Blaine and Kurt. Kurt and Blaine. Those two names had not been said separately since they were sixteen. Now, Kurt is turning twenty one whilst Blaine is twenty and they're still going strong. Maybe a little stronger than most couples their age.
Despite Kurt being in New York for a full year before Blaine followed him, their relationship had been something that they worked hard on to make sure that one knew the other loved him, and vice versa. During the school holidays Blaine would come out to New York or Kurt would fly back to Lima, and every night, during his moisturising routine, Kurt Skyped Blaine. It was the best that they could do, and it worked. Because now Blaine was here with Kurt. Kurt was at LIM college of Fashion and Business whilst Blaine was at Manhattan School of Music and their life seemed to be going well.
Of course they still had their fights and bad days, but they always made up before bed. Kurt said it gave you wrinkles to go to bed with bad air between them, while Blaine believed that it was the reason for nightmares. And of course they stumbled across the small pocket of people who were less than accepting of them. Their car, before they changed where they parked it, had been spray painted, the wheels popped and the front window's put through. Kurt never knew about it. It happened when Kurt was away with his course for a few nights. Blaine had called every garage in New York to find someone who could repair the damage before Kurt got home. No one had the parts. As a last ditch effort, he called Burt. Burt had paid for express courier to get the parts to Blaine the next day and had driven himself and Finn out to fix the car. They were still there when Kurt got home, but no one said anything. As far as Kurt was concerned, they had planned a surprise visit. Blaine and Burt had promised each other to keep it that way.
At first, Kurt and Blaine lived in the dorms of their respective colleges and alternated who stayed over each weekend, but after a long talk, they both decided that they wanted to get an apartment together, somewhere in Winchester Village. It was a bit out of the way for their colleges but it was what they could afford with their jobs. Kurt was interning at InStyle Magazine whilst Blaine tutored children in music and worked at the music shop on weekends. Together they made enough to pay rent and to go out on the weekends when they weren't working.
Of course they kept in touch with their friends from Dalton and McKinley, often arranging to go for lunch with Rachel who was at NYDA, or Finn who was working with one of the bigger garages in the busy suburbs of New York where he lived with Rachel. Mercedes was at Julliard with Tina and Mike, honing her talent whilst the latter two were dancing up storms in local community plays. Santana had gone to law school in California, taking Brittany with her. Surprisingly enough, Brit had managed to do a veterinarian course which she had passed with flying colours and was now working in a veterinarian office round the corner from Santana's college. Sam had dropped off the radar. Mercedes never heard from him after high school and it seemed that he had either destroyed or turned off the phone that he had in high school and had gone MIA. His parents weren't telling them where he was, due to request from Sam. Sam thought he had good reason to cut himself off from everyone he used to know in high school, because, apart from his family, their opinions were the only ones that really mattered. Especially Mercedes; the one girl who had stolen his heart for the first time she opened her mouth and said 'Hi'. After high school, even with his amazing grades, he hadn't been accepted by any of the colleges he'd applied for and so had gone nowhere. He went back to Kentucky and continued with his job working as a stripper; earning mad amounts of cash and supporting his little brother and sister whilst his parents were job hunting. Again. It was sad; all the old New Directions missed him in some way.
It was these series of actions and decisions that had brought about the sun and chirping birds on the morning of Saturday May 27th, with Blaine watching his slumbering boyfriend.
Blaine had been lying there for the past few hours, just watching Kurt sleep. The sounds that Kurt was making and the cute little faces that he made in his sleep were keeping Blaine enraptured. But, as much as he wanted to let his sleeping boyfriend be, he had a special day planned for them, and it didn't involve Kurt sleeping until later. Much later.
"Kurt? Babe? It's time to wake up." Blaine called quietly, stroking from Kurt's chestnut brown hair down his smooth, iridescent, porcelain coloured cheek, his hand cupping the round apple of his cheek and rubbing his thumb back and forth. Kurt's teal eyes flickered open sleepily and immediately found Blaine's own honey coloured ones.
"Good morning," Kurt muttered, stretching his hands out above his head and smiling as the kinks worked out of his body. Kurt sat up and leaned towards Blaine who had moved backwards to allow Kurt some space to stretch and wake up a little. "What's with the early morning wakeup call?" Kurt leaned forwards and pressed a chaste kiss to Blaine's lips.
"We're going out. I have a day planned. Seeing as you are turning twenty one and all." Blaine smiled, peeling the covers off Kurt's legs and trying to push them out of the bed. Kurt just shot him a look.
"If you've told anyone else that isn't family or people I already know about me turning twenty one, Blaine Anderson, not even God will be able to help you," Kurt said, sending a filthy look in Blaine's direction. Blaine remained cool and collected.
"Get in the shower sweet cheeks. We leave in an hour." And with that, Blaine left the room and left Kurt huffing and puffing about being woken up before the sun had even been in the sky for more than an hour.
Blaine was in the small kitchen making a picnic full of all the things that he knew Kurt loved but didn't eat because he was obsessively healthy and only rarely ate junk food. This would be one of the best rare occasions that Blaine could think up, so, in went the Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, the Oreo's, the potato chips and the Red Vines.
"Kurt! We're leaving in ten minutes! Get your pert little rear down here!" Blaine called, leaning out the kitchen door and shouting across the living-room to the bedroom where the sounds of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies'' rang out, Kurt's high countertenor voice singing along.
"But, Blaine! My hair isn't close to being to done!" Kurt called back, worry in his voice. "What if someone recognises me?"
Blaine laughed. "No-one is going to see you! Now hurry up!" Blaine zipped the cooler bag shut, grabbed a plastic bag full of drinks and other eat-ables and headed out the kitchen to the hall. "I'm going to put some stuff in the car and come back. If you're not ready I'm dragging you out the door, hair done or not!" Blaine snatched his car keys off the table in the hall and opened the front door. He headed out towards the front door of the apartment complex to the car park where the small black car that he and Kurt had saved and bought a few months before, claiming that it was an investment, was kept. So far, they were right about it being an investment.
"Mr. Blaine! Mum says that it's Mr. Kurt's birthday; can you give this to him please? It's from Kristy and me," a little brown haired boy said, appearing at an open door a short ways down the corridor. He had big blue eyes, a button nose and the cutest smile Blaine had ever seen on a five year old.
"Ah! Antony Marks! You scared me!" Blaine smiled, putting the bags he was carrying down and sweeping the small child up in his arms and swinging him round, before putting him back down again. "And yes. It's his birthday today. Do you want to see him?" Blaine asked, crouching down so that he was the same height as the little boy.
"Yes! I'll go get Kristy." The boy disappeared inside and reappeared before Blaine had even been able to grab the bags that he'd put down moments ago.
"Hi, Mr. Blaine!" Kristy said, smiling shyly. Kristy was eleven and had the same brown hair and big blue eyes as her younger brother. "Ant said that you said we could go see Kurt?"
"Yes! I'll just go put these in the car and then I'll take you in to see him ok?" Blaine said, adjusting the bags in his hands.
"Sure! I'll go get his present." Kristy smiled, taking her brothers hand and going back inside the little apartment. Blaine grinned to himself. They were seriously the cutest kids he had ever met.
They'd met a few months after he and Kurt had moved in. Blaine had been sitting outside on the front stoop, playing his guitar and watching the world go by when young Kristy came to a stop in front of him and had watched him, a curious smile on her face.
"Can you play Disney songs?" she had asked, her expression hopeful.
"I can. They're my favourite to play. Which one do you want me to play?" Blaine replied, moving up on the wall so the young girl could sit beside him.
She thought seriously for a moment before answering. "Part of Your World. From –"
"-The Little Mermaid. I know that one," Blaine said, finishing her sentence with a grin. "You have to help me sing it though."
"Yes!"
From that day, a friendship had been formed. Blaine had offered his and Kurt's services for baby-sitting a few nights a week if their mother was kept back at work, or if their dad was out of town on business. The kids loved Blaine and Kurt, often going over even on the nights they weren't babysitting just to play and hang out.
Blaine locked the car after he'd deposited the bags and headed back up the stairs to the main complex, smiling to himself as he saw the kids at their front door, their mother standing behind them, a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Hi, Blaine. The kids have been going on about how today was Kurt's birthday and they wanted to get him something. I hope he doesn't mind," Sandra said once he was level.
"I'm sure he'll love it," Blaine replied, looking quickly towards his apartment where Kurt had appeared in the door way. "Speak of the devil."
"Mr. Kurt!" Kristy yelled, breaking free of her mothers hold and running to Kurt, hugging him round the waist. "Happy birthday! Mr. Blaine told us last week you're going to be twenty one! That's old!" Kristy said, a funny smile on her adorable face. "Me and Ant got you something!" she barely paused for breath as she grabbed his hand and dragged Kurt, shocked expression and all, to where Blaine, Sandra and Antony stood.
"You told Kristy and Ant?" Kurt hissed, a smile on his face. "You're dead later."
"Ah. They're the only ones though." Blaine told him, moving beside Antony. "Besides. They have a present for you!"
"Yes! It's-" Antony started but Sandra placed her hand firmly over his mouth.
"Why don't you let him find out?" Sandra said with a chuckle, handing the present and card to her kids, who in turn handed them to Kurt, big smiles on their faces.
"Here you go," Antony said, placing the small box in Kurt's hands. Kurt bent down and hugged both children before ripping the paper off, revealing a small, white box with a lid. Curiously, he lifted the lid and beamed at all four of the people standing in the hallway.
"Oh my! That's beautiful!" Kurt exclaimed, passing the box to Blaine who looked in to see a round badge exclaiming 'Birthday boy!' and an even smaller picture of him and Blaine from Christmas last year. "Thank you guys!" he swept both kids into a bigger hug, nuzzling his nose in their hair. Blaine took the badge out of the box and waited for Kurt to stand up again before affixing it firmly to the chest of the black waist coat he was wearing over a long sleeved white shirt. "I'm going to wear it all day!"
"Yay!" the kids cheered, jumping up and down. "Me and Ant made the card too." Kristy said, gesturing to the envelope Kurt was clutching in his right hand. Kurt carefully opened the envelope and his grin doubled. On the front of the bright orange card were four people, three looking remarkably the same size where as one of the people stood taller. Kurt bit back a laugh and opened it.
Happy Birthday Mr. Kurt!
Love Kristy and Antony
Xxxxx
"Oh you guys! You're the best!" Kurt said, tears welling in his eyes. He handed the card to Blaine, who also held in a laugh. "I love you two. You know that right?" Kurt said, pecking both kids on the head before standing up and hugging Sandra as well.
"Kristy, take Ant inside and help him wash his hands and get settled at the table for breakfast ok?" Sandra said, moving aside to let the kids back into the apartment. "I'll let you guys get going. Blaine's told me about your day and it sounds amazing. I'm sure you're in for a real treat." Sandra said, winking at a scarlet Blaine.
"Bye, Sandra!" Blaine said loudly, shoving Kurt down the hallway towards the stairs leading to the car park.
"What are we doing, Blaine?" Kurt asked, reaching behind him and grabbing Blaine's hand to hold.
"Not telling," Blaine said with a grin, clicking the car open and holding the door for Kurt, who looked like someone had cancelled Desperate Housewives. Blaine climbed in the driver's side and started the car. "Today is about you." And with that they were off, Blaine driving slowly out of the car park and neighbourhood, heading on to the interstate.
They had been driving for a few hours and Kurt had nodded off again, leaning against the window. He let out small puffs of air and crinkled his nose, occasionally muttering something unintelligible to Blaine. If he wasn't driving, Blaine would have been quite happy to sit and watch Kurt all day. But, they had places to be and they were nearly there.
Blaine reached over and gently nudged Kurt's leg. "Kurt. We're nearly there," Blaine said, turning off the radio and glancing back across at Kurt who looked remarkably like a kitten just waking up, his hands brushing across his nose and his tongue coming out to wet his lips.
"Where are we?" he asked, squinting out the window. The view was definitely not what he'd been expecting. They were surrounded by huge fields, and dead ahead of them was the ocean, big, blue and glimmering.
"Rhode Island. Old Point. Remember?" Blaine said, pulling into a parking spot where they could leave their car so they could walk through the fields. It was a massive farm and the guy who owned it let people park up and walk through the fields, picking strawberries, raspberries and other small fruits.
"Jackson's Farm in Old Point? But that's like, over three hours driving!" Kurt exclaimed, throwing his arms around Blaine in the small awkward space. "I love you,"Kurt mumbled into Blaine's neck, planting a small kiss.
"I love you too. And that's why I did it." Blaine smiled, placing a small kiss to Kurt's head. "Come on. Farmer Jackson has given me permission to have a picnic in the south field." Blaine grinned like a big kid and jumped out the car, popping the boot and pulling out the bags he'd put there that day and the day before." Kurt rolled his eyes, and climbed out the car also.
"I didn't bring my sunglasses," Kurt said, squinting his eyes against the bright sun. Blaine simply held out a small satchel that Kurt recognised as one of his Christmas presents from his father from the year before. He suspected that Carole had helped pick it out but he was grateful none the less.
"I packed you a few things. I knew you'd need them." Blaine said, smiling and taking Kurt's hand in his own, squeezing gently. Kurt slipped the back over his shoulder and routed through it until he came up with his sunglasses. "Come on. The south field is the one that opens out on the beach," Blaine said, tugging Kurt behind him.
Blaine led Kurt through the fields, waving at old Farmer Jackson who was sat on the porch drinking from a condensing bottle of juice as they passed the main house and continued down the dirt path towards the south field, the salty smell of the ocean blowing gently in their faces.
"Blaine. You know I love you right?" Kurt said conversationally, his head moving to look at the many beautiful flowers and trees that lined the strawberry field they were now walking through.
"Yes," Blaine replied, looking back at Kurt with a loving smile. "Well, I'd hope you do," Blaine added, a small frown appearing over his nose.
"And you know me very well, wouldn't you agree?" Kurt pressed.
"Better then you know yourself," Blaine retorted, confidence in his voice.
"Well, you know that I hate my clothes getting dirty?"
"Yes?"
"Blaine. Look at my jeans. And my boots." Blaine paused and turned to look at Kurt's dusty clothes.
"Ah love! Don't worry! It's only dust. It'll come right out in the wash." Blaine said, pausing at the end of the path and unlatching the gate separating them from the south field where the ocean smell was much stronger.
"It's dust, Blaine. Dust." Kurt hissed, lifting his shoe and swiping off his pointy black shoes.
"Yeah. But, look." Blaine smiled, tugging Kurt's hand off his feet and pulling him through the gate and down the small path that lead through the trees. Kurt looked up from his shoe cleaning to where Blaine was pointing.
"Oh! Blaine!" Kurt gasped, clutching a hand to his chest, the other grabbing Blaine's hand tight to his side. "What is all this?"
Set out under a small cluster of blossoming cherry trees was a red and white checked blanket, on top of which sat a small battery operated stereo and a small vase of cherry and apple blossoms.
"I told you, it's your birthday, so, we're doing something special for it," Blaine explained, leading Kurt to the blanket, and setting the cooler bag down next to the stereo. "We've got music, food, drink and the sand and the ocean," Blaine twirled Kurt around, laughing as Kurt tripped over his feet and fell sideways.
"Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, staggering slightly before regaining his balance. "Are you TRYING to kill me?"
"Sorry." Blaine went red, sitting down on the blanket, pressing play on the stereo. The soft sounds of 'Leather and Lace' drifted out of the speakers as Blaine pat the space next to him. "Sit down, Kurt," Blaine said quietly, looking up at the older boy with a hopeful look on his face.
Kurt nodded and sat down next to him, leaning against his shoulder and resting his head against Blaine's.
"I love you," Kurt whispered, turning his face to press a light kiss to his cheek. "You didn't need to do all this for me."
"I did, you're worth it. I'd do anything for you," Blaine replied, also turning to face Kurt, a look of pure love and devotion in his eyes. "Can I tell you something? You just have to listen. Don't say anything until I'm done, ok?"
"Ok." Kurt nodded and shifted his position on the blanket so that he was looking Blaine full in the face.
"When you stopped me on that stair case 5 years ago, it was probably the best stroke of luck to brush over my life. You accepted me, and you made me a better person, you made me want to BE a better person. Did you know that the morning I met you that I was thinking about transferring back to my old school? I may have looked like I fit in at Dalton, but I didn't fit in anywhere until I met you. I fit in with you." Blaine paused for a moment; his throat was thick with nerves and emotions. As much as he loved Kurt and wanted to marry him, he had to admit that this was probably the biggest thing he would ever do, and if it backfired in his face, he wasn't sure he'd be able to survive after it, but he continued "And then you told me you liked me, and I was stupid enough not to say it back straight away, because it was true. I may not have known it, or realised it, but I did. When you told me you wanted me to come to New York with you, start a life out there,that was probably one of the happiest moments in my life, and we're here now. With me so totally in love with you. I'm not sure you know this, but I'm wrapped so entirely round your finger. You could ask for the moon and I'd start looking for magic carpets to fly me there." Blaine paused and took a deep breath. It was now or never. He looked up at Kurt, smiling faintly at his open-mouthed expression and fished in his pocket for the small plum coloured velvet box he'd bought over two months before. He pulled it out and started speaking again, "Will you make me the happiest guy around and become my husband?" Blaine opened to box to reveal a thin silver band with inset square cut diamonds.
Kurt's hands flew to his mouth as his shot to Blaine, who had a nervous smile on his face.
"Yes!" Kurt all but shouted, flinging himself bodily at the love of his life, his arms tight around his neck, his nose buried deep in Blaine's hair. "A million times yes. I love you with everything I am." Blaine pulled back and placed a sloppy kiss on Kurt's lips.
Blaine slid the ring down Kurt's slender finger and pressed a kiss to it, smiling again. "I love you, Future Mr. Anderson." The goofy grin on Blaine's face was contagious, because Kurt had one also.
"Mr. Anderson?" Kurt raised his eyebrow delicately. "Why don't you become Mr. Hummel?" Kurt teased, lying back on the blanket, pulling Blaine down on top of him. "Or shall we become Mr. And Mr. Hummel-Anderson, or Anderson-Hummel, or EVEN!" Kurt was getting excited and sat back up, pushing Blaine away, "ANDERHUMMEL!" Kurt collapsed in giggles, Blaine watching in amusement, s chuckle escaping his lips also.
"Kurt," Blaine said quietly. The boy looked up, a smile still on his face. "I love you." Kurt's smile widened as he leaned forwards and kissed him.
"I love you, too." Kurt replied, kissing him again and snuggled into Blaine's arms, resting his head in the crook of his shoulder and watching the ocean out in front of them.
It had been an hour or so since Kurt had said yes and they were still snuggled up on the blanket when Blaine decided he wanted to move, so he did and turned Kurt around and began pushing his shoulders back towards the blanket so that he was laying down.
"Blaine...no. Not out here!" Kurt hissed, scandalised. "You're going to get my clothes dirty!" Kurt kept trying to push back, a smile on his face as he reached an arm around Blaine's neck, and tugged him down. Blaine pulled a face and dipped his finger in a patch of dirt by where Kurt's head was going to land and held it threateningly over the sleeve of the crisp white shirt that Kurt was wearing. "Don't you dare!"
SWIPE
And Blaine was off like a rocket, pulling his jumper off over his head and laughing as he went.
"BLAINE WILLIAM ANDERSON! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Kurt shouted, kicking his shoes off and taking off after Blaine. "HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY SHIRT!"
By now, Blaine was in the ocean, shoulder deep and laughing like a lunatic.
"It's only a shirt, Kurt," Blaine cackled at the stupid rhyme. "I'll get you another. I'll get you anything you so wish!"
He gasped, as Kurt dove in and started swimming towards him with long, strong strokes, his head bobbing up until he reached where Blaine was stood. As soon as Kurt was level with Blaine, he grabbed onto his head forced it under the surface of the ocean.
"I. Told. You. Not. To. Trash. My. Shirt," Kurt said, dunking Blaine on each word. "It's couture darling." Kurt laced his arms around Blaine's neck and his legs around his waist. "I love you."
Blaine threaded his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him closed, brushing his nose over the side of Kurt's neck.
"But it was so tempting," Blaine whispered, placing light kisses up Kurt's neck, trailing to his mouth before taking his lower lip between his teeth and gently biting it. "I love you too."
For the next few hours, Blaine and Kurt continued to play in the ocean, racing each other, skipping stones and throwing each other into the water, laughing when their tricks went wrong and they ended up face planting the ocean.
"Ice cream?" Blaine asked, swiping his hair out of his face and running his hands through his now bushy hair.
"Nah. I'm so tired. Can we just lay and watch the sun set?" Kurt asked, flopping on to the blanket and covering his eyes with his hands and groaning at the feel of his skin. "Ergh. As much fun being on the beach and playing in the ocean is, my skin and hair are going to be diabolical tomorrow. Are you sure you want to marry this?" Kurt asked, lifting his arm and peeking out from between his eye lashes over to where Blaine had fallen on his stomach and was watching intently.
"Of course. I want to marry every side of you." Blaine said, leaning across and placing a soft kiss to Kurt's lips. "This ruffled side is rather attractive you know?"
"Mmmngggg." Kurt muttered, rolling so he was slightly under Blaine and burying his face in Blaine's chest.
"Kurt, don't fall asleep, the sun is setting. You don't want to miss it." Blaine said, nudging Kurt slightly with his elbow. Kurt muttered something and sat up, snuggling into Blaine's chest and watching the sun sinking to his left, causing red and oranges to shoot across the ocean making it look as though it were on fire.
"Love you Kurt."
"Mhmm. Love you too Blaine."