Kurt stands outside the jewelry store looking through the display window, past all of the rings and sale signs to a couple that stood at the register, hand in hand. From what he could deduce, they were picking out their wedding rings. Kurt didn’t know how long he’d been standing there. He was just taking everything in. Observing, fantasizing, remembering…

He and Blaine had been together for eight years now, sharing an apartment in Los Angeles. Both had steady jobs: Kurt as a fashion consultant for numerous “privileged clients”, (He wasn’t allowed to tell others who exactly he was working for, but he did fill Blaine in on occasion), and Blaine writing music interviews and reviews for The Los Angeles Times while performing sporadically in small cafés and recording his own music, sending of samples to different producers. Life was good. Kurt is still surprised that they didn’t settle in New York, but doesn’t regret where they’ve ended up, especially since they are still together.

Granted, not without hardships and a fair few heated arguments. There was the infamous blowout between Blaine and his parents. He finally told them about Kurt during the summer before their senior year and they had not taken kindly to it: hateful slurs were thrown about and it only ended when Blaine sped out to Lima, showing up on Kurt’s doorstep in tears. Kurt was more upset that Blaine had waited so long to tell them, and told him as such the morning after Blaine’s surprise visit. They didn’t talk for five days. Kurt apologized and things slowly repaired themselves; except the relationship between him and his parents. They severed off any contact with Blaine after his high school graduation, not even coming to the ceremony. The only evidence of their existence being in the family picture Blaine kept in his wallet.

When Blaine won the music scholarship for OSU, Kurt was both thrilled and disappointed. He was heading to NYU to study fashion design and always thought he and Blaine would take on New York together. The distance was tough, but they made it. And now here they were: living a comfortable life, both with jobs that paid decently, and still together, still in love.

Kurt watches as the couple leaves with their purchases. He holds the door open for them as they exit, and then enters the store with more confidence than he feels he has. 

“Wow” is the only response Blaine offers as her enters their apartment. He takes in everything, from the table set for two with lit candles and a bottle of champagne; to Kurt in the kitchen finishing up with what he hopes will be a fantastic meal.

“What’s the occasion?” Blaine asks as he sets down his bag and keys on the table in the entryway.

Kurt jumps and turns around to face his boyfriend. He had been lost in an argument with himself about the little black box sitting in his left front pocket that he didn’t even hear the door open. Blaine looks concerned and he realizes he’s probably been silent for too long. He plasters a smile on his face and answers, “No reason. Just…er….felt like going all out tonight”.

Blaine crosses through the living room, into the kitchen and stops in front of Kurt with this searching gaze. “Are you okay?” he asks while placing his hands on Kurt’s hips, pulling him closer.

“I’m fine”, is all Kurt says before he leans forward and steals a kiss from his fiancé. Well, at least he hopes so. Blaine returns the kiss for a moment, pressing against Kurt’s gently, but passionately, with his own before he pulls away, a completely blissed out smile on his face. Kurt shoos Blaine away, telling him to take a seat at the table, while he retrieves a casserole from the oven. He busies himself with grabbing the food and setting it upon the table, all the while arguing with himself if he should to propose or just do it. He takes his seat across from Blaine, taking a deep breath and fully intent on asking now. Right now. He can do this. Instead, all that comes out is, “Let’s eat”. I can wait until after dinner….is his last thought before he focuses on Blaine as he recounts his day at work.

Blaine takes the last bite of his food before tossing his napkin on the plate; a satisfied smile plastering his face. He glances at his boyfriend, who is slowly ripping his napkin to itty-bitty pieces and staring intently over Blaine’s shoulder at the opposite wall.

If Kurt had been nervous before dinner, it paled in comparison to how he was feeling now. He wants this, he wants Blaine until death do they part, but what did Blaine want? Kurt knows that the only to find out is to ask, but he is just so fucking scared.

“-urt. Kurt!”

“Yeah?” Kurt is startled from his reverie and focuses his eyes on Blaine, who’s looking at him with concern. “Sorry. Just…lost in thought.” He glances down at his hands, tearing up the napkin faster and into even tinier bits. Blaine reaches across the table and places his hand on top of Kurt’s, stilling his actions.

“Kurt.” And that’s all it takes for Kurt to look up and meet Blaine’s eyes with his own.

“Sorry…um…I want to….ask you something. Follow me,” says Kurt. He grabs one of Blaine’s hands and leads him into the living room. He motions for Blaine to sit on the couch, taking a seat beside him. He opens his mouth, ready to begin the speech he hastily prepared between coming home from the jewelry store and starting dinner, but no sound comes out. Kurt just cannot muster the courage – Ha! Courage. – to start.

“Kurt. Please tell me you’re not breaking up with me”, whispers Blaine, sounding close to tears already. Kurt’s head shoots up, eyes wide with surprise and he speaks hastily.

“What?! No. No no no no. Blaine it’s not that at all. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m just organizing my thoughts.” Kurt takes a deep breath and is pleased to see Blaine’s features soften with relief. Kurt inhales and continues speaking. “Blaine. I love you. I love you so much. I’m here for as long as you want me. Um, I want to sound more eloquent, but I just need to get this out. We’ve known each for what feels like forever, and...um...we’ve been through a lot and yet here we are, still together, happy. Beyond happy. At least, I know I am. You’re happy, right?” Blaine nods, smiling.

Kurt stands and moves in front of Blaine, taking both of his hands, not yet meeting his eyes. “I...I...I want this, us, for-for-forever.” Kurt gets down on one knee; taking one hand away from Blaine’s to reach into his front pocket, pulling out the little black box. Hearing Blaine gasp forces him to look up. Blaine looks completely off-guard, and now he is definitely crying.

Kurt takes an unsteady breath, and opens the box revealing a matching pair of silver engagement bands. Making eye contact with Blaine he asks the cliché questions; “Blaine Anderson, will you marry me?”

Blaine just stares at Kurt. It feels like an eternity before his face breaks out into the happiest expression Kurt has ever seen, saying “Yes. Yes. YES!” through the tears streaming down his face. Now Kurt is crying as he takes one of the bands out of the box, placing it on Blaine’s left ring finger. He takes out the second one, fully intending on placing it on his own hand, when Blaine reaches out, grabbing Kurt by the waist and pulling him into his lab, so he is straddling Blaine’s thighs. Blaine takes the ring in Kurt’s hand and places it on his ring finger.

“I love you, Kurt Hummel. And I plan to do so for the rest of my life,” says Blaine before he leans in and kisses Kurt, firmly and passionately. Kurt moans in relief, placing a hand on the back of Blaine’s neck, pulling him more into the kiss. He slips his tongue out of his mouth and swipes at his fiancé’s bottom lip, who grants him access immediately. They kiss for a while, before they finally need to come up for air.

Blaine rests his forehead against Kurt’s. They just look at each other, smiling, needing no words right now. Eventually Kurt feels he needs to make one clarification, before they move on to the celebratory portion of the evening, which involves the rest of night, early tomorrow morning, their king sized bed, and Blaine; especially Blaine.

“I just want you to know,” whispers Kurt, because he feels if he speaks any louder it will ruin the moment, “we don’t need to get married right away. First of all, California has yet to legalize same-sex marriage, but we can always wait until that happens or move to New York or something. Secondly, it’s a promise. I just want a promise that we will eventually become husbands and that we will be together ‘until death do us part’.” Kurt finished with a giggle, both from the overwhelming happiness he is feeling and his allusion to common wedding vows.

Blaine smiles and replies, “I perfectly happy with that and there is absolutely no rush. Though, maybe I’ll just call you my husband, because to me you already are. Fuck all the legal technicalities. You are my husband Kurt.” Kurt starts crying again, and throws his arms around Blaine’s neck pulling him in for another heated kiss, this time rolling his hips against Blaine’s, who moans and tightens his hold on Kurt’s waist.

Kurt breaks the kiss long enough to whisper, “I fucking love you husband Blaine. Now, why don’t we” – he kisses the spot under Blaine’s ear – “move this” – rolls his hips forward, while nibbling on Blaine’s earlobe – “to the bedroom”, he finishes, nibbling on Blaine’s bottom lip.

Blaine growls and hoists Kurt up, who wraps his slender legs around his waist. He carries Kurt into the bedroom, kicking the door shut with his foot.

Neither plan on sleeping.