Having a desk job could be quite boring, as Kurt was quickly discovering. In spite of his best efforts to focus on the task at hand, his gaze kept sliding over to the pictures on his desk, specifically the one of him and his boyfriend.
It was one of the many candid shots that were part of Rachel's obsession with documenting her last year of high school. After all, you never knew which photos you'd need for your autobiography – or so she said. It was taken just before Christmas break, and the two boys were standing in front of Kurt's locker. Blaine held a small red box in his outstretched hand, which had been opened to reveal a ring, made entirely of gum wrappers and shaped to look like a tiny red and black bowtie.
The other interns at Vogue referred to the ring as "tacky at best" after learning that it wasn't vintage Alexander McQueen. Despite their scathing comments, Kurt wore the ring proudly. The amount of thought and love put into its creation made it more than just a ring - it was a promise.