Title: More Than Anyone
Author: Claddagh Ring
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
AN: I haven't forgotten the other prompts, but alas, this is not one of them; written for day one of Blainchel week on tumblr. Category: Future
"Marry me."
Rachel laughed, pushing Blaine away playfully by the shoulders as she continued making his usual morning coffee. She thought nothing of it, dismissing it as a joke until he slipped the black velvet box on the counter between them and suddenly, his request didn't seem so funny. He looked absolutely serious even, compelling her hand to skim over the top of the jewelry box before she scrambled to open it, just to be sure this wasn't part of his prank. Tucked inside, snug between two satin pillows, was a diamond ring. An actual diamond set into a white-gold band, tiny and delicate and a perfect match to the fit of her left ring finger.
"I- Wha- we're not- we haven't-" she stuttered, glancing over at him for some kind of hint and praying still that he would burst into manic giggles and say it was an old piece of costume jewelry and tease her about it for weeks. But he remained silent with only a tiny smile on his face, eyes locked into her own. "Blaine we're not even a couple."
"You almost married Finn Hudson," he replied, not even missing a beat while she remained flabbergasted.
"Yes and look how well that turned out," she argued, snapping the box shut and setting it back down, crossing arms over her chest.
He chuckled, the sound coming deep from within his throat. "So you were a little young and crazy-."
"This is crazy," she muttered.
"But is that such a bad thing?" Blaine finished, his honey eyes sparkling as he gazed at her and she found herself with nothing to say. He reached over and freed both of her hands, taking them in his own as he stood ever closer to her. "Rachel, we've lived together for three years. Half the time, you sleep in my bed." One of his hands reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before trailing down her neck before cupping her cheek. "I know more about you that anyone could dream to know; and you know everything about me. I know I never want that to change."
"How does that equal marriage?" she whispered, marveling at the new sensation of his touch. Which was ridiculous, she reprimanded herself. He had touched her more times than she could fathom, but it was always in a friendly way and if he was overly-affectionate, she hadn't cared to bother with it because she knew she did the same with him.
"Because I want to wake up next to you every morning," he told her, a secret smile on his face, "and lay down with you at night."
"We're not even a couple," she repeated, more for her own sake than his.
"We're a better couple than most of the ones we know," was his simple answer and she couldn't even deny it; how many times had people mistakenly asked after her boyfriend, meaning Blaine.
"How are we supposed to explain this to our friends, to our parents?" she wondered aloud, trying to sound practical and adult, to find an acceptable reason why she shouldn't even consider this.
"We'll tell them the truth," he shrugged, his thumb grazing over the apple of her cheek as a heated blush began to rise.
"Which is what exactly?" she couldn't resist asking, "That you've been secretly in love with me for years and instead of asking me out like a normal person, you proposed instead?"
Again, he laughed and in a teasing voice, prompted her, "since you already know the story, tell me how it goes."
"I- I- You- we," and she was reduced to stuttering once more.
"We what?" His voice was thick and she fell silent for a moment as her throat went dry. She licked her bottom lip, felt his eyes watch her every movement and wondered how often he had done that around her that she hadn't notice. How often she had done it herself, what kind of signs had she given him, or he had given her; or most importantly, why they had never acted on them if they were clearly there.
"You ask me out," she said, trying to envision that kind of life with Blaine and finding it easier than she expected. Thrilling even. "It's awkward at first, but we have fun. It lasts for awhile. We tell people and they don't really understand it right away, but eventually they'll be happy for us. Because they see how good we are together, how happy you make me. How I sometimes forget to breathe when you smile at me. But their approval or disapproval doesn't matter at this point because the world just falls away when you kiss me."
"Like this?" and it was barely more than a breathe, so quiet she was sure she had imagined it, before his lips found hers. It wasn't anything like she expected. The world didn't fall away, it moved under her feet and the only piece of solid earth was the place where she stood kissing Blaine. Soft and firm, moving between her own and it was her only anchor as she watched her life replay behind her eyes. He had always been there, as her friend and confidant, as the one person she could count on, her protector. He depended on her as she depended on him. They fought, they yelled, they slammed doors. They threatened to leave only to come crawling back in apology. She encouraged him, let him be whoever he wanted to be, never judged him. She loved him like no other and he, well, his feeling were on the kitchen counter in the shape of a jewelry box.
They had done every thing without even knowing it and she couldn't help but wonder why they would even bother pretending to do it all again?
"Okay," she giggled against his lips. "Give me my ring."
as always: I write, you read, you review, I'll write more... it might even be a prompt next time.