"I need to talk with you," Blaine announces a few days later as he arrives home from work.
"Um... That sounds ominous," Kurt replies, startled by his abruptness as he sits, turns the tv off and twists around on the couch to face him. "Did I do something wrong?"
"What? No, of course not!" He moves over to the couch, still wrapped up in his hat, scarf and coat but with his gloves and boots removed, and kisses Kurt tenderly, cupping his cheek sweetly. "Hmm," he smiles happily. "Nothing like coming home to perfection waiting for you on the couch."
"Oh please," Kurt scoffs, "perfection doesn't wear an old, ratty t-shirt and his boyfriends too-short sweat pants. Perfection probably also styles his hair."
"Perfection is you, and I love you whatever you choose to lounge around in," Blaine teases. "And trust me, this isn't a bad talk at all. At least, I don't think it is," he says, scrunching up his nose.
"Okay, now you're just being confusing," Kurt calls after his retreating back.
He returns a few moments later, sitting on the opposite end of the couch and pulling Kurt's feet into his lap, running one hand idly over Kurt's ankle as he talks. "I want to ask you something," he starts.
"No, Blaine! You cannot propose to me like this!" he cries in horror. "I haven't moved from the couch all day, and I have yogurt down my t-shirt."
"Who said anything about proposing?" Blaine grins, then laughs at the way Kurt blushes.
"Oh. Sorry. It's just the way you said that..."
"Well I'm not asking you to marry me," he tells him, somewhat alarmed at the way Kurt brushes so close to the truth. "But it is about the future. Our future."
"Oh?"
"I just want to know...I was wondering..." Pausing, he looks at Kurt, eyes wide as he waits, expectantly. "No. You know what? It doesn't matter," he says decisively.
"Blaine..." Kurt's warning tone and accompanying glare make Blaine look away, but he remains resolute.
"No, really. It's nothing."
"It's obviously something," Kurt reasons. "The way you came bursting through the door and announced we must talk tells me you've been sitting on something all day. So what changed your mind?"
Blaine's head falls back against the couch as he closes his eyes for the briefest of moments. cracking one eye open, he looks at Kurt, worry creasing his brow as he chews on his lip. "You're so...young," he sighs.
"Yeah, and you're so old," Kurt jokes, poking out his tongue. "Now talk."
"It was nothing," Blaine says eventually with a tight smile. "Just me being a dumbass. Too much time in the studio to sit and think."
"It's something. Don't do this Blaine. We promised each other we would talk about things."
"Just drop it."
"No, I won't just drop it," Kurt says, voice beginning to rise in temper. "And I'm starting to get pissed off here. Talk!"
"Do you want a baby with me?" he blurts, causing Kurt to recoil in surprise.
"Oh. Wow. Was not expecting that. Um...Okay. Um...Yes. But not right now."
"I didn't mean right now," Blaine clarifies. "I just...wanted to know...sort of...um..."
"You're really bad at this."
"Be quiet," Blaine laughs. "Okay. When? When would you see that happening?"
"I don't know, to be honest," Kurt muses. "I haven't really thought about it. I guess...In my head I maybe figured I'd be mid thirties? I don't know."
"Oh," Blaine says simply, crestfallen. "I see."
"But that wouldn't be fair to you," he continues. "Given that you would be fifty. I don't think my dad would be wanting to raise a baby right now. So...I don't know...um...late twenties? How does that sit with you?"
"I could maybe go with that," Blaine agrees. "But...this might sound crazy, but I need to know how badly you want kids. Because...I do, right now. But we're talking ten years away, and I don't know if I will still want them by then."
"This is really worrying you, isn't it?" Kurt asks. He shifts himself into Blaine's lap, his favorite place for deep discussions as he can play with his hair as they speak.
"It is, actually. Yeah. I'm...I guess I'm really feeling our age difference right now." Staring at the way Kurt's legs fall over his he doesn't look up as he says softly, "I'm struggling a bit."
"With us?"
"No!" he looks up sharply, eyes watery. "I want to be with you more than anything. I just don't know if I'm being fair to you. I don't know if I can give you everything you want or deserve in the future."
"Why are you always so hard on yourself?" Kurt asks gently. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. I wouldn't be even discussing a future with you if I didn't want it as much as you do. As for the baby thing... I've always figured I would have a kid- at least one. But you know? If that doesn't happen, then it doesn't happen. It's not the be all and end all for me- that's you. And you know what, you say to me you don't know if you'll want a baby in ten years, but how do you know I will? What if I end up dedicated to my career or something? Are you gonna drop me?"
"No! Kurt, I'd never do that."
"Exactly. So what makes you think I would? What if we both decide we enjoy being Kurt and Blaine too much to disrupt our lives by sharing them with a small person? Don't worry about the future, Blaine. Just know that we do have one...together. We could worry about all sorts of things, where we're going to live, our pension plans...anything and everything. But I'd rather we focus on the present, because right now? You and me? It's all kinds of wonderful."
He tilts his head and brings his lips gently to Blaine's, who then rests his head against Kurt's chest. "Thank you," he whispers. "Can I cry a little bit?"
"Sure thing, babe," Kurt reassures as he rubs his back.
"Well now you've ruined it by calling me babe and making me laugh," he chuckles.
"Sorry. Blaine? Can I ask you something? The age thing... When I call you old man, or tease you about it...does it bother you? Because I can stop."
"No," Blaine says honestly, looking up with a soft smile. "I love it when you call me old man, and I like our teasing. I've told you before, one of the best things for me, about us, is the way we laugh so much. Please don't ever stop that. I know I got pissed off that one time...in the club with Adam..."
"Who is transferring back to England at the end of this semester, by the way," Kurt tells him happily.
"Good. I'll pay his airfare myself if it means he's gone for good," Blaine grumbles. "Anyway...back to the question, no, it doesn't bother me."
"Okay," Kurt smiles and kisses him again. "Cuddle?"
"Mmmm," Blaine sighs happily as he buries himself into Kurt's neck. "You stink."
"I know," he sighs. "I'm totally gross."
"Did you even shower this morning?"
"No." Kurt tries to hide his face in embarrassment, but Blaine pulls his hands away with a grin.
"Does that mean I need to bath you?"
"Yes," Kurt says decisively, jumping up from his lap and offering his hand. "I think that sounds like a very good idea indeed."
Blaine: Are we all here?
Wes: I think so.
Joe: I don't know. I don't know any of these people.
Nick: Yes.
Jeff: I'm not here.
Blaine: Very funny. Okay. So. Everyone, Joe is Kurt's friend from college.
Jeff: The dude you punched?
Joe: No, hater of the dude Blaine punched. Which was totally awesome, by the way.
Nick: We're still in shock.
Blaine: Can we start? I have to get dinner going soon.
Wes: HAHAHAHANAHA
Jeff: HAHA at your typo Wes!
Wes:... Shit.
Blaine: Know what? I'm just gonna start.
Santana: Hold up. Where's the meerkat?
Wes: Seb?
Santana: Who else could I mean?
Seb: Sorry. I was masturbating.
Jeff: Ew.
Joe: A small reminder that I know NONE OF YOU.
Seb: What, Jeff? It's not like you don't.
Nick: Even so. Time and a place.
Seb: And for Jeff that's down your throat every night, right?
Blaine: Guys...
Nick: ;D
Joe: *wondering what the hell I've entered into.*
Santana: Just you wait, sunshine.
Blaine: Guys!
Santana: Ugh. Looks like Blaine has something to say. Let's pretend to be interested. Spill, Anderson.
Blaine: Thank you. I think. Okay. So... I'm gonna propose to Kurt.
Blaine: Anyone?
Nick: Sorry, I was filing my nails. Really? Are we supposed to be surprised?
Blaine: YES! You're supposed to be internally screaming like I am right now.
Joe: You've been telling me since I first met you that you were going to marry him someday.
Seb: I stopped masturbating for you to tell us something we've known for years.
Blaine: Well I haven't! I mean, I've always known, but I haven't always known when. And now I do.
Santana: Hold up- you're actually going to propose imminently, as opposed to sometime in the distant future?
Blaine: YES!
Nick: Holy shit Blainers! That's amazing!
Joe: Oh, NOW I get it. Way to go Blaine!
Blaine: FINALLY! Thank you :)
Santana: Don't use smileys, you're about as far from being a teenager as Seb is from being good looking.
Seb: I might be crying.
Santana: Me too, but tell anyone and...
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. OMG Blaine! So...when?
Seb: You should do it after sex, he'll be all dopey and more likely to say yes.
Wes: He's gonna say yes anyway, you moron.
Blaine: Oh fuck. What if he says no? I hadn't thought of that. I'd only thought about the proposal bit.
Santana: He won't say no. Seb, I'm gonna kick your ass.
Jeff: Still waiting for an answer, bud. When?
Blaine: New Years. And I was thinking of having a party...
Wes: Yes.
Santana: I'm in.
Nick: We'll be there.
Joe: Count me in. I'll let everyone at school know.
Blaine: Oh. Okay. Um... So I am having a party then. New Year's Eve, our place. Obviously you can all stay. It's not a huge apartment but I'm sure you can all find some place to crash.
Santana: NOT my breasts, Wes.
Wes: *embarrassed*
Santana: You should be.
Joe: *worried*
Wes: Blaine, can I tell them? Can I?
Blaine: Go for it.
Wes: Blaine bought the ring aaaaaaages ago- the day before he moved to Chicago. And I've known of his plans since thanksgiving. Excited, much?
Seb: Yawn.
Rachel Berry is online.
Wes is offline
Jeff is offline
Nick is offline
Seb: Run, Joe! Run!
Sebastian is offline
Joe is offline
Santana: As always, totally still here. Sitting next to the banshee, in fact. Brace yourself.
Rachel: BLAAAAAAAINE! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE! WE WILL BE RELATED! (OR WE WILL WHEN FINN AND I MARRY. BECAUSE WE WILL.) OMG BLAINE! OMG!
Blaine: Um... Thank you?
Rachel: CAN I BE BRIDESMAID? CAN I? WAIT. DO GAY COUPLES HAVE BRIDESMAIDS? THERE'S NO BRIDE.
Rachel: I'M GOING TO GOOGLE.
Blaine: Rach?
Santana: She's googling 'Is it socially acceptable for gay men to have bridesmaids at their weddings.' I wish I was joking.
Blaine: Rachel?
Santana: Oh Jesus take the wheel.
Rachel: YES IT IS...BUT THEN I READ SOMETHING WHICH GOT ME THINKING...INSTEAD OF BEING BRIDESMAID, I COULD SING!
Blaine: Um...
Santana: Told you.
Blaine: Rachel, I just really wanted to ask you not to say anything to Kurt. I want this to be perfect, and that can only happen if it's a total secret, okay?
Rachel: IF I AGREE, CAN I SING AT YOUR WEDDING? CAN I? CAN I?
Blaine: Yes.
Rachel: WEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Santana: She actually did a cartwheel. You'd better have a role for me, Anderson.
Blaine: You know I will. You're my best girl. Or maid of honor. Whatever.
Santana: Serious?
Blaine: Of course. If you want to?
Blaine: Santana? Are you there?
Santana: I may have just joined with Berry in a cartwheeling extravaganza.
Blaine: Okay. So...I'm gonna go. I'll talk with you soon. And please make Rachel keep quiet.
Santana: Oh don't you worry, I know just how to do that.
"So because New Year's Eve is gonna be pretty busy, I was going to invite you and dad for lunch on New Years day," Blaine says into the phone as he folds the laundry. "The Hummels too of course, and Finn and Rachel will already be here."
"That would be lovely, darling," Sara Anderson says happily. "I'll bring salad."
"What's salad got to do with anything?" Blaine laughs. "It's like...below freezing here. No one will want salad. Bring pie."
"Okay. Oh Blaine, I'm so excited!"
"I know you are, but please, please, don't say anything at Christmas, please?"
"Yes darling. Can I squeal?"
"No...Well..." he thinks, "you can squeal with Carole. Alone, in the kitchen. But nowhere near Kurt, okay?"
"I promise faithfully to confine my squealing. And I won't tell the twins."
"No! Definitely not. I'm going to call Cooper right now, but he is expressly forbidden from telling them. They adore Kurt and they'll be desperate to spill."
"Blaine?"
"Yeah?"
"I just...I just want you to know that I am so incredibly proud of you. After Luke... I thought that maybe you'd never recover, that I'd never get my boy back again. But since meeting Kurt you've...blossomed I guess," she laughs. "You have become the most wonderful man. We're very lucky parents, and Kurt is one lucky young man."
"You can bring salad if you want," Blaine sniffs as he wipes at his eyes.
"I'll take that as your way of telling me I'm embarrassing you," she chuckles. "But if my darling wants pie, then pie it shall be."
"Love you momma."
"Now I know you're emotional, because you only call me that when you're overwhelmed."
"I'm gonna ask Kurt to marry me," he whispers happily into the phone. "I've been waiting for this day since he was sixteen years old."
"Have you thought how it's going to go?"
"I have two options," he says in a rush, desperate to run his ideas past someone. "Option one is to do it in front of everyone at midnight or just before. Kurt likes extravagance, and multiple people keep reassuring me that he will accept, so hopefully I won't look like a fool. Option two is to steal him away as midnight approaches, lead him out onto our bedroom balcony and do it there, in private. Then we return to the party as fiancés," he says, voice rising in pitch as he becomes more excited.
"Well... Personally I like the balcony idea," she muses. "But as you said, Kurt likes extravagance. If it was you, you'd want to be proposed to in private."
"I would," he agrees. "Not necessarily private, I mean a restaurant would be fine, but not with all my friends looking on."
"How many are going to the party?"
"About fifteen. It's more a gathering than a full out party. Joe is coming back for it, and his friends Jordan, Amber and Holly are staying over the holidays anyway. But the rest are with their parents. So it's the usual crowd, plus Sam, Puck, Mercedes, maybe Quinn."
"I just asked numbers, darling. I don't need a whole list. Am I right in thinking that the balcony also extends across your living room?"
"Yes, those doors slide right back."
"That's your answer then. Slide those doors back, tell Rachel and Santana to keep everyone inside, drag Kurt onto the balcony and propose at midnight. There's bound to be fireworks going off, it will be incredibly romantic, plus everyone will be looking on."
A stunned silence comes from the other end of the line before a slow smile spreads over Blaine's face. "My mother is a genius," he laughs.
"I know. I've been telling everyone that for years," Sara agrees. "Mike! Mike! Blaine says I'm a genius!"
"Blaine is deluded," comes Mike's affectionate voice in the background.
"Dad, she is!" Blaine cries as Sara tells him he's on speaker. "She's...she's... She's just the best mom ever!"
"Now that I can agree with," Mike laughs. "You sound happy, my boy. I like that."
"I'm beyond happy. I'm...ugh, I don't think there is enough adjectives to describe how I feel right now. I can't wait for New Years."
"Christmas first," Mike reminds him. "You and Kurt are coming over after dinner, right?"
"Yes. We're going to the Hummels Christmas Eve, then we're all coming to you the next day after Finn goes to Rachel's. But Kurt and I are coming back here the next day."
"At least we're seeing you on New Year," Mike says as he smiles down the phone. "I can't wait."
"Okay, I have to go. Date night."
"Nice."
"Yeah. Dinner and a movie. Can't go wrong."
"Unless you get stood up," Mike points out. "Do you remember, your second year of college I think it was, you were dating Brad..."
"Okay, going now."
"And he sent his roommate to tell you he'd bailed. Ouch."
"I took that roommate home," Blaine says smugly.
"Oh. Well. I'll let you go...and...take your roommate home I guess," he laughs loudly at his own joke.
"Love you dad."
"Love you too. Take care of Kurt for me."
"My dad told me to take care of you," Blaine tells Kurt over dinner that evening.
"You always do," he smiles at him, reaching across for his hand.
"You never told me what you talked about when you went fishing."
"That was weeks ago. We didn't talk about anything specific," Kurt shrugs. "Your dad likes to tell me tales of when you were growing up, and I like to listen. He's funny... I didn't complain to him or anything."
"I know that," Blaine laughs.
"I try to take care of you too, you know," Kurt says softly as he runs his thumb over his hand. "You're rather precious."
"You do," Blaine says seriously.
"Do you have work between Christmas and New Year?"
"Nothing booked. When do you return to class?"
"January third."
"Then that's when I'll return to work," Blaine grins.
"I was hoping you'd say that. I love our family Christmases, but I was thinking that when we come back here we could have a Christmas of our own."
"Exchange gifts then?"
"Hmm, maybe one gift on Christmas Day and the rest at home," he smiles.
"You're assuming I've gotten you multiple gifts."
"Yes. And if you haven't you'd better start shopping," he jokes. "So... What do you think?"
"I think it sounds perfect. Now eat, otherwise we'll miss the movie."
"We always miss half of it anyway," Kurt says around a mouthful of chicken. "We could just save our money and make out at home."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"I'm going to ignore that comment, Blaine Anderson," Kurt says haughtily. "And for that, you're not sharing my popcorn."