It was a cold, rainy evening outside of the neon-lit diner where Mercedes and Kurt were having dinner. She was picking a piece of limp lettuce off her cheeseburger; he was pushing some spanakopita around his plate with a fork.
"So it's decided." Kurt spoke, "The wedding colors will be lavender and eggshell white."
"Has Blaine even proposed yet, Mr. Wedding Planner?" Mercedes laughed. "I mean, you've got your tux, your colors, and your location picked out, but the man hasn't exactly put a ring on your finger yet."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "No, but that's just a minor detail."
"You know what Beyonce says," she shrugged.
"Oh hush. Blaine obviously likes me, he just hasn't put a ring on it." They continued picking apart their meals for a second. "Or maybe I'll propose."
Mercedes snorted into her french fries. "You're joking, right?"
"No I am not." Kurt straightened his back. "We have an equal partnership. Neither person is in charge of this relationship."
"Except that he's obviously the Alpha and you're the Beta."
"Mercedes, you know that doesn't make any sense to me."
She sighed, trying to find a way to describe animal hierarchy without falling into heteronormativity. "Kurt, how many times have you seen Rent?"
"About twenty. But how is that..."
"Think about Mark and Maureen. Who has the upperhand in that relationship?"
"Maureen."
"Well, Blaine is Maureen. You're Mark."
"Are you saying that Blaine is a bisexual control freak with a diva complex?"
"Well, that's two-thirds true, but that's another story for another day."
"Shut up." Kurt launched a dinner roll at Mercedes.
"All I'm saying," she continued, "is that in every relationship there's a Maureen and a Mark. Marks don't propose. They get proposed TO."
Later that night, Kurt was on the phone with his father, who had started a habit of calling Kurt every night ever since he had gone to NYU for college.
"How is Blaine?" Burt asked. Sure, Burt and Blaine didn't quite see eye-to-eye once Blaine and Kurt started dating- how could he?- but they had eventually reached an understanding, and Burt had started to care for the man.
"Fine. He'll be home from work in about an hour." Kurt replied, examining a particularly interesting speck of dirt under his fingernail.
"How are your other friends?"
"Good. Mercedes came up from Stoneybrook today to grab dinner. She's doing really well in school."
"Good to hear. Is everything else good?"
"Yep." Kurt was holding back a question, and Burt could tell, even over the phone.
"What is it?"
"Mercedes said something that upset me a bit."
"Do I need to book a flight out there and crack some skulls?"
"Oh, no no, nothing like that."
"Well, what's wrong?"
Kurt sighed. "Dad, you know Blaine and I are pretty serious."
"You live together, you better be."
"And they just passed that law in New York state legalizing marriage for... for people like us?"
"Do I need to book a plane ticket?"
"Well, that's the thing. Everyone seems to think that we're two seconds away from getting engaged, but Blaine hasn't asked me yet. Could I ask him? Or would that be weird?"
Burt coughed a little bit, and thought before answering. "Of course you could ask him. There's no rule against that. Personally, I've always seen Blaine as- and I'm sorry if this is offensive- but I see him as the 'man' in your relationship."
Kurt cringed a little bit, but didn't speak.
"Now, I don't know much about romance. You know that. But if you think that the time is right, trust your gut." Burt chose his words carefully.
Kurt smiled. "Gotcha. Thanks, Dad. I love you."
"Love you, too."
As soon as Kurt hung up the phone, he heard a gentle knock on his bedroom door. A graceful, square hand pushed it open, revealing the mess of curls to which it belonged.
"Blaine! You're home early!" Kurt smiled, jumping off the bed and into his boyfriend's arms.
"The restaurant was dead, so Louis said I could go home." The two held each other close, wanting to just experience each other's company. "Did you make dinner?" Blaine asked after a few minutes.
Kurt laughed. "Always about the food with you! Mercedes and I got dinner earlier, but I can make you something if you don't feel like cooking."
"Nah. I'll make something." Blaine walked to the kitchen of their small apartment, and put a pot of water on the stove. Kurt took a deep breath, and realized that this was a now-or-never moment. He followed Blaine's footsteps, and entered the tiny kitchen. He stood in the doorway for a moment, just staring at Blaine's back. It was strong, muscular, with a gentle curve at the base. Blaine was wearing a t-shirt that fit a little bit too tight, emphasizing every muscle.
"Hey Blaine." He said before he realized that he was speaking,
"Hmm?" Blaine responded.
Kurt took a deep breath. "We've been together a while, right?"
"Four years." Blaine was still concentrating on the pot on the stove.
"And I love you, so much. Like, more than anything."
Blaine turned around, a wide grin on his face. "I love you, too."
"I just... I've seen so much in my life, and I know that none of it would be half as special without you there. In all honesty, I don't want to think about my life without you. Everything I do, from now on, I want to do holding your hand. Do you know what I mean?" Kurt could feel his face turning a bright red.
"Kurt... are you... are you asking me to marry you?" Blaine's face was a pale white.
"I am."
Blaine burst into laughter. Kurt's face turned a deeper shade of red. He knew this was a terrible idea. Mercedes was right... he should have just waited for Blaine to propose. When he finally caught his breath, Blaine spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's just..." he started laughing again. "Do me a favor. Go into our room, look in my sock drawer, way in the back."
Kurt did as he was told, looking straight at the floor the whole time. This was the worst humiliation he had ever felt. Blaine didn't want to get married. Blaine was just Blaine. By the time he reached the drawer, Kurt was ready to go to sleep and not wake up for a full week. He felt around amongst Blaine's woolen socks, and felt a small, velvety box. He grabbed hold, and pulled it out. Gripping his fingernails under its soft crease, he opened the box to find a rose-gold band with a single diamond embedded into it.
"Do you like it?" Blaine asked, hiding in the doorway.
"It's beautiful. Why didn't you...?" Kurt raised an eyebrow, his face returning to its normal color.
"I've had that thing in my drawer for three months, trying to find the perfect words to ask you. But I couldn't muster up the courage. You... you said it all, Kurt." Blaine walked toward Kurt, grabbing his free hand. "I don't want to think about living another day of my life without you. I am so unbelievably in love with you. And every day, I think I can't possibly love you anymore than I do, but I do. Every day. Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Kurt cried the second that Blaine ended his question. He hugged onto Blaine as though his very life depended on squeezing his boyfriend- fiance. They held each other and tumbled onto their bed. The hug gave way to soft, gentle kisses, which became more and more passionate with each peck.
"I love you so much." Blaine cooed into Kurt's ear, sending shivers down his spine.
In response, Kurt began unbuttoning his shirt, taking care to move each button as slow as his body could handle. As each spot of skin emerged from under the starched cotton, Blaine place a kiss on it. Once all the buttons had been undone, Kurt rolled over onto his back, letting the crisp air meander over his naked chest.
Blaine straddled his torso, quickly and quietly removing his t-shirt and his belt. He leaned forward to kiss Kurt again, losing himself in the feel of their chests rubbing together. He placed kisses along Kurt's jawline, and nibbled on his ear. A low moan escaped from Kurt's throat, and Blaine trailed his hands along Kurt's torso.
"I love you." Kurt growled over Blaine's shoulder. Blaine scooted himself to the end of the bed, grabbing hold of the belt loops of Kurt's jeans. He undid the belt buckle and the button-fly of the jeans, moving quickly, on a mission. He pulled the jeans off Kurt's legs, freeing his erection into the air.
"You're so amazing." Blaine mumbled, fumbling with the fly of his own pants. Off came the jeans, and Blaine laid down next to Kurt. Their bodies pressed together, creating enough friction and electricity to power the whole city. Blaine rolled onto his side, his muscular back open and bare to Kurt's touch. Kurt grabbed a bottle out of his nightstand drawer. He gently pulled down Blaine's boxers and spread the lube over his fingers. He inserted one finger into Blaine, intent on making the man feel as good as he could. "There." Blaine mumbled, thrusting into Kurt's fingers. Kurt kissed Blaine's shoulder as he inserted another finger in, stroking the spot that he had found long ago in their early days of experimentation. "I want you inside of me," Blaine growled, and Kurt needed no further requests.
He kicked off his own boxers, throwing them somewhere across the room, and spread more lube over his cock. It was engorged, aching, begging to be closer to Blaine. He positioned himself, one leg curled over Blaine's body, his front to Blaine's back, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. In one maneuver, he was inside Blaine, feeling his fiance's body tighten to meet his touch. His hands explored Blaine's body, stroking his nipples and the place where his neck met his shoulders. Kurt kissed Blaine's shoulders, sometimes biting, as he thrust deeper and harder into him. Blaine's growls grew deeper and louder, and Kurt could feel his body tightening. He kissed the back of Blaine's neck, tasting the salty sweat that dripped out of his hairline.
"Kurt, I'm gonna..." Blaine trailed off as Kurt thrust harder and deeper, finding just the perfect angle. His fingernails dug into Blaine's chest as Blaine's toes curled into their flannel sheets. Kurt gripped hold as he and Blaine both came in thick, powerful bolts of lightning.
It was a second before Kurt thought to pull out, not wanting to end the moment where they were fused together, one body. Blaine turned around to kiss Kurt's lips and trail his thumb along Kurt's jawline.
"I can't wait to marry you." Kurt whispered.
"Me neither." Blaine replied.