Lilly here! Back again, with some Klaine fluff. This was prompted by the lovely xdreamernumbuhfour, who is an utter doll! Be dears and check out her work. She gives the best prompts and is the reason I shall be posting more soon. We produce more plot bunnies in an hour than actual bunnies produce in a week, and you know what they say about bunnies... Anyway, I don't own this. I own nothing, only Ryan Murphy does. This is for you, lovely!
Kurt stands in the kitchen of his apartment, working over breakfast. He smiles at the sound of his boyfriend bustling around, preparing for his day. His last day of term at NYU, to be exact. Kurt's exams at NYADA ended the week before, so he has been playing house husband, preparing the house for Christmas and their return to Ohio for a week. Blaine enters the kitchen, dressed for the chilly New York morning and smelling of spearmint toothpaste and organic lemongrass soap.
"Good morning," he greets Kurt, kissing his cheek softly. "What's for breakfast?"
"Egg white omelet with bacon on whole wheat toast and an apple," the taller man replies, turning around and presenting his lover with a brown paper bag. "And coffee with two sugars and a splash of cream."
Blaine smiles and kisses Kurt's nose. "Thank you, honey."
"Break a leg," Kurt replies, kissing Blaine's forehead. "I love you."
"Love you more." The smaller man stands on tiptoes to kiss his lips. "I should be home at three and then we'll celebrate the official end of term."
"See you then."
When the front door closes, Kurt looks around, trying to decide what to do with his day. He's scrubbed the apartment spotless. He's packed his and Blaine's bags for their trip and weight checked everything. He has done his Christmas shopping for Burt, Carole, and Finn. He's even found Blaine's gift. Actually, he found Blaine's gift long ago, but he needs something else, something… He has no idea. But he needs it.
That's when he hears it. The voice on the radio.
"Good morning, New York, that was Britney's newest, but before we take you into our next hour of nonstop music, a word from today's sponsor. The holidays are great, but far too many spend them away from family, so New York's humane shelters encourage you to consider pet adoption to make the holidays a little less lonely."
That was it. A dog. Blaine had always wanted one, but his mother was allergic, and he's been dropping hints to Kurt since they'd moved in together. Their super allowed pets less than twenty pounds, and there were plenty of breeds that were less than that full grown. But to find the right one…
Kurt dresses quickly, throwing on his warmest old jeans and a heavy sweatshirt, knowing dog hunting could get messy. He slips into combat boots that are actually Blaine's then heads out the door, ready to take on the day. He walks with determination the five blocks to the nearest animal shelter, then, in a moment of anti-climax at its finest, learns that they will not open for another hour.
"Shit!" he curses, kicking the metal grated door and startling a few passers-by. He hears a snicker and sees a middle aged woman on the inside, smiling at him.
The woman opens the door, quirking an eyebrow. "Having a problem sir?"
Kurt doesn't know if she's teasing him or not, and replies sarcastically, "Not at all."
"Okay, let's try that again. What seems to be the problem sir?"
Kurt lets out a huge sigh. "I'm looking for a dog."
She smirks, glancing up at the sign on the door. "Well you've certainly come to the right place."
"Let me finish. I'm looking for a dog for my boyfriend and I for Christmas, but I didn't know this place didn't open until ten and I just walked five blocks in the freezing sleeting morning. I'm cold and frustrated and I just want a little sympathy here."
"Okay, we can work with that," she says, stepping aside. "Come on in."
"B-but you're closed."
"I'm the manager. I can do that."
"Thank you!" Kurt gasps, darting in before the woman can change her mind. He shakes his head, narrowly avoiding showering her with ice chips. "Thank you so much."
The manager holds out her hand, smiling kindly. "I'm Alicia Reynolds. How can I help you?"
Kurt takes her hand, shaking it firmly. "Kurt Hummel. I need a dog, preferably pure bred, and it needs to be twenty pounds or less or my super won't allow it."
"You do know this is a rescue shelter, right?" she asks, quirking an eyebrow and laughing when he flushes pink in embarrassment. "But I think we can figure something out. Follow me."
The two begin to walk down the narrow hallway and into an open area that smelled faintly of artificial pine scented cleaner. It had a few benches and chairs and a table with sanitary wipes and hand sanitizer on it. To the left was a large window overlooking a room full of cages with cats and kittens, and to the right a one that looked in on a room of caged dogs. When they continued past the rooms, Kurt freezes.
"Isn't that the dog room, Mrs. Reynolds?" he asks, pointing to the door.
"Alicia, sweetie. And yes, but I think I know just what you need. How do you feel about a puppy?" she asks, turning and crossing her arms.
Kurt pauses, thinking for a moment. A puppy would be great, actually. He and Blaine could raise it together, like their own, and it would be like having a child. "Perfect."
Alicia smiles, nodding her head to the side. "Come with me."
The continue down the hallway and to a door with no window and no label. Alicia opens the door slowly and tiptoes in with Kurt on her heels. The room is dark, and she flips the lights on before going to the middle of the room, where sit's a playpen. Kurt peers over the edge to see a small cluster of different colored furs.
"Good morning, my sweets," Alicia whispers, reaching a hand in to stroke the largest bit of fur - the mother. She looks up with a grin. "These are our newest additions."
"They're so small," Kurt whispers back, staring at them. "How did they get here?"
Alicia scoops up the mother, stroking her head. "She's a toy poodle, but she's seen better days. My friend found her in an alley on Broadway, right next to Gershwin Theater. It wasn't until we got her cleaned up that we realized she was pregnant."
Kurt reaches out to tentatively stroke her. "She's so small. How could she… Why would someone just abandon her?"
"I don't understand it, either," she replies, kissing the dog's head. "I took her in, but I don't have room for the babies. They've just been weaned, and we were putting them out today. You came just in time."
"They're perfect," he says softly, looking back over the gate. "How many are there."
"Four, three boys and one little girl," Alicia says, smiling lovingly. "They won't get very big at all, and they're a very behaved species."
Kurt touches the small mound of fur, then four pairs of eyes are on him. Three grey and one green. He follows the green eyes to see a tiny body covered in inky black curls, and grins widely, knowing this one is perfect. He lifts the puppy up and cradles it. "Hello, there."
"Ah, our little girl," the woman says, coming close with the mother. "She's the only one who got Dorothy's coloring. Precious, isn't she?"
"Dorothy? Wait, you said they were found by Gershwin, right?"
"Sure did."
Kurt looks into the bright green eyes once again, then smiles brightly. "Hello, Miss Elphie."
Alicia grins, looking from a smiling Kurt to the bright eyed puppy. "I'll draw up the paper work."
Kurt has Elphie cradled in his arms and is walking down the chilly streets of New York. He goes into the pet supply store Alicia gave him directions to and grabs a cart, bundling Elphie in his sweatshirt and placing her in the baby seat.
"Let's go, sweetheart, we need to get you prettied up to surprise your Daddy Blaine," Kurt says, touching the wet little nose. "We'll need to get you food for sure, and puppy shampoo, and a brush, and…. You don't care, do you? You just like the warm. Well, Daddy Kurt will handle this and we'll go home to get ready to surprise Daddy Blaine."
At noon, Kurt walks into the apartment with a sleeping Elphie and three bags of necessities. Kurt thanks whatever deity there is that he has plenty of upper body strength, because apparently a new puppy requires a lot of preparation, and is not something one does on a whim. He drops the bags of food and supplies on the ground, then lays Elphie on the couch.
"Where to keep you…" he murmurs, looking around the apartment. "Well, you need to be warm, so your bed will definitely be by the heater."
Kurt goes about arranging her things for a bit, until he hears a small squeak from the couch. Elphie is sitting up, still wrapped in the sweatshirt, and looking dazed as her wide green eyes take in her surroundings. She lets out a little yip, then jumps down from the couch and slips on the hardwood floor as she darts to Kurt, kneeling by the heater. She props up on his thigh, her tiny head peeking over his leg as she gives him an imploring look.
"This is your new home, Miss Elphaba," he says, lifting her up to his eyelevel. "Now we need to get you fed and have a bath before Daddy Blaine gets home."
Elphie barks, then licks Kurt's nose.
"I'll take that as a yes!" he laughs, standing up and tucking her under his arm.
Upon opening the bag of puppy chow recommended to him by one of the workers in the pet supply store, Kurt wrinkles his nose. It smells putrid, like dirt and decay, and he quickly shuts it back, thinking that surely this can't be healthy for the puppy. Instead he fixes a light lunch of a Panini for himself and feeds Elphie ripped up bits of chicken and baby carrots, which she munched happily. After lunch, he took her out on her new leash, rounding the block and allowing her to do her business before going back into the warmth of the apartment.
In the sink, with warm and sudsy water, Kurt bathes the puppy that can swim in the shallow water she's so small. She splashes and yips playfully, then cuddles up to Kurt when he wraps her in a towel and dries her off. He uses his blow dryer on low heat to completely dry her off, then brushes her carefully, unknotting her curly fur and soothing her to sleep once again. Finally, he ties a green bow around her neck and puts her matching collar on her, a gold heart with her name dangling from the center.
"Kurt, I'm home," Blaine calls, slamming the front door and shocking the puppy awake.
Elphie looks up at Kurt with startled eyes and he cradles her in his arms, walking out of the bathroom with her. "Merry Christmas, baby."
As soon as their eyes connect, Blaine's jaw drops and his eyes widen as he takes in the sight of his love holding the most precious puppy he's ever seen. "K-Kurt, oh my… Is she ours?"
Kurt nods, grinning widely, repeating, "Merry Christmas."
Blaine crosses the room quickly, grabbing Kurt and the puppy in an embrace. "Oh, honey, she's perfect! What's her name?"
"Elphaba Hummel-Anderson, meet your Daddy Blaine," the taller man says, giggling when the dog happy licks at his love's face. "Elphie for short. Her mother was found behind Gershwin when she was pregnant. It was only fitting."
"Of course, and the fur and the eyes," the shorter man says, stroking her small head. "It's perfect. Oh, Kurt, I've always wanted a dog!"
"I know," Kurt says proudly, stepping back to allow his boyfriend to get acquainted with their new addition.
Blaine smiles lovingly, following and throwing an arm around his love's neck to pull him down for a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too, baby," the taller murmurs back, sighing happily.
That night, as Blaine plays with Elphie, Kurt prepares their Christmas dinner, celebrating a week early so they can have a proper celebration together. His heart swells with each giggle and yip that emits from the living room. He sets the table pouring a bit of white wine he had stashed away for special occasions, then fixes their plates and Elphie's bowl with holiday staples. This is the night he has been waiting for, and it is perfect. They enjoy their dinner, then take an exhausted Elphie out for a circle around the block before going back in and tucking her into her bed for the night, faint snores touching their ears.
Kurt and Blaine sit with their legs entangled on the couch, the only light in the room coming from the Christmas tree's twinkle lights and the fire place.
"Merry Christmas, Kurt," Blaine says, passing a small package to his love. "It's not a puppy, but I hope you'll like it."
Kurt opens the box to find a golden key.
"It's the symbolic key to my heart," the shorter man says with a blush. "It's cheesy, but after the time we've had together and the troubles we've faced…the troubles I've caused… You have to know that you are my world. You are the love of my life and you hold all of my heart."
Tears prick at Kurt's eyes, and he sees Blaine's eyes are already shining with unshed tears. "Oh, sweetheart, I love it. I love you, so, so very much."
"I love you, too," Blaine whispers, closing the difference and kissing Kurt softly. "Merry Christmas."
"I'm not done yet," Kurt continues, pulling a tiny box from his pocket, where he'd hidden it and carried it for weeks. "Blaine, you… You are the love of my life, and I can't imagine life without you. All of our struggles have made us stronger, and you are the reason I believe in something more than myself." He stands from the couch and kneels down, opening the box and revealing a silver ring, encrusted with several small diamonds. "Blaine, will you marry me?"
Blaine's eyes pour over, tears streaming as he chokes for his words. "Yes, I'll m-marry you!"
Kurt slips the ring onto Blaine's finger, then collects him in an embrace, kissing him fiercely.
In the wee hours of the morning, when the only light was what filtered in through the curtain from neon lights of the city, Kurt and Blaine are awaken by a whimper like bark from the side of the bed. Kurt sits up, causing Blaine to cringe from the burst of chilly air to his back, then reaches over to pick up a shivering Elphie, cradling her in his arms and laying back down to spoon Blaine, the puppy resting in the crevice between their bodies. Blaine rolls over slowly, so Elphie rests between their chests, then cuddles close to his fiancé and their new baby girl.
When they wake up much later, with sunlight streaming in through the window and Elphie stirring, Blaine kisses Kurt before saying anything.
"Good morning to you, too, Mr. Anderson," Kurt says, blinking dazedly and smiling.
"Hummel."
"Pardon?"
Blaine smiles brilliantly. "I want to change my name to Hummel when we get married. No hyphenating."
Kurt bites his lip, tears pricking at his eyes. "Oh, honey, are you sure?"
The other man reaches out to touch his love's cheek. "I just want to belong to you and only you."
"Always."
They share another kiss, then Elphie interrupts, licking Blaine's cheek and making both men laugh. She nuzzles between them, her large bow tickling their chins.
"Kurt is this… Is she wearing a bow for a reason?" Blaine asks, giggling and stroking the puppy's neck.
Kurt grins, a childlike pride swelling in him. "For her Daddy Blaine. She has your hair, but she has Daddy Kurt's eyes and attachment to Gershwin, so it was only fair she got one more thing from you."
Blaine's eyes glow, and he shakes his head. "I love you, Kurt, and you Miss Elphaba."
"I love you, too, Blaine. Both of you."
Elphie barks in agreement, licking her daddies happily.
A/N: Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors or inconsistencies. It was fluffed as I went along so goodness knows how well put together it is. The original prompt was "Kurt and Blaine with a puppy!" said in a very excited tone after I asked what I should write about. That led to this, which, by encouragement from my darling prompter, is being published. I apologize for any crumminess, because this was fairly quick from prompt to publishing, just under a week, and I'm a perfectionist by nature so please go easy on me.
Leave a review, darlings!
Lilly
