets on the bed and grabbing a full load to wash, Blaine returns to the main area of the apartment, starting the washing machine and heading to the kitchen, singing along to the radio. Eggplant was wiped off and dunked into its own marinade while he made the salad and washed strawberries.

Cleaning and prep continued until the phone rang at 7:45. Kurt sounded exhausted, but was on his way home. 30 minutes to go. He ducked into their room to pull out the box, smiling at it before sliding it into his pocket. Back in the kitchen, grill pan heated as he set the table, pulling out wine glasses and decanting the wine. Chicken and eggplant cooked as the salad was chopped, one flip and then cream was being whipped for the fruit.

He had already decided how he would do the ring. Cheesy, maybe. But he hoped Kurt, the romantic, would appreciate it.

Tomatoes and mozzarella sliced and fresh marinade for drizzling he plated the stacks, delicately balancing chicken, tomato, and cheese on the eggplant, off center to leave room for salad. He tidied up as the door opened.

"It smells great in here."

Kurt was in the entrance, hanging up outerwear and slipping off shoes, keys dropping into their bowl as he rounded the corner. Blaine walked out of the kitchen, greeting Kurt with a smile and a kiss.

"Hey you."

"Mmm. Hello to you too." Kurt reconnected their lips, tilting his head slightly before opening his mouth against Blaine's.

Regretfully, Blaine pulled back. "Uh-uh. Dinner will get cold. Go sit."

"I can…"

"You've had a long day. Go sit. Everything's done."

Kurt sighed and acquiesced, dropping into a chair while Blaine grabbed the salad and dressing, setting them between their places at the table before picking up the plates, drizzling once with the basil, lemon, and olive oil marinade and setting one down in front of Kurt and the other in front of him.

"Oh, Blaine. You didn't need to."

"Yes, I did. No!" He slapped Kurt's hand away when he reached across for the decanter. "I've got it. Still standing."

Kurt waited until the wine was back on the table before pulling Blaine towards him, hand tugging at the tie around Blaine's neck.

"I don't know what the occasion is, but thank you."

Blaine returned the kiss before sitting down. Between bites of his favorite dinner, Kurt launched into the story of his day with little prompting: coworkers, boss, and models had all decided this week was the best week to go insane and if it wasn't the next logical place for him to be before stepping up in the fashion world he would leave. Blaine nodded and smiled in the appropriate places. He wasn't nervous, just excited: Kurt's melodic voice a pleasant drone as Blaine wandered through his own thoughts about what would be happening in the next hour.

"And then I told him I'd only fuck him for a million dollars and I'd have to ask my boyfriend first. Is that okay, Blaine? It is a million dollars."

"Huh. Yeah. Wait. What did I just agree too?"

"Nothing important. What's got your mind wandering off?"

"Just…that I'm really happy I turned around on the staircase that day."

"I…I am too." Their hands entwined across the table, eyes taking the other in.

Blaine ripped his gaze away from Kurt to glance at his plate. "Are you done?"

"I'll get it."

"I've got it. You stay here. Just need to prep the dessert."

"Mr. Anderson, you spoil me."

"Only because you deserve it, Mr. Hummel."

Blaine removed their dishes to the kitchen, set into the dishwasher before pulling out the strawberries and whipped cream. One plate between the two would probably be enough. A ring of strawberries in the center of the white and black plate, a dollop of whipped cream in the center. And one strawberry, inverted, in the center. Quietly reaching into his pocket he pulled out the small box. Blaine pulled the ring out, kissed it, and set it on top of the inverted strawberry. Another time they would laugh about the phallic symbolism. But not tonight.

Blaine took a deep breath, carrying the plate back to the table. He used the few steps to center himself, to try to get his thoughts to form into a coherent sentence by the time he reached the table.

Three steps.

Two steps.

One step.

Plate down and a step back to give himself room to kneel.

Kurt looked down at the plate, up at Blaine, tears beading at the corners of his eyes.

"Blaine…?"

Blaine lowered himself to one knee.

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel. I have known you for nearly 10 years, have been…lucky enough to have called you mine for nine of them." He drew in a shaky breath. "From the moment I saw you on those stairs, a part of me knew that it was you. It was always going to be you. You moved me then, and somehow, even ten years later, you still move me. You are my…absolute everything and…" the tears had broken through, voice cracking, "and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you. Kurt, would you marry me?"

Kurt was already nodding, tears rolling down his face and a smile shining. "Yes. Blaine Anderson, I will marry you."

They stood up at the same time, chair falling back as they hugged each other, kissing and hugging and smiling. Blaine removed the ring from the strawberry and slid it onto Kurt's finger, dropping a kiss onto it before being pulled up to meet Kurt's mouth, tears mingling and hands pulling him close in before Kurt broke off with a laugh.

"What? You're…laughing."

Kurt just kept laughing, holding up a finger to say he'd be a second, wandering into their bedroom. Blaine followed to watch Kurt rummaging through his own dresser drawers, pulling out an old pair of shorts that may have been Rachel's at some point. He untwisted them to reveal his own black box. Blaine just stared as Kurt tossed the shorts off to the side, dropping to one knee.

"Blaine Warbler-Anderson, I had this whole spectacular thing planned out in my head, and then life picked up and it fell to pieces. I've been waiting for a chance for the perfect moment, but with both of our semesters it just hasn't worked. Listening to Noah when he told me to spy at Dalton was the best thing I have done. Life with you so far has been better than I ever imagined it could be. And…and I'd really like to never have to say goodbye to you. Blaine, will you marry me?"

Blaine nodded his own yes, pulling his fiancé off his knees and into his arms, separating only to let Kurt put his ring on.

Later, they would laugh at the situation and compare when rings were purchased and what the original plans had been.

Later Kurt would tease Blaine with "And you say you suck at romance."

But for now and from that day on, they had each other, and that was all that mattered.