"If Sam struts around in nothing but that bubblebutt-underwear again, you're not allowed to look. But I want pictures," Kurt grins slyly, and moves the flower pot two inches to the left on top of Blaine's new dresser. The orchid is a housewarming-gift, in celebration of Blaine's new place. The chance to share the spare bedroom in Mercedes' new apartment came as a gift from fate, right after they had decided that Blaine should move out of the loft to protect and persevere their relationship. Taking that step back hadn't been easy, when all they wanted was to move forwards – but they needed to pick a new path to secure their future.
Sam didn't have as many belongings, so he's already unpacked and gotten settled in his half of the room. Mercedes wanted to buy new curtains, and Sam had offered to help her carry the bags, so the two of them left, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone. Kurt's been trying really hard not to tell Blaine where he should put his belongings. Part of the reason for Blaine moving out was giving him the possibility to find himself, be his own man. And a man should be able to decide on his own where he puts his underwear. So Kurt's been a good boy, and helping whenever Blaine asked for advice or delegated him a task, but trying not to overstep or overrun his thoughts and opinions. Mostly, he's helped him carry things up the stairs, with Blaine walking behind him claiming to enjoy the view. Not that Kurt hasn't had his own eye candy – Blaine stripped down to just his tank top when he was assembling his bookshelf from IKEA, and Kurt had been very, very busy studying Blaine's delicious arms. He may have had to press him up against the shelf to kiss him thoroughly – and of course to check if the piece of furniture was sturdy and level, you know. Wouldn't want to risk that all of his books fell down one night.
"It sucks that you're sleeping just a few feet from Sam. It diminishes the temptation to spend the night at my fiancé's place," Kurt sighs. Thinking about Blaine's arms, makes him think about the rest of Blaine's body.
"We could put up some kind of partition? I could text Mercedes and have her buy more curtains?"
"You said it yourself, Blaine," Kurt smiles sadly, and takes Blaine's hand in his. "It doesn't really provide any privacy. Sam would know what we're doing. If I have my way, we'd be anything but sleeping," he winks sassily at him.
"I could be quiet?" Blaine growls playfully into his ear.
"You've never been able to be quiet," Kurt smirks and runs a hand along Blaine's belt, easing his fingers into his tight back pocket, and squeezes. Blaine groans softly, and Kurt smiles triumphantly. "But, it wouldn't surprise me if you end up sleeping alone eventually."
"I've been thinking the same. I'll call you?" Blaine laughs, and kisses Kurt's jaw.
"Blaine!" Kurt shrieks scandalizes, "I'm not some cheap booty call!"
"Oh, I know," Blaine says softly, nuzzling behind Kurt's ear. "You're precious to me. This is precious to me. Us."
"I know. I love you, too."
Kurt sits down on Blaine's newly made bed, watching how he sorts his bowties. He has one box left of belongings, and Kurt lets it be. Blaine opens the lid, and takes out different personal belongings. The Margaret Thatcher-teddy Kurt got him after Senior ditch-day. It goes to a shelf, along with a picture of the two of them from their first prom together, before Blaine had even transferred to McKinley. There's also a few framed pictures Kurt can't remember seeing before, and he wonders if Blaine had them developed for this move. There's one of them kissing on the Dalton stairs after Kurt said yes, which is really fitting everything considered, he thinks. There's one Kurt remembers Carole taking, where they pose together with their arms around the other's waist. Blaine is in his graduation gown, and the only thing on their mind had been New York, New York, New York. Then there's one picture taken the summer before Kurt moved, and it brings tears to his eyes. It's a picture Burt insisted on taking, he wanted one of his entire family. So they are all there. Burt and Carole, Kurt and Blaine, Rachel and Finn…
Blaine hears Kurt's discrete sniff, and instantly kneels in front of him.
"I can take it away, if you want to. If it's too difficult."
"No," Kurt instantly shakes his head. "No, it's a good picture."
"It's family," Blaine murmurs softly, still looking hesitantly at him.
"It is," Kurt nods. "And we should make sure to take some pictures of the three of us when Cooper visits next month. I'm sure he could stand to pose once or twice," he smiles sadly.
Blaine leans in to hold him, and Kurt tightens his arms around his waist, getting lost in the touch and comfort for a while.
"I need to finish unpacking, and then maybe we could go out for dinner? Maybe find rush tickets, make it a date night to celebrate this new stage in our relationship?"
"I'd love that."
Blaine kisses his nose, and gets up. He has two more pictures, which are placed on his nightstand. One is a close-up of the flowers he gave Blaine after he got the role as Tony.
"I should buy you more flowers," he muses, and Blaine nods pointedly at the plant.
"You spoil me," he smiles.
Kurt shrugs, knowing he could probably make more gestures, even though he'll never be able to compete with all the small and big things Blaine does for him without even thinking or planning. But after being snappy, snide and short with Blaine for the last weeks, he probably deserves some grovelling and tokens of love. Hopefully, the tiny gift in his pocket will help a little.
The last picture Blaine unpacks, placing it next to the one of the flowers, is of Kurt sleeping in his bed in Bushwick.
"Oh God," he groans, looking at his messy hair and flushed skin. "That's the best you could find of me?"
"When I look at it, I can pretend you're here in bed with me," Blaine says awkwardly. Despite of how long they've been together and everything they've done in and out of relationship, Blaine is still able to blush self-consciously at the most unexpected moments.
Kurt can't exactly blame him for that picture. He may have stolen two of Blaine's polo shirts and bowties to dress Bruce when his bed gets lonely. It's stupid that he should even expect to be lonely, with his fiancé finally in the same city.
"We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" He can't help the doubt creeping up on him, even if they've talked this through and agreed throughout it all.
"We are," Blaine nods. "This gives us a chance to be boyfriends and date properly – we never got that in Lima, and even if living together was wonderful, maybe we skipped an important step in a relationship. Also, I think I need to figure out who I am as Blaine, and not as Kurt's Blaine. I think… Some of our friends have never known me as anything but your boyfriend or your ex-boyfriend. I love being yours. But I have to be me too."
"And I love being yours. But this year in New York without you, it gave me time and space to figure myself out. I've learned a lot about myself. I've grown into myself. You deserve the same possibility," Kurt agrees.
"I think I've been trying to find my place in your life, continuing as if we didn't spend a year apart, as if you haven't changed in that time. I've been trying to catch up so that I can be where you are, that we can be equals and finally together. I don't want us to grow apart," Blaine murmurs sadly, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt wraps an arm around his waist, but gently holds his chin to move Blaine's head and make him look at him.
"Just because I'm ahead of you at NYADA or doesn't get lost on the subway anymore, doesn't mean we're not equals. But you can't depend on me like that. We need to be individuals to be able to be a couple. A couple means being two, together."
Blaine nods, leaning his head on Kurt's shoulder again, nuzzling against Kurt's hot skin.
"I don't think Dad understood," Blaine sighs. "It seemed as if he thought we had broken up again, that I had messed it up somehow."
Kurt has been considering the timing, and he thinks maybe this may be it. So he turns around, sitting crisscrossed in Blaine's bed, and Blaine mirrors his position with curiosity.
"Blaine, do you remember what I told you when I transferred back to McKinley?"
"How much you were looking forward to air your wardrobe and burn the polyester uniform," Blaine teases, and Kurt swats at him.
"Idiot," he murmurs, and takes Blaine's hands in his. "I said I'm never saying goodbye to you, and I still mean that. This isn't goodbye, this isn't an end, this isn't taking our relationship on a path away from our shared goal and dreams. You are still it for me…"
"…and you'll always be it for me," Blaine interrupts, smiling tearily.
"I love you with all I have, we are going to get married, and I know I sometimes think it isn't possible, but we'll just be happier and happier together."
"You're gonna be a great husband," Blaine grins.
Kurt lets go of one of his hands, and struggles to get the box out of his tight pocket.
"I've never cared much for other opinions about me and my life, and I still don't. But I care about us, and your feelings. So I want you to have this, as a reminder of what we have and what we will have."
Carefully, he opens the box with one hand, and Blaine inhales loudly, both hands flying to his wide-open mouth.
"Blaine, will you wear this ring as a token of our commitment and love?"
"Yes! Yes, with pride and joy, oh my God, Kurt!"
Blaine manages to extend a shaky hand, so that Kurt can ease the ring onto his finger. He kisses the band when it is in its right place. Blaine looks at his hand, tears trickling down his cheeks.
"I love you so much, my fiancé," he laughs, and throws his arms around Kurt. They topple over, landing with Kurt on his back, and kiss passionately, all thoughts of dinner and a show forgotten.