It started with an innocent question at the end of January.

“What does Blaine have planned for you on Valentines Day? Is a plane going to write “Kurt + Blaine Forever” in the sky? Or did he hire a childrens choir to follow you around serenade you with love songs all day? Maybe a small fireworks show in Central Park?” Santana teased.

Kurt couldnt help but feel a little guilty at the realization that it hadnt even occurred to him yet that Valentines Day was fast approaching. As ludicrous as the suggestions Santana threw out sounded, all were plausible enough knowing Blaine. Grand romantic gestures were simply in Blaines blood and after the scale of the proposal, Kurt wouldnt put anything past him.

Valentines Day was something that Kurt was still getting used to. As a kid, it had meant rejection and embarrassment. In elementary school, everyone in the class was supposed to bring valentines for each other, but Kurt inevitably got the least and the ones he did receive were often missing the candy or were obviously written by the kids parents. In middle school, he was never invited to the Valentines dance, never had a Valentine, or even received a gift that didnt come from his Dad. He spent two consecutive high school Valentines Days pining: first over Finn and then over Blaine, his heart breaking as he watched him sing to another guy. Even the Valentines Days when hed been with Blaine had been a little iffy. He spent one thinking he was going to be all alone when Blaine was recovering from eye surgery. Blaines last minute surprise appearance at Sugars party more than made up for it, but it had still been a day of ups and downs. Then came Mr. Schuesters failed wedding and fucking Blaine on every available surface in their hotel room. It had been a good day, all in all, but more about lust than love (although hed known that a reunion with Blaine was inevitable, even then) and tinged with anxiety over his relationship status or lack thereof.

Kurt was determined that this year would be different. This Valentines Day marked a lot of firsts: their first as fiancés , their first since living together, and Blaines first Valentines Day in New York. Unfortunately, New York so far hadnt been as big on romance as Kurt would have liked. Its just that it was next to impossible to get any time alone when he and Blaine were living in a loft apartment without windows or doors with three of their other best friends. Three very nosy (not to mention noisy) friends who thought nothing of walking into Blaine and Kurts curtained off room without permission. They still managed to have plenty of sex and date night every Friday, but it wasnt the nonstop romance novel Kurt had once imagined it might be.

Thats why Kurt decided to he wanted to bring the romance this year. For once, he didnt want to sit back and let Blaine outdo him with another grand romantic gesture. Sure, he wasnt the best at romance, but he had three weeks to come up with the perfect Valentines Day date. He could totally do this, right?

Kurt decided to broach the topic on Friday evening, the one night they knew theyd have to themselves since theyd finally gotten Rachel, Santana, and Sam to accept their “no interruptions on date night unless theres an emergency that involves the loft burning down or someone going to the hospital, no exceptions” rule. They were having dinner at their favorite Thai food restaurant and Blaine was talking animatedly about acting class, gesturing wildly as he imitated his teacher.

“What?” Blaine said, stopping mid-sentence and staring at Kurt. “Do I have food on my face or something?”

“Hmm? No, of course not,” Kurt said distractedly. “Continue, Im listening.”

“Youve been zoning out for the past 15 minutes,” Blaine said, smiling to reassure Kurt he wasnt angry.

“God, Im sorry,” Kurt blushed. “I was just thinking.”

“...about?” Blaine prompted.

“Uhh, Valentines Day, actually?”

“Oh really?” Blaine grinned. “Whys that?”

“Well, dont take this the wrong way, but I want to make the plans this year, okay?”

“Okay?” Blaine frowned. “What do you mean by dont take this the wrong way though? That doesnt exactly seem like a controversial statement.”

Kurt chuckled. “Its just that youre much better at grand romantic gestures than me and after that insane proposal I just figured that its my turn? Its no big deal, I just wasnt sure if youd started planning some elaborate surprise months ago or whatever.”

“Oh, I get it now,” Blaine hummed in recognition. “I know what this is really about.”

“I have no idea what youre talking about,” Kurt said, all innocence. “Theres no hidden agenda here, just me wanting to doing something romantic for my fiance since its our first Valentines Day together in New York.

Blaine rolled his eyes, a bemused grin on his face. “If you say so.”

“Blaine Devon Anderson, how dare you. Are you that offended by me invading your romantic turf?” Kurt scoffed.

“Not at all, its all yours. Its just that I know what it does to you when I win,” Blaine teased with a wink.

“So you think I want to plan Valentines Day because Im competing with you?” Kurt managed.

“Yes, thats exactly what I think. And since Im the king of romance, I know I have nothing to worry about,” Blaine said, pretending to buff his nails on his shirt.

“Oh its on, Anderson. Youre going down!” Kurt laughed.

“Okay, so first we need to lay out the rules.” Blaine sat forward in his chair, the rest of his pad thai forgotten. “No leaving the city.”

“Did you think I was going to jet us off to Paris?” Kurt shook his head. “Its a little hard to afford that on the money I make at the diner.”

“Fair enough – but we should put a price limit on things, now that you mention it, especially since were currently trying to save for the wedding and those flowers you picked out arent cheap,” Blaine added.

“Hey, thats not fair, especially when you spent so much money on my proposal,” Kurt complained.

“What are you talking about? I spent less than a hundred dollars on everything.”

Kurt shook his head disbelievingly. “Theres no way.” He held up his hand. “I know that my ring alone cost way more than that.”

“Well, that doesnt count. Thats a gift, not a romantic gesture. And Im still getting you a Valentines gift, by the way,” Blaine added.

Kurt opened his mouth, prepared to protest, before shutting it suddenly. “If you insist,” he sighed at last.

Blaine snorted. “Please, Ive never known you to turn down a gift in your life. But I have the perfect gift in mind, so yes, I insist.”

Kurt did not have the perfect gift in mind (or any clue what he was going to do for Valentines Day yet) but he wasnt going to panic. “I still dont believe you spent less than a hundred dollars on your proposal,” Kurt said, changing the subject. “There were hundreds of people involved plus all the rose petals and costumes and you clearing out the school for an afternoon.”

“Sam and I asked all the different choirs to be involved as a favor, they each wore their competition costumes so that didnt cost me a cent, the Dalton headmaster loves me so of course he let me take over the school, and finally yes, there were a lot of rose petals but I charmed the flower shop owner with the story of my proposal plans so she gave me a good deal,” Blaine ticked off each point on his fingers as he explained.

“Why am I not surprised?” Kurt chuckled. “But remind me to thank Sam later, I didnt know he helped out so much. Thats really sweet of him.”

“Will do. Okay, so in terms of a budget, I think a hundred dollars is fair, dont you?”

“Maybe if we still lived in Lima? But come on, seriously Blaine, I cant even take you out to a nice dinner here for less than a hundred dollars.” Kurt took a sip of his wine and a bite of spring roll while Blaine pretended to deliberate.

“Fine, a hundred and fifty?” he said at last.

“Blaine,” Kurt groaned, “be reasonable.”

Blaines grabbed his hand, his voice softer now. “Kurt, I dont need anything fancy. Id be happy with a nice meal at home with you or even spending the entire night in bed and maybe using some of that edible body paint Santana bought us for Christmas.”

“Maybe for dessert,” Kurt whispered, his voice low. “But first Ive got to show you a good time and prove I dont totally suck at romance. And grand gestures dont come cheap, Im afraid.”

“Fine,” Blain huffed out, rolling his eyes. “Two hundred dollars – final offer. And no arguments, mister, because were supposed to be saving for the wedding and a deposit on a place of our own once were married, remember?”

“Okay, two hundred dollars it is. Ill take it.”

“Excellent, its been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Hummel,” Blaine grinned, extending his hand to shake Kurts.

“Youre so ridiculous. And its soon-to-be Mr. Hummel-Anderson to you,” Kurt reminded him.

“I still maintain that Anderson-Hummel sounds better. Its alphabetical, after all,” Blaine teased, bringing up a discussion that theyd had almost weekly since they got engaged.

“You just want your name first!” Kurt scoffed. “But lets not do this again. Right now, you need to finish the last spring roll while I pay the bill because weve got almost two hours before everyone will be back to the loft and Id hate for us to put that alone time to waste, wouldnt you?” he asked, staring back at Blaine and watching as his eyes goes dark at the thought of just what they had planned.

Blaine only got little hints of what Kurts planning over the next few weeks. He was aware that Kurt was trying to be sneaky and thought he wouldnt notice the way he hurriedly closed his laptop or angled the screen away from Blaine when he came home from class in the afternoon. He did. Even more obvious were the whispered phone calls Kurt made on the fire escape even though it was early February and well below freezing outside. If Blaine didnt already know what it was about, hed be worried about the secrecy. But he did and it was obvious that Kurt was determined to wow him - while Blaine knew it wasnt necessary, it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.

His curiosity started to get the better of him after he fielded a sixth seemingly random question from Kurt. The first few seemed obvious – favorite type of food and favorite type of flower were clearly related to what Kurt was planning. He assumed the next couple were as well in some way, though they were slightly less obvious: favorite color, favorite type of music, and favorite band. But when Kurt asked him what his favorite animal was, Blaine started to question whether or not Kurt was throwing in random questions just to keep him guessing. It was either that or they were having their romantic Valentines Day dinner at the zoo.

The closer they got to February 14th, the more Blaine started to panic. He felt a little guilty that hed lied when he told Kurt hed already come up with the perfect gift idea when, in fact he hadnt. But now the pressure was on to come up with something that lived up to the hype and he was hopelessly stumped. What do you get the guy who has everything?

That was a bit of exaggeration, Blaine supposed, but not by much. There were things that Kurt wanted, but they were either things no one could buy (like assurances that his dad would stay healthy or a killer role on Broadway) or things that were prohibitively expensive (like a custom Armani tux with emerald cufflinks for the wedding). Blaine wanted to give him the world, but apparently the world cost more than he was allowed to spend.

Ten days before Valentines Day, Blaine was starting to realize that he needed something and quick. He spent the two hours before Kurt got done with classes on the internet looking through various gift guides. When that didnt work, Blaine started googling random queries such as “gifts for my boyfriend.” That was way off and gave him football tickets, propane grills, and many other things that Kurt would have absolutely no interest in. So Blaine searched “gifts for my gay boyfriend” next, embarrassed to even type that into Google and making a mental note to clear his search history before Kurt got home. It pulled up a few things that Blaine knew Kurt would like, but still nothing that he would love. Growing more desperate by the minute, Blaine finally just googled “I need a gift for the guy who has everything and that I want to give the world to.” He clicked around for a minute, looking at the various recommendations before finding himself on a website hed never heard of before: trytheworld.com.

Minutes later, he was entering his credit card information and clicking on the button for rush shipping, mentally congratulating himself for somehow finding the perfect gift for Kurt. The website promised that their expert travelers and taste-makers would send “a collection of products that best represent each country. In your box you will find not only some of the most delicious gourmet finds but also a companion on the history of the products and how to use them, as well as a few cultural tips like music, movies, and things to do.” It was clearly a luxury gift too, gorgeously packaged and filled with a million things that hed never heard of (which was usually a good thing, as far as gifts to Kurt went).

More importantly, it had meaning behind it. What he wished he could give Kurt, more than anything else, was a trip to somewhere exotic and romantic, but sadly that just wasnt a possibility when they were both so busy with school and saving every penny they had. Theyd been talking about Paris or maybe even Venice for their honeymoon (although Blaine still wasnt sure how theyd afford it) and low and behold, the first gift box was Paris-themed. Even better, Kurt would get a new box each month with delectable goodies from Tokyo and Rio to look forward to in March and April.

Once Blaine finished ordering the gift, he cleared the search history on his computer, knowing how sneaky Kurt could be when it came to scoping out his gifts before any holiday. He made a note on his phone to buy a card to go with Kurts gift, which he would inevitably fill up with sappy sentiment about how much he adored Kurt. He couldnt help it – hed spent far too long without Kurt in his life and almost lost him for good once. So Blaine planned to spend every second of Valentines Day savoring what he had with Kurt now and looking ahead to their future together.

On February 14th, Kurt rushed from the dance studio as soon as his class ended, not even bothering to change out of his yoga pants and sweatshirt. He had a million things to do before Blaine arrived home to the loft, hopefully at 7 PM on the dot as directed. After much deliberation (and with no other brilliant ideas forthcoming) Kurt had decided that his theme for his and Blaines Valentines Day date would be "these are a few of my favorite things," after one of his favorite musicals, The Sound of Music, naturally. Hed spent the last few weeks doing covert research. The entire evening would be filled with everything that Blaine loved. Kurt just hoped that his attention to detail would pay off.

His first stop was to a gourmet Italian deli that made some of the most delicious things Kurt had ever tasted in his life. Blaine had told him that his favorite food was eggplant parmesan and Kurt already knew how much he loved Caesar salad. That covered their Valentines meal and to top it all off, theyd be having tiramisu with a side of dark chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. The only issue in all of this was that Kurt wasnt the worlds greatest cook. He had a few dishes that hed perfected over the years, but eggplant parmesan wasnt one of them and Kurt wasnt about to risk ruining Blaines favorite meal when he had as much at stake this Valentines Day. So he was going to cheat (but only a little) and give Blaine what appeared to be a home-cooked meal, even if hed really had help from Raos Deli instead. All he had to do was pick it up, put it on the nice china hed been saving for just such a special occasion, and throw the take out boxes in the dumpster before Blaine got home. Piece of cake.

After he left Raos, his hands now laden with bags of delicious smelling food, he stopped at the florist that theyd hired to make their wedding floral arrangements of red and gold roses. But this time he was grabbing something a little different: blue and cream hydrangeas, which Blaine said were his favorite flowers and favorite colors, respectively. He blushed a little as Loretta also handed him a bag of heart-shaped rose petals free of charge, telling him to sprinkle them on the bed as an extra surprise for Blaine, whod charmed the pants off of her last time they were there together, as was his speciality. It was a little (actually a lot) cheesy, but then again, so were they as a couple. He just needed to make sure he erased any evidence of the rose petals on the bed before Santana came home or hed never hear the end of it.

His errands now complete, Kurt hailed a taxi and headed back the loft to begin the true preparations. He lugged his haul up the three flights of stairs, holding his breath in fear hed drop the food the whole way. Finally he arrived, dropping the bags on the kitchen counter and preheating the oven as the label on the eggplant container directed, before finally collapsing on the couch, totally spent. While he caught his breath, he scrolled through his to-do list on his phone, a little overwhelmed by how much he still had to do.

Kurt stood, stretching his tired body and reveling in the total silence in his empty loft as he strolled to his bedroom. He browsed his closet, finally laying out an outfit that Blaine had helped him pick out a few months ago, smiling at the memory of their sneaky make out session in the boutique dressing room. He stripped off the sweaty workout gear hed been too lazy to change out of after his dance class with Cassie July, task-master and borderline psychopath. Then he wandered out of the bedroom in his underwear to check the oven, humming a song under his breath.

Kurt was startled by the sound of a key in the lock at the door. What the hell, he fumed inwardly. Hed bribed Sam, Santana, and Rachel into staying out until at least eleven so that he and Blaine could have the loft to themselves tonight for their date. And Blaine was supposed to play video games at Arties dorm after class and wasnt due to arrive home until seven. Panicked, Kurt had just enough time to jump behind the couch, covering his mostly naked body with a couch cushion before the door was flung open.

"Sam!" Kurt screeched as he entered the apartment. "What are you doing here? You werent supposed to come until 6:15!"

"I know, Kurt - Im sorry," Sam apologized profusely, stopping suddenly as he realized Kurt was hiding. “Uhh dude? Are you naked behind there or what?”

"Yes! Im in my underwear. Dont look!" Kurt shrieked.

Their was a tiny bark in reply. Sam tugged on the leash attached to a tiny grey and white puppy, pulling him closer and kneeling down to pet the fuzzy ball of fur soothingly. "Shh, its okay, little guy. Kurts not usually this scary, I promise."

Kurt rolled his eyes, forcing himself to take a deep breath before he answered. "Sam, I thought you werent picking him up from the breeder until 5:45?" Before Sam could reply, Kurt shook his head, sighing. "Hang on, let me grab a robe and then you can explain. And shut the door before our neighbors see me, please?" he requested wearily.

"Oh crap, sorry Kurt!" Sam apologized, jumping to his feet and closing and locking the door behind him. He undid the puppys leash, letting him tentatively explore the apartment while he waited for Kurt to return.

"Okay, now explain, please," Kurt said a minute later, walking back out into the living room as he tied the belt on the robe securely at the waist.

"The breeder called your cell phone earlier, but when you didnt answer, they called me since you put me on the contact list instead of Blaine so they wouldnt ruin the surprise. Theyre closing early tonight because the snowstorms going to start soon and they didnt want their employees to get stranded. They told me I needed to pick him up no later than 4:15 or Id have to wait until Monday to get him. I know how much this whole romantic thing means to you and I didnt want you to end up without your present for Blaine, so I talked Gunther at the diner into letting me leave my shift thirty minutes early so I could pick him up," Sam let out in a rush.

"Oh," Kurt managed, cheeks flushing with embarrassment for having snapped at Sam. "Im sorry I yelled, Sam. It was really sweet of you to leave work early to help me out with this. Im just nervous because I want everything to go perfectly and I have a ton to do before Blaine gets here and -"

"Hey hey, just breathe, man," Sam interrupted. "Blaines going to love whatever you do, because it came from you and he loves you. Plus, who wouldnt want this little guy," he cooed, scooping up the puppy from the floor where hed been pawing at the curtain that separated off Kurt and Blaines room.

"I hope so," Kurt said, still irrationally worried. He walked over to Sam and began to pet the puppys downy soft fur, smiling a little.

"Have you come up with a name for him? The breeder kept calling him Gus, but that seems like a lame name for a puppy," Sam asked, wrinkling his nose.

"No, Im going to let Blaine pick the name, I think."

"Good idea," Sam grinned. "Okay, so where should I put him?"

"Ahh crap," Kurt cursed, lips pressed into a thin line. "Thats why I wanted you to pick him up later. I still need to shower and set the table and heat up all the food and put out the flowers and about a million other things." Kurt ran a hand through his hopelessly mussed hair, panic stricken at the thought of trying to accomplish his lengthy to do list, all while babysitting a puppy.

"Do you need me to stay and help?" Sam asked. "I can do my best to keep this little guy out of your hair while you do all the fancy shit if you want."

"Oh my god, would you?" Kurt said, eyes lighting up. "That would be amazing if Im not keeping you from your Valentines Day plans?"

"Of course, anything for Blaine," Sam said simply. "And you too, I mean," he rushed to add. "But nah, I dont have any special plans for tonight. I was just going to meet a few friends from work for a drink later, but Ive got time."

"Youre a lifesaver!" Kurt exclaimed. He bent down, giving the wriggling puppy in Sams arms a kiss on the head, dashing off to shower with a quick reminder to Sam to take the puppy out to use the bathroom every thirty minutes to avoid any accidents.

Two hours later, Kurt was near tears and starting to believe his special night was cursed. Pretty much everything that could go wrong in preparing for his romantic dinner with Blaine had. A lot of the mishaps could be blamed on the very mischievous puppy who seemed to find anything edible or breakable his personal challenge to get at, even if it was placed high out of reach. It had been a big struggle to get his roommates to even agree to let him get a puppy for Blaine in the first place and Kurt was just hoping that this wasnt a sign of what was to come.

First, the puppy had managed to knock over one of the plates filled with eggplant that Kurt had sat out on the table. Thankfully, the portions from Raos were generous enough that he could scoop a little off Blaines plate to add to his. But that meant he either had to short-change Blaine on his favorite meal or serve very uneven portions. Kurt chose the latter, deciding hed rather go hungry than see Blaine anything less than 100% thrilled on his special night. He just hoped Blaine wouldnt notice how lopsided their plates were.

Then just after Kurt got dressed in the special outfit that hed picked out for tonight, Sam passed the puppy over to him to hold for a second so that he could pay his own trip to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the puppy decided to take his inspiration from Sam, peeing all over one of Kurts favorite silk blend shirts mere seconds after he picked him up. By this point, Kurt didnt know whether he should laugh or cry. Sam chose laughter, but quickly regretted it after the death stare Kurt shot his way. He stomped to the bathroom, stripping for a second time that evening and scrubbing the scent or urine from his body, thinking that this was definitely not the romantic start to the evening he had envisioned.

There were other, more minor disasters, albeit ones that seemed insignificant compared to getting peed on: Kurt accidentally burned one edge of the garlic bread in the oven, the champagne bottle overflowed when he opened it, leaving the floor underfoot slightly sticky despite his best effort to mop it up, and the puppy managed to topple the vase of freshly cut hydrangeas, leaving the edge of the cornflower blue tablecloth damp. By the time it was 6:30, Kurt was taking swigs of champagne straight from the bottle in a desperate attempt to soothe his frayed nerves.

Most of his to-do list had been conquered at least, thanks to the extra set of hands Sam provided. All that was left was to put the finishing touches on things: light the candles, put the plates that were warming on the stove on the table, and pour the champagne. Kurt went into the bathroom to smooth down his hair and mop the sweat from his brow one last time while he waited for Sam to bring the puppy back upstairs since hed graciously offered to take him out for one last bathroom break before Sam left and Blaine arrived. Kurt was planning to stash him in his crate in the bedroom closet with some toys and water and puppy pads in case he couldnt hold it until the gift unveiling. Kurt just hoped he would be quiet and wouldnt give away his secret until he was ready to surprise Blaine.

Kurt heard the door opening. “Did he go?” he called out to Sam. There was no answer aside from what sounded like muffled sobs. What the hell?

“Sam?” Kurt asked tentatively, poking his head out of the bathroom just in time to see a teary-eyed Rachel heading for her bedroom.

“Im sorry, Kurt,” Rachel sniffled, wiping her eyes. “I dont want to ruin your date – Ill be gone again soon, I swear.”

“I...” Kurt trailed off, torn between panic that there were only twenty minutes until Blaine was set to arrive and concern for his friend. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I guess I just underestimated how hard today would be? Its my first Valentines Day without Finn and rehearsals today were brutal and I just...really miss him, you know?”

Kurt crossed the room and enveloped her in a hug, feeling guilty that it hadnt even occurred to him that today would likely be rough for Rachel (and even guiltier that hed tried to kick her out of the apartment on Valentines Day). “I miss him too,” he whispered. “It gets easier, but its never going to stop hurting, is it?”

“I dont think so,” Rachel managed, sighing heavily.

Before Kurt could say more, they were interrupted by Sam and the puppys return.

“It took forever, but he finally went,” Sam informed Kurt. He stopped, looking from Kurt to Rachel, frowning a little as Rachel wiped her eyes. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah,” Rachel laughed ruefully, shaking her head. “Just a rough day.”

Sams eyes softened in recognition. He scooped up the puppy, walking over to Rachel. “Just what you need then,” he said. “Puppy therapy.”

“Oh my god,” Rachel cooed, taking the puppy from him, “hi angel, whats your name?”

“Im letting Blaine name him,” Kurt replied. “Oh shit, what time is it?” he exclaimed, eyes widening as he remembered that Blaine would be arriving very soon.

“6:45 – yikes,” Sam winced. “Okay Kurt, well get out of your hair now. Do you want me to put the little guy in his crate?”

“Yeah, that would be great,” Kurt nodded. He turned to Rachel. “Sweetie, are you going to be okay? You could always just stay in your room, if you arent feeling up to going back out,” he offered.

“No no, I dont want to ruin your date,” Rachel insisted. “Ill just go sit at a cafe and practice my lines or something.”

“On Valentines Day? No, that wont do,” Sam interjected. “Youre going to let me take you out to dinner instead.”

“Youre sweet, but dont have to do that,” Rachel said. “I know you had plans with your friends. Ill be okay on my own for one night.”

“I absolutely insist,” Sam said firmly. “Were going to have dinner and afterwards were going dancing and were going to have a good time, like it or not.”

“He means business. You better listen to him, Rach,” Kurt smiled, kissing her cheek. “Go have fun – you know thats what Finn would have wanted.”

“Well, okay then, lead the way,” Rachel finally agreed, buttoning up her jacket and linking arms with Sam.

“Thanks for all your help,” Kurt said, giving Sam a hug. “I couldnt have pulled it off without you.”

“Anytime, bro,” Sam grinned, looking around the apartment approvingly one last time. “Blaines going to love it.”

“You two lovebirds have fun tonight,” Rachel called over her shoulder as Sam led her out of the loft, waving to Kurt before closing the door softly behind them.

“Oh my god, Kurt, this is delicious,” Blaine groaned as he stabbed another forkful of eggplant eagerly. “I cant believe you cooked this all by yourself.”

“I had a little help,” Kurt squeaked, cheeks flushing. “You know, I watched a cooking tutorial on YouTube...”

“Well, amazing job.” Blaine looked at Kurts nearly empty plate. “You barely ate anything – are you sure you dont want some of mine?” he offered.

“Hmm? No, of course not. This is your special night, not mine,” Kurt rushed to reassure Blaine. He took another long pull from his champagne flute and tried to ignore the gnawing hunger in his stomach.

“Its our special night, silly. And I wouldnt want my fiancé to go hungry, after all.”

“Im fine, honey. Just saving room for dessert.”

“Ooh, I cant wait to see what were having!” Blaine cheered enthusiastically. He picked up his champagne flute, holding it aloft. “Id like to propose a toast, to my amazing fiancé who Im looking forward to spending the rest of my life w-” Blaine was interrupted by the sound of whimpering and rustling from the bedroom. “Did you hear that?” he asked Kurt, frowning.

“Hmm? No, I didnt hear anything. Probably just the pipes settling in this old building,” Kurt lied. “Now what were you saying about your amazing fiancé?”

Blaine bit his lip, throwing a confused glance in the direction of the bedroom. “Uh yes, I was just saying how grateful I am for you every day, but especially tonight, seeing how much trouble youve gone to in order to have all of my favorite things here. So heres to you and your grand romantic gesture,” he finished, clinking glasses with Kurt. They each took a swig of champagne and then Blaine was leaning over to tug Kurt into a long, passionate kiss.

Just as Blaine was deepening the kiss, the puppy let out an unmistakeable bark from the bedroom

“Okay, I know you heard that too,” Blaine whispered against Kurts lips. “Whats going on in there?”

Kurt sighed, pulling the cream napkin from his lap and tossing it on the table. “I was going to wait until after dessert, but I guess well do gifts now.”

Blaines eyes widened, wondering what Kurt had in store for him. “Okay, let me get yours too then!” he exclaimed.

“No, you cant go in the bedroom until I give you your gift.”

“I hid mine in Santanas room so you wouldnt snoop,” Blaine chuckled at the glare Kurt shot him. “You know you can be a little nosy when it comes to holidays, Kurt, dont give me that look.”

“Okay fine, get your gift, then sit on the couch and keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, deal?”

“Yes sir,” Blaine saluted teasingly, jogging into Santanas room and returning seconds later with a large gift bag.

Kurt scooped up the puppy from his crate, praying he wouldnt get peed on again. “Be good,” he whispered to the squirming animal.

“Im ready, Kurt!” Blaine announced like a small child. Kurt rolled his eyes fondly and made his way to the living room, sitting beside Blaine on the couch and telling him he could open his eyes at last.

Blaines eyes lit up the second the saw the puppy, scooping it into his lap. “Oh my god, Kurt, hes adorable! Is he mine? I get to keep him?” he babbled, nuzzling his fur.

“Yes, of course you get to keep him, sweetheart. I managed to talk Rachel, Sam, and even Santana into agreeing that I could get you a puppy. I know you said you wanted a husky, but were limited to breeds under 25 pounds according to our landlord, so hes a Corgi-Husky mix and hell pretty much stay that small."

“Hes so beautiful.” Blaine was teary-eyed by now. “It is a he, right?”

“Yeah, hes a boy and you get to pick out the name,” Kurt replied, feeling a bit emotional himself as he watched Blaine coo and snuggle the bundle of fur, heart bursting with love for his boyfriend.

“Its going to be so hard to pick a name for him. Any ideas?” Blaine asked.

“I figured youd name him Bowtie, after your favorite thing,” Kurt said, only joking a little.

“Youre my favorite thing,” Blaine corrected immediately.

“Thats sweet,” Kurt said, voice thick. “But it would be a little weird, not to mention confusing if you named the puppy Kurt.”

Blaine laughed. He placed the puppy down by his feet and cupped Kurts face with both hands, running his thumb along his cheekbone. “Thank you.”

“Youre welcome,” Kurt beamed back. “So I take it you like the gift?”

“No, you idiot,” Blaine said without an ounce of heat behind it, “I love it.” Kurt leaned forward, capturing Blaines lips for another kiss.

“Uh oh, whered the little guy go?” Blaine asked when they pulled apart, looking around the living room and seeing no sign of the puppy.

“I dont know, but we better find him soon before he pees on the floor,” Kurt warned.

Blaine leapt off the couch, searching the bathroom while Kurt checked the kitchen. They both came up short. Kurt headed for the bedroom next, Blaine hot on his heels.

“Oh no!” Kurt gasped, finding the puppy on his bed, gnawing on one of their pillows, having messed up rose petals Kurt had carefully spread across the duvet in the shape of a heart, spilling most of them to the floor.

“What are you doing in here, silly pants?” Blaine scolded the puppy, looking delighted and bemused. “I think we might have to call you Bandit, because you sure are sneaky when you want to be.”

“What do you think of the name?” Blaine asked him. Kurt kept his back to Blaine and didnt answer, fighting back tears that yet another one of his grand romantic gestures had been ruined.

“Kurt?” Blaine called again, more softly this time. He rounded the bed, eyes widening in shock as he watched a tear roll down Kurts cheek. “Baby, whats wrong?”

“Nothing, ignore me. Im just being silly,” Kurt sniffled.

“Tell me why youre upset,” Blaine encouraged. “Please?”

“Its just that I wanted this Valentines Day to be perfect and its been one disaster after another,” Kurt all but sobbed. “Im sorry I suck at romance.”

“Hey hey, you dont suck at romance,” Blaine soothed, leading him to sit down on the bed. “Ive had a perfect evening so far, because Im getting to spend it with you. I havent seen one single disaster.”

“Well, there have been about a thousand. The puppy knocked over my plate of eggplant, which is why I barely ate anything tonight. Then he peed on my favorite shirt and I burnt the bread and spilled champagne and Rachel came home crying and now Bandit messed up the rose petals on the bed,” Kurt wailed.

“Oh honey...” Blaine pulled Kurt close. “Shh, you gave me a perfect evening with a delicious meal and the best gift I could possibly ask for, okay? I didnt even notice those little details. Besides, romance isnt supposed to be a competition. Im sorry if I put pressure on you or made you feel like you had to top my proposal. But honestly, Id be happy with pizza and a romantic comedy on the couch as long as you were with me, I promise.”

“I love you,” Kurt managed, wiping his eyes.

“Okay, so heres the new plan. Youre going to put on your coat and were going to take this little guy out for a walk and to pick up some takeout for you, because I know youve got to be starving. Then when we get back, youll eat and open your present, then well mess up these rose petals even more by having sex on top of them. Sound good?”

“Perfect,” Kurt smiled through watery eyes.

Blaine pulled Kurt to him, nuzzling his head into the crook of his neck, trying to absorb some of his warmth while they waited for Bandit to do his business.

“You still havent said anything about his collar,” Kurt murmured, gesturing towards their puppy.

Blaine squatted down, calling Bandit and laughing as he immediately bounded towards them as if he recognized his name already. “Oh my god, is that a little bowtie?” he exclaimed. He examined it closer, before shrieking “Its a lego bowtie – how adorable!”

“Do you like it?” Kurt grinned.

“Its the cutest thing! But Im jealous...I want one too.”

“I had a feeling you might say that. Theres another one for you back at the loft,” Kurt informed him.

“Youre the best fiancé ever,” Blaine said gratefully. “Okay, lets get back home so you can eat. Its freezing out here.”

Kurt linked arms with Blaine and they followed the sidewalk at the edge of the park back towards the apartment, coats pulled tight against the falling snow and fierce wind. He heard music coming from the center of the plaza and saw a group of people gathering and decided to investigate, leading Blaine towards the sound.

As they got closer, Kurt recognized the music as Katy Perrys "Peacock." He exchanged a puzzled glance with Blaine as the nudged towards the center of the group, watching a group of young people carrying out a complicated-looking choreographed routine.

“What are they doing?” Blaine whispered to Kurt curiously.

“Im pretty sure its a flash mob.” They continued to watch in amazed silence as the music suddenly morphed into California Girls and more people from the crowd joined the dancers.

Blaine gasped when the music slowed and Teenage Dream begin to play. The two couples standing nearest to Blaine danced skipped into the ring and began to dance together. He looked to Kurt for explanation, as if he expected Kurt to join the dancers at any second.

“Kurt, how did you...?” Blaine spoke in an awed whisper.

Kurt opened his mouth, intending to set Blaine straight, but what was stopped short by Blaine kissing him. “This is why you asked me all about my favorite music, isnt it? Oh my god.”

All Kurt could manage was a helpless nod, deciding if the universe wanted to give him a little help in the romance department, who was he to protest that?

“Wow, talk about grand romantic gestures,” Blaine murmured, eyes bright. He pulled Kurt close and they swayed together as the music continued to play.

My heart stops when you look at me
Just one touch now baby I believe
This is real so take a chance and
Dont ever look back, dont ever look back

They held hands all the way home, hands interlocked just like puzzle pieces.