Chapter 1

The sweet aroma of chocolate filled the apartment. Blaine sang softly to himself as he placed the finishing touches on the dining table. He had set it with Kurt's favourite bold orange dishes – the ones they had received from Burt and Carole as a wedding gift. Along with the plates, he set serviettes, wine glasses and cutlery - first inspecting each item with a meticulous eye for any spots. He added candles and Kurt's favourite - roses. This night would be perfect.

Blaine looked at his watch. Kurt would be home any minute. He buzzed through their quaint New York City apartment, making sure every detail was right – the baked fettuccini alfredo and garlic bread were keeping warm on the stove. The salad was ready for mixing and the wine was uncorked breathing. Blaine opened the oven door releasing more of the tantalizing scent into the room – chocolate cake was his husband's favourite - ever since that night in Provincetown almost one year ago.

They had just arrived, newly married, and down-right exhausted from the whirlwind week they had had. They walked along the beach toward the neighbourhood their cabana was situated in. He remembered their awe at how charming Provincetown was. It was a dream come true to be there together – married. Sometimes Blaine still pinched himself to prove to himself that he wasn't dreaming. Kurt was really his husband. After everything they had been through together their love had prevailed. As exciting as Provincetown was and as much as they wanted to discover every nook and cranny, they were tired and hungry. They found a quaint little restaurant. Blaine remembers every detail: the meat and seafood they ate, the wine they drank, and the dessert. Kurt always had a lavish taste for desserts so they had ordered the German triple chocolate cake with two forks. It was delicious and decadent but the best part about it was how they had shared it.

Blaine was startled out of his sweet reverie by the oven timer – the beep let him know the cake was ready. He was just taking it out of the oven when he heard the door open. His husband was home. He took off the oven mitts and quickly checked over his reflection in the oven door. He smooth his hair and straightened his blue and red bow tie, the special one - the one he had worn when he proposed to Kurt.

He bee-lined it to the door. As he approached he took in the view – his husband – tall and beautiful. His hair, of course, was still fully in-tact, his clothing tailored exquisitely and accented with a trademark silk scarf about his neck. After all this time, Kurt still made Blaine's heart skip beats.

"Hi babe," Kurt smiled. "It smells so good in here. Tell me that is chocolate cake," he said with a grin and made his way toward Blaine.

"Of course it is. I wanted to make something special for my special husband on this special day," said Blaine with a twinkle in his eye.

"Walking in the door and seeing you is special enough, babe," Kurt said approaching. His hands reached out for Blaine's arms and pulled him in close for a kiss, then slid up and around his shoulders. He pressed his mouth to Blaine's. The kiss seemed to last for an exquisite eternity - yet it was not long enough. Blaine's hands caressed Kurt's back as the kiss softly broke. Their foreheads pressed together and they lingered there a while; for quite a while.

"I don't need cake or anything else for that matter, my beautiful man," whispered Kurt. "As long as I have you. Happy Anniversary."

"You definitely have me. Happy anniversary, my love," Blaine smiled into another kiss, pulling Kurt much closer. "But we do need to eat you know. Come on, I've been cooking all day. Come sit down... and tell me about the audition," he called as he slipped into the kitchen to finish preparing their anniversary dinner.

Kurt moved to the table to sit and noticed how beautifully and meticulously it was set with his favourite plates, white candles, and red roses. He still couldn't quite believe how lucky he was to have found his soul mate, someone who knew him so well and who loved him so much.

They sat across from each other as they shared in their meal and their company. They talked and jested and sometimes just gazed into each other's eyes. There was no denying that they were more in love now than they had ever been.

"You still haven't told me about the audition. How did it go?"

"Oh, you know I left them speechless," Kurt said in true Kurt fashion, grinning.

"I have absolutely no doubt," Blaine grinned back. "You are very good at leaving people speechless."

"I guess they'll call me with any news," he said more seriously. "I'm not going to get my hopes up. I mean, it is my dream role but as a newcomer I realize there are people who auditioned who have much more experience and are better suited to the role."

"Better suited? Oh, come on Kurt. There is no one better suited to play Phineas Taylor Barnum than you," Blaine laughs.

"Ok, ok. Maybe you're right," Kurt joins in the laughter.