The Andersons are a famous family in the supernatural world. The most powerful family of witches, the holders of knowledge.
Their current rulers, Pamela by birth and Ambrose by marriage, are admired by their kind, closely followed by their sons, Cooper and Blaine. As Cooper has made clear since practically the moment his little brother was born, he wants nothing to do with ruling. He wants to be free and is more than happy to watch Blaine take his place. Blaine Devon Anderson is trusted to bring the next great generation and he will make sure to deliver what is expected from him.
The Hummel's are a famous family in the supernatural world. The most powerful family of vampires, the creatures of the night.
Their current rulers, Burt by birth and Carole by marriage, are adored amongst their own, closely followed by their sons, Finn and Kurt. As Finn does not have Burt's blood running in his veins because Burt married Carole only after Elizabeth died, Kurt will be known for his wise ruling. And Kurt Elizabeth Hummel must not bring disgrace upon his family.
Both Blaine and Kurt will make everything in their power to bring the best of a living for their kinds. That includes stopping the war between witches and vampires; the war between the Andersons and the Hummels.
And to end the centuries of fighting, they are to be wed. The prophecy that says the vampire that loses his mother at the same number of completed anniversaries as the years of difference between the witch and their older sibling. They are to end the war because their love is the only one powerful enough to do it.
Kurt was nine years old when he lost his mother Elizabeth. Cooper was nine years old when Blaine was born.
A formal dinner is the first time Kurt met the offspring of the Andersons and the first time Blaine saw Kurt in the flesh.
Blaine, in a gorgeous black as the night, dark purple bowtie with black, shiny patterns – the colors of his family. His dark curls well behaved under a generous amount of product. A witch cannot look cute in any way, as his curls make him look, especially if he's meeting the family his own kind has been fighting against for centuries. Kurt can't help but think he's not bad-looking. For a witch. Not even one bit.
Kurt, in a tailored suit he made it himself, with elegant patterns that brought out the best of his features, his family's symbol on his cufflinks and on a small brooch on his chest. His face stoic and hair swept out of his forehead. Blaine can't help but lament a more intimate relationship between them is forbidden because they are the heirs of enemy families.
They are introduced formally by their fathers. Blaine has a smile and glistening eyes and Kurt can't help but smile a little in return. They don't talk, they aren't supposed to. This is supposed to be a conversation between their families regarding the war and its resolve.
They only don't know they are the aforementioned resolve.
The announcement comes during a reunion that reunited both royal families, without warning nor warming up.
"Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson must wed so to end the war!"
The looks of pure shock from both men matched.
They are soon led to a room with armchairs, long couches and a fireplace and a gigantic window covering the entirety of a wall on the opposite side of the door.
They are told to talk and try to come to terms with the situation.
But after a quick glance, each man goes to one side of the room.
They have been in the beautiful room for almost an hour, most of one Blaine spent evaluating every single painting, color and detail in the room before finally standing by the fireplace to try and warm up a little.
It's a cold night, cold enough for Kurt to wish he was able to be hunting or feeding from one of their servants even if he doesn't feel the bitter frost with his non-beating heart. But Kurt is stuck in the well-decorated room now, facing the windows that go from floor to ceiling, watching the snow ravage the dark night outside, with his soon-to-be husband mere feet away from him.
He's trying to give Kurt some time to gather his thoughts while he himself tries to get ahold of the evening's news. Blaine observes the rise and fall of his soon-to-be husband's back. A strong back and small waist, lean and stoic figure, powerful arms crossed on his chest and legs spread as if to ground him.
Honestly, Blaine's situation could be worse - at least the man he is stuck with is good-looking.
Kurt's voice is sharp, but not snappy when he says. "At least I know for a fact that you won't actually, you won't grow a humongous nose nor a wart." Both men know it's not their fault they're in this situation.
Kurt keeps his body to the window.
"And I know for a fact vampires don't attack their loved ones."
Kurt scoffs, rolling his eyes to the sky, his shoulders remain tense. Blaine has the sudden urge to press his palms on the witch's back and soothe him. Such idea quickly vanishes as he remembers who the creature in front of him is.
"And how are you so certain I'll love you?"
Blaine sighs heavily.
"To be honest?" Blaine waits for Kurt to turn and face him, but when it doesn't happen, he lets his eyes fall to the ground. "I'm hopeful. It's not like I'm perfect, I'm just optimistic."
"I'm not. Not one bit."
Blaine doesn't know if he's referring to being optimistic or about loving Blaine. He tries to ignore the coldness he feels inside. He can't actually be mad at the vampire for being against their situation; not even he is.
"Isn't it better to hope for the better?"
Their eyes lock and not a word is muttered in the room for a few minutes.
Kurt turns half-way and the witch can see the apprehension in the vampire's blue eyes.
"This possibility is the only thing making me go through with this arrangement," Kurt's voice cracks slightly.
Arrangement. Their arrangement. Their wedding.
Kurt has to lower his eyes when Blaine's gaze feel like they'd reading his soul, if he had one.
"Our wedding came from unexpected terms indeed," the taller man manages to say through the lump in his throat. He tries to ignore the irony of such feeling on a vampire.
Blaine nods, "It makes sense though, to end a war with love."
Kurt looks back at Blaine, who is now watching the fire crackle. "I didn't know you're a romantic," he says.
Blaine glances at him with a soft smile. "We'll learn a certain big number of things about each other."
"And probably the same number of things that we'll have to ignore about ourselves, like wishes and desires."
"That's why your brother refused the title," he wonders out loud, before he can stop his mouth.
Blaine takes a deep breath, but he doesn't sound angry. Kurt is yet to figure out is Blaine has a single mean bone on him. "I think so."
Kurt closes his eyes. The very first evidence of his royal blood is the hardest he's faced in his entire life. He just lost the power of choice over the one he will marry. How much more ruling will take away from him? For the both of them? And since when does he care about what will be taken from Blaine? He imagines it's only about things that affect him too.
He breaths slowly and steadily, trying to contain his panic attack. He can't let Blaine Anderson see him so fragile, so vulnerable.
If he only knew how Blaine is close to one himself.
"Did you know?"
Kurt slowly opens his eyes to focus on the witch. "About?"
"The wedding."
"You mean the condition."
"Yes."
"No, I did not," Kurt holds his gaze and Blaine trusts him. How can he trust Kurt so easily, just by looking into his eyes?
The witch observes as the vampire turns his head – only his head - to the window again.
"And you can say 'wedding', Kurt, not a crime."
"I can't," once again, not snappy, just quick.
"I'm fairly certain this won't work if we try and control each other, but I'm perfectly fine with calling it for what it is: a wedding," Blaine says matter-of-factly.
Kurt intakes a deep breath.
"This is a clause, a condition," Kurt says, words spilling from his mouth. Kurt looks at him before he continues but Blaine keeps his eyeline firm. Something about having Kurt look at him is strangely comforting. "A wedding is supposed to be between two people who want to spend the rest of their eternities together, who love each other. This," Kurt lifts his eye brows and motions at the two of them, "Is not a wedding." Blaine feels something warm battling the cold previously settled on his bones. He doesn't know if it's the defeated tone in Kurt's voice or the fact that the beautiful, blue orbs seem to be floating in a thin layer of moisture, the pain so very evident in them. Neither of them can move a muscle. "I'll go through with it, we'll marry," Kurt's lower lip trembles slightly and Blaine bites his own to contain his sob. What is going on with him? Why does Kurt's pain affect him so deeply? "But only because my people need my sacrifice, even if it goes against everything I believe about love."
Both creatures drop their bodies – gracefully – on the armchairs by the fire. Blaine didn't even notice Kurt had walked closer during his talking, he was so entranced on his eyes and his voice.
The furniture they sit are comfortable and big, displayed close but not touching on top of a dark colored rug in front of the fireplace, just a bit turned to the center without fulling facing each other. They are almost identical, but each has a slightly different pattern to make a difference. Different, but together.
A flash of how their ruling will be commented years after they both parish, of how one throne completed the other, as though it was an allusion to them as individuals. How one completed the other even if they were different and their own person. Where did that come from?
He clears his head from his daydream when Kurt talks again, his voice soft and his eyes on the floor. Blaine clings to every word that falls from Kurt's lips. Has his voice always been this clear, so efficient in filling this enormous room even though it's so small? Has his voice always sounded like velvet to Blaine's ears?
"My parents were wedded because of love and I was born from that love. My father married Carole because of love," the vampire says, "I've had examples, important ones at that."
"I believe that love is necessary for a marriage too," he tells Kurt, holding his gaze, his voice soft. In one slowly movement, he reaches out and offers his hand to Kurt, palm up. "My parents' wedding was arranged, but they learned how to co-habit. I don't want that for my marriage, even if it is arranged."
He makes a pause to gather his thoughts and lets Kurt process the information.
"Considering our current situation," Kurt can't help the smile that grows on his face as the vampire proves he cares about Kurt said earlier and, wow, his smile is so bright and true Kurt has a hard time to focus on the words he's listening, "We have two options. First, we get married for the sake of our people, to stop the fighting, but remain as friends. We'll discuss themes and make decisions together." The terms "our" and "we" settles a warm and pleasant feeling inside them both. Blaine's voice gets quieter, "But we're free when it comes to lovers. No duties to one another in that area."
"And what's our other option?" Kurt asks hesitantly.
"We try," Baine smiles.
Kurt narrows his eyes. "Try?"
"We'll get to know each other," Blaine explains.
"Talking and listening?" Kurt adds.
"And dates and family reunions."
"So you mean," Kurt eyes him for a second before proceeding, "Try to…"
Blaine completes when he trails away. "Love."
Kurt throws a small smile at him before sliding his own hand, palm down, on top of Blaine's. The witch beams at him. Kurt almost hides from all the light that comes to Blaine's face when he grins.
The young men feel as though they're on the same page at last.
Amongst the many, many, many years of their relationship, Blaine did get a funny nose and Kurt did bite his neck.
Blaine got the ingredients to a potion all mixed up because his cat had been rolling around on his parchments all day and he produced a somniferous. A very powerful one in fact. He smelled it deeply and next thing he knew he was sleeping. On his way to the floor, though, he hit his nose on the cauldron. Kurt found him when he came back from his hunt with his father, who had officially retired his royal titles the day his son got married. The purple nose Blaine sported a couple of days before he found the right recipe for sore noses was enough for Kurt to tease him about their first conversation. Blaine joked that if he had a funny nose, Kurt had a right to bite him.
And so Kurt did. When they were alone, completely lost in each other, Kurt started scratching his fangs over Blaine's neck, giving it soft bites but never cutting through soft skin. Blaine was surprised at first, but he never once thought of pulling away. He trusted and loved his husband with his entire being and was trusted and loved back until their last day.
