Because Blaine really needs a ring, too.
Kurt pulled out his phone and triple-checked that Blaine hadn't sent him an "I'm gonna be early!" text in the past fifteen seconds, unlocking the screen with one hand as he stirred the gravy on the stovetop with the other. The potatoes were already boiled and mashed and the roast was in the oven, so he was doing well for time, but he didn't want Blaine to surprise him before he could put the finishing touches on everything.
The night had to be perfect.
Finally, the gravy was cooked to perfection, so Kurt put a lid on it and turned the heat down. He ran off to their bedroom, stripping out of his chore-appropriate clothing at light speed and putting on his carefully planned dinner outfit – a close-fitting peach button-down with little threads of gold that glinted in the light, dark wheat-colored pants that hugged his ass to perfection, and a bow tie with tiny lightning bolts. Checking his back pocket to make sure there were no tell-tale lines, he hustled back out to the kitchen to make sure nothing had caught on fire in the scant amount of time he'd been gone.
"Breathe, Kurt," he said quietly after making sure the food was okay. "It's gonna be fine. You already know how this will turn out, for God's sake." He pulled their nicer plates (aka not mismatched plastic) out of the cabinets and started setting the table, having already put the heavy cream tablecloth and thrifted brass candlesticks down. Kurt was just fishing the lighter out of the junk drawer when he heard the loft door rattle open.
"Kurt?" Blaine said, a little choked up. When Kurt turned back to face his fiance, he could see Blaine was misty-eyed and frozen in place just inside the doorway. He was also very dashing in his peach highwaters and neat white polo, accented wonderfully by his peach-and-gold chevron bow tie and light belt.
"Can you see why I made you wear that this morning?" Kurt teased, hoping he sounded light. He'd been struck by just how major his plans were the moment he'd seen Blaine come home.
"Yeah, your sudden insistence on choosing my exact outfit makes a little more sense now," Blaine said, still a bit shaky.
"Couldn't have you screwing up my big plans," Kurt said, lighting the tapers real quick and discarding the lighter.
"Big plans?" Blaine parroted.
"You know, your proposal was great," Kurt said, switching tacks. "I was prepared for you to knock my socks off, but you really went above and beyond. And all those minor details – weren't the Warblers doing the same dance they performed when we first met?"
Blaine just nodded, mute.
"But there was just one thing missing," Kurt continued. "There wasn't a ring for you. I knew I couldn't just run out and buy you one the day after, not after a proposal like that. So I saved up my money and tried to plan something amazing. And then I realized one day – we're already amazing, and we already had the big public blowout. What we didn't have was the private moment where I catch you totally off-guard with a nice romantic dinner after I pop the question."
"Well we do now," Blaine said, voice thick and eyes threatening to overflow.
"You're damn right we do now," Kurt said, unable to keep the proud amusement out of his voice. He began to walk closer to Blaine, reaching into his back pocket simultaneously. "So, Blaine Anderson, my first and only love, my closest friend, will you – shit!"
The next sequence of events seemed to happen in slow motion.
Just as Kurt was about to finish his proposal, he tripped over the loose floorboard in between him and Blaine. He'd already fished the ring out of his pocket by then, and he was bringing his arm forward to show it to Blaine when he tripped, shocking him enough to loosen his grip and send it flying across the gap to smack Blaine square in the center of the forehead. It couldn't have been a more precise shot if he'd aimed it.
"Oh my- ow," Blaine said, managing to catch the ring as it bounced off of him. He used his free hand to rub slightly at the spot where he'd been hit. "Is that going to bruise?"
"God I hope not," Kurt said, still frozen where he'd caught himself on a chair back. "Jesus, of all the times for my clumsiness to rear its ugly head, it had to pick right now?" He pulled out the chair and slumped into it, dropping his head on the table in shame.
"Kurt. Please sit up?" Blaine asked, walking over and plopping into the chair next to him. "I promise I still think your proposal was perfect. And this ring is gorgeous. Put it on me?"
Kurt heaved a sigh before showing his face again. "You promise you're not gonna dump me for being a klutz?" he joked weakly, accepting the ring back.
"You didn't dump me for repeatedly alphabetizing your magazine collection," Blaine said, holding his left hand out and wiggling the fingers. "So come put a ring on it."
"I don't think that should be your go-to Beyonce song, B," Kurt said, letting a small giggle escape him as he placed the simple golden band on Blaine's third finger.
"Well it's not anymore," Blaine said, smiling playfully. "I'm an engaged man now."
"You've been an engaged man for months," Kurt said. "Now I just have proof so all those scavengers at the gay bar will finally leave you alone."
"Because your ring has stopped so many men from hitting on you," Blaine pointed out, leaning in and kissing Kurt senseless. "Thank you, Kurt."
"It was definitely, definitely not a problem," Kurt said, grasping Blaine's hand tightly before raising it to his mouth and kissing Blaine's new accessory. "C'mon, I made your favorite meal and I don't want it to burn."
Blaine got up and followed Kurt to the oven, but pulled him in for a long, emotional hug before Kurt could pull the roast out. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Kurt said, losing himself in the safe feeling of Blaine's embrace. "Thank you for not laughing at my klutziness."
"I would never," Blaine said. "I can make no promises about how our friends will react when we tell them, though."
"Oh God," Kurt groaned. "I'm going to lose my appetite if I think about that right now."
"At least no one was here to catch it on video?"
"At least no one was here to catch it on video," Kurt agreed. "Are you ready for food now, or are you going to keep distracting me all night?"
"Dinner sounds fantastic," Blaine said. "But I might need to have you for dessert."
"I've already put the whipped cream in the fridge," Kurt said with a wink.
Blaine nearly bowled Kurt over in his haste to fill his plate and tuck in.