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“Stop fidgeting.”
Kurt's hand dropped to Blaine's knee and squeezed it gently. Blaine smiled sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed, and stopped tapping his foot. He glanced at his watch, then pushed the water glass a bit to the right before his leg started to bounce again.
Kurt sighed.
“Why are you so nervous, anyway?” he asked, putting his hand on Blaine's knee again and keeping it there. Blaine stopped twitching immediately.
“Honestly?” he asked, looking at Kurt. “I have no idea.”
Kurt raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else. Blaine smiled at him, relieved.
“I have to admit I'm curious how they grew up,” Kurt said after a while, both of them looking around the café they had decided to meet Tyler and Jordan at. The two boys – men now, Blaine supposed – weren't late, Blaine and Kurt had just been exceptionally early. Which was mostly Blaine's fault, go figure.
“Tyler sounded good, if that helps?” he said to Kurt, his gaze roaming over the small crowd in anticipation.
Kurt snorted. “I know. You've told me three times already.”
That got Blaine's attention and his eyes snapped to Kurt's face. Kurt looked amused and a little indulgent, and Blaine couldn't help but lean over and kiss him, cupping his jaw to hold him in place. Judging by Kurt's smile pressed against Blaine's lips, he didn't mind.
They'd had episodes like this aplenty ever since they'd moved in, small domestic scenes where Kurt reminded Blaine in this patient tone about the things he'd thought he hadn't shared yet with Kurt. It'd been an adjustment to finally have Kurt by his side every day and not having to wait and store up everything he wanted to tell him that he couldn't tell him at the office.
Which wasn't an option now anymore anyway. Kurt hadn't been his PA for well over a year. After he'd trained up Laura for three months before deeming her ready to take over, he'd been completely absorbed by his new task of managing the administrative staff for his charity organization. It'd been thrilling to see Kurt be so happy; despite his assurances, Blaine had always feared that Kurt was leaving the political world for Blaine's sake. He stopped thinking that when Kurt told him in great detail over the dinner table how he'd wiped the floor with some idiot who'd thought donating money gave him free reign to behave like an entitled asshole.
Blaine stopped worrying after that.
He'd also stopped worrying that them living together might actually blow up in their faces. They'd settled in just fine, living in a well-sized duplex apartment with a back porch and a gallery looking over their living room. Neither of them had had much of a problem to give up their bachelor abodes, instead settling into a home they'd chosen together. They'd had their small squabbles, of course, about Blaine never putting the juice back in its original place and Kurt never making the bed when he left the house after Blaine did. It were inconsequential fights to establish their living boundaries, and after a year they'd pretty much found a common ground that worked well for them – like sharing their chores, for instance, and never going to bed while they were angry with each other.
It had been Kurt who surprised Blaine one night with the question to marry him. There had been nothing out of the ordinary, just Kurt being a little more distracted than usual and asking Blaine to please bring out the wine to their back porch? It had been the first warm evening in March and Blaine was glad to spend it outside under the stars, hopefully bundled up under a blanket together with Kurt after dinner.
He hadn't been prepared for the back porch's floor to be covered in tea lights. Every square inch was littered with them, except for a path leading straight to their patio furniture. And there, in the middle of a sea of lights covering the table, was a small velvet box, popped open with two rings proudly displayed. Blaine had been speechless, stood frozen in the door with the bottle of wine clutched in his fist, until Kurt's arms slid around his waist from behind and he whispered into Blaine's ear, “Marry me, Blaine Anderson.”
Blaine may not have been capable of many words at that moment, but the “Yes!” was out of his mouth before he could even tell his brain to say it. He'd whirled around in Kurt's arms, repeated it against Kurt's lips while cupping one cheek and then kissed him around their smiles.
Smiles and a kiss that wasn't unlike the one they were caught in right now. But Blaine didn't care; he was in love and about to get married and didn't care who knew it.
Which was of course the moment when someone stopped at their table and panted, “Sorry, sorry, I didn't think we were late.”
Blaine was startled into looking up, staring at two young men whose cheeks were flushed and who were clearly out of breath. It didn't take Blaine long to identify them as grown up versions of the two boys they'd met five years ago. He smiled immediately and stood up.
“No, no, you're not late at all,” he assured them, waving at the two places opposite his and Kurt's. “We were just extremely early.”
“Someone couldn't wait,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes before smiling at Tyler and Jordan in greeting. They both seemed to be at a bit of a loss on how to respond to that announcement.
Blaine could feel himself blush, but he felt immediately better when Jordan, who seemed to get over it quicker than his boyfriend, smiled back at Kurt and confessed, “If Tyler hadn't held me back, we would've been here an hour ago.”
“Who'd've thought I'd be the sensible one in this relationship when we started going out?” Tyler joked, then smiled so sweetly at Jordan that Blaine could feel himself melt a little.
They both looked good. Well, considering how they'd looked when he'd last seen them, it wasn't that much of a surprise. But aside from them being injury free, they had both grown a few more inches and filled out at the shoulders. Tyler's hair was longer and had darkened from dirty blond to a light brown, whereas Jordan's blond hair was short and artfully tousled. He was still frailer than Tyler, but that could very well be his natural state and not a result of the assault.
“So how have you two been?” he asked, looking from one to the other.
They exchanged a quick look – and it warmed Blaine's heart to see that they could say so much with just a glance – before Tyler said, “We're good. We're both in college. I'm majoring in Physical Therapy.”
Blaine's eyebrows rose in surprise, and after a quick glance at Kurt he could see the motion mirrored on his face as well. “That's...” Blaine started, but stopped himself before he could say that it was a surprise. Because if you thought about it, it really wasn't. If they were still together after all these years, Tyler must've been privy to most, if not all, of Jordan's PT. It had obviously left quite the impression on him. So instead, he said, “That's a good choice. How do you like it so far?”
“A lot,” Tyler said, then stopped when a waiter came to their table to ask for their orders. They took a look at the menu and Blaine assured them he would pay, so they should pick whatever they wanted. After the waiter had left with their drink and lunch orders, Tyler picked up where he'd left off, “It's hard work, but I don't mind. Baseball kind of lost its appeal to me after these douchebags bashed Jordan's head in with a bat.”
He swallowed hard and reached for Jordan's hand, maybe to reassure him or himself, Blaine wasn't sure. It seemed to ground him though, because he continued, “My shoulder healed pretty well, so when I applied for colleges it wasn't much of an issue. And anyway, now I can keep helping Jordan with his sessions when his injuries bug him.”
A fizzle of concern sparked in Blaine's chest. “Does that happen often?” he asked, looking at Jordan who immediately shook his head.
“Not as often as it used to. I still have bad days, and if the stress gets to a certain level, I can trigger a seizure, but that's not as common as it used to be either.” He smiled at Tyler and added, “I'm in pretty good hands.”
“So what's your major then, Jordan?” Kurt asked, obviously trying to diffuse the somber mood they'd somehow travelled into by changing the subject.
Jordan smiled so brightly that Blaine startled back a little, eyes wide.
“I'm majoring in American History! I'm trying to become a teacher,” Jordan said, glowing as if lit up from the inside. “I've always been a nerd and a bookworm, and history has fascinated me ever since I can remember. It wasn't that hard a decision.”
“It's always good to have a passion,” Kurt said, smiling back at Jordan, then added, “So you two go to the same college?”
They nodded in unison, almost startling another grin out of Blaine. “Yes, we're both at OSU,” Jordan replied. “I've got a full scholarship and Tyler a partial one.”
“My GPA wasn't good enough for fancy scholarships,” Tyler admitted, shrugging. “It's okay. I make some money giving people massages. It's good practice and gets us food on the table.”
Their waiter took that moment to bring their drinks and their food, making them all laugh a little at the timing. They started eating, exchanging small talk about how the two of them liked the OSU campus and how their classes were going.
They were just finishing up when the topic of political activism came up.
“I joined a debate group this semester,” Jordan admitted, putting his napkin down. “I got interested in it when people started talking about reasons why you should get a second term as Ohio Senator.”
“Congrats on getting re-elected, by the way,” Tyler chimed in, raising his soda in a casual toast before taking a sip.
“And on the engagement,” Jordan added, smiling shyly at both of them.
Blaine could feel his cheeks heat up a little, and after a quick side glance at Kurt he was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one. He reached for Kurt's hand under the table and smiled back. “Thank you.”
“How did that happen, anyway? Last time I heard you weren't even dating,” Tyler said, throwing Jordan a dirty look when he elbowed him. Oddly enough, it put Blaine at ease.
He couldn't help the long look at Kurt, which he returned immediately. They shared a private smile, and in Kurt's eyes he could read the question whether or not they should tell them what had truly happened. Blaine shrugged lightly with one shoulder and Kurt raised an eyebrow, signaling him that it was up to Blaine. A pang of warmth suddenly exploded in his gut when he realized that he knew exactly what Kurt was saying. After over two years of dating, almost half of which they'd done so in secret, they knew each other like the back of their hands.
He turned around again and was confronted with two indulgent looks. He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed to be caught gazing lovingly at Kurt, then said, “I've been in love with Kurt for years. So was he with me. We never did anything about it because he was my employee. But after he quit, there was nothing holding us back and we went for it.”
He didn't tell them that Kurt's dad almost died and thereby triggered Kurt to confess his feelings. He didn't tell them that they started dating while Kurt was still his employee. He didn't tell them that they had dated secretly for months and only really thought about replacing Kurt when they had reached the point where they wanted to live together. He also didn't tell them that, in the grand scheme of things, most people in Washington didn't give a damn about them dating anyway, so it had never rallied up much of a press coverage back in Ohio.
Their engagement had only come as a surprise to the press because they didn't know them, but Blaine didn't care what outrageous theories they came up with to explain what they would never understand. They didn't have all the facts, would never have them if Blaine had anything to say about it. Let the press and everyone and their mother think they'd had a whirlwind romance, or that they were doing this step too soon. They were sure, had been after only a few months of dating when everything had still been so new and scary. Him and Kurt were it; it was that easy.
Tyler and Jordan seemed to be okay with Blaine's answer though, not asking for any clarifications. If anything, they looked completely unsurprised by the revelation. Kurt seemed to have noticed that as well, because he asked a little wary, “You don't seem surprised.”
“Honestly?” Tyler said, looking briefly at Jordan. “We aren't. You two have been obvious as hell when you came and visited us. And that was five years ago, so power to you that you finally came around and admitted it to each other.”
“Thanks,” Kurt replied, his voice dry as dirt. He might sound unimpressed, but his face clearly showed that he was a little concerned by the revelation that they'd been that obvious. Blaine was too, to a degree. Wes and David had told him as much, he'd just never really believed them. But hearing it now, from two people they'd met five years ago when said people were sixteen... well, it was certainly a little worrying.
Looked like Blaine owed Wes and David an apology.
“So when's the wedding?” Tyler asked, earning himself another elbow to the stomach from Jordan. Blaine couldn't help but laugh at that, oddly comforted to see that these two had reached a level of understanding and familiarity that very few couples ever did.
It was that more than anything that made him reply honestly, “It's actually why we're here in Ohio right now. We're getting married in two days.”
At their surprised faces, he added, “We wanted to have Kurt's dad present and he can't travel much anymore. It was the only time slot available for the next few weeks and we didn't want to wait for the summer recess.”
He left out the fact that they were concerned for Burt's health and wanted to make sure he could see his son walk down the aisle and get married to the man he loved. Kurt seemed to think about the same reason for their haste right now, if his carefully composed face was anything to go by. Blaine squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled at him when he looked over. After a moment, Kurt returned the smile and relaxed back into his seat.
Tyler and Jordan both seemed to have sensed the sudden somber mood. They both looked a little uncomfortable, and Tyler cleared his throat before he said, “Well, good for you. I'm sure you'll be very happy together.”
That brought an honest smile to both Blaine and Kurt's faces. “Thanks,” they said almost in unison, then laughed at each other.
“I'm glad you found the courage to talk to each other,” Jordan said, his voice soft. “If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you.”
Blaine opened his mouth, but had to close it when he had no idea what to say in reply. Jordan seemed to think a clarification was in order because he added, “I mean, you cared enough to visit two scared sixteen year old gay kids in a hospital. You didn't know us and you still came to visit just because you wanted to. And you gave us your number with the promise to always help, and five years later you're still keeping that promise.” He swallowed, threw a quick look at Tyler and ended, “And you pushed marriage equality. You played a part in pushing the bigots back and giving us a basic right that should've been ours decades ago. So yes, if anyone deserves to be happy, it's definitely you.”
Blaine was lost for words. He was deeply touched by Jordan's speech and his throat had closed up a little, but in retrospect he still believed it was nothing special what he'd done. As Jordan said, he'd made sure that same sex couples got equal rights just like everyone else, which was the basic foundation of their country. And visiting the two of them in the hospital had been as much about them as it had been about himself. He'd needed that sort of closure for his own peace of mind, to show these kids and himself that, while nobody had cared when he'd been fourteen, those days were over and he would always care. It hadn't been a big deal for him to visit them, but it had been a big deal to let them know that they were not alone.
“Thank you, Jordan,” Blaine finally pressed out around the lump in his throat. Jordan smiled, a little hesitant, but it grew immediately when he saw Blaine's grin.
The sound of Blaine's phone ringing startled them all out of the moment. Blaine threw an apologetic smile around the table before looking down at the display. His eyebrows raised when he saw it was Laura. Giving them all another apologetic smile, he answered with, “Everything okay?”
“Hello to you too, boss,” Laura replied, voice dry.
Blaine chuckled. “Sorry, Laura. Hello to you, how are you?”
“I'm fine, thank you. I'm just calling to give you the chance to tell me how much you love me.”
Blaine raised an eyebrow. “I'm pretty sure Kurt would have objections to that.” He caught Kurt's dubious glance and shook his head, signaling him that he would tell him later.
“Ha! He will declare his love for me, too,” Laura said, completely sure of herself. “Remember that two day meeting next week that you couldn't get out of? Well guess what, they just canceled the whole thing. And guess what else? I talked to Kurt's boss and was able to change the flights and hotel reservations accordingly. So you and your soon-to-be husband can go on your honeymoon the minute you've said your vows.”
Blaine felt his breath leave his lungs in a rush and his ears rang for a second. Then, with a conviction he never would've thought possible of himself, he declared, “Laura, I love you right now!”
“See? Told you!” came the instant reply. Kurt gave him a pointed look at the same time and Blaine just grinned at him.
“Send me the details?” he asked, and after her huffy, “Of course!” he thanked her again, promised to hug her in person when she arrived for the wedding, said his goodbyes and hung up. The call was barely disconnected when he let the phone fall to the table, grabbed Kurt's head and gave him an enthusiastic kiss on the mouth.
Kurt looked a little dazed when he pulled away. But Blaine didn't give him a chance to ask what was going on before he blurted out, “They canceled the meeting. Laura called your boss and changed everything and we can fly to the Maldives right after the ceremony.”
Kurt's eyes widened, first in disbelief and then in sheer wonder. A laugh escaped him before he leaned forward and kissed Blaine again, mumbling, “I love that girl,” against his lips. Blaine couldn't help but laugh too, his arms winding around Kurt's neck to pull him closer.
An uncomfortably sounding cough startled them into letting go of each other. Blaine blushed furiously when he realized that he'd totally forgotten about Tyler and Jordan. They both looked a little confused and embarrassed, but overall relaxed. Blaine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and explained, “My PA just let me know that Kurt and I can go on our honeymoon immediately and not in August like we'd previously thought.”
“That's great,” Jordan said, sounding honestly happy for them.
“It really is,” Kurt nodded, settling back into his own seat but squeezing Blaine's hand that was still entwined with his under the table. Blaine knew he was smiling sappily at his fiancé, but he didn't give a damn. They would be married in two days, in front of their family and friends just like Blaine had wanted to do for so long now. He was ecstatic that he could finally do it and he wanted to shout it out to the world, to tell them how much he loved Kurt and how lucky he was that Kurt loved him back.
It was an impulse, really, that made him turn his head and say, “Come to the ceremony!”
Tyler, who'd just sipped on his soda, choked on it and turned red in the face while he almost coughed his lungs out. Jordan was patting his back, but his wide gaze was on Blaine. “That's really not necessary-” he started, but Blaine cut him off immediately.
“No, I'm serious.” And he was. It may have been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the longer he thought about it, the more he wanted these two young men to be there. They were part of Kurt and Blaine's history, and he knew that they deserved to see what could possibly lie in their own future. So after a quick glance at Kurt, who looked less surprised than he should've been, Blaine smiled shyly at them and said, “Please, come to our wedding. We'd love to have you.”
Tyler had finally stopped choking and looked between him and Kurt several times, then cut over to Jordan who looked back immediately. They did their silent communication thing again, warming Blaine's heart in the process. That intimacy, more than anything, gave him hope that those two would make it as a couple, even though they'd been so young when they'd met and fallen in love.
Finally, after what seemed like an in depth discussion that had been conducted solely with meaningful stares and raised eyebrows, they turned their heads and Tyler said, “If you're sure.”
“Only if it's not a bother,” Jordan added immediately.
Thankfully, Kurt shook his head and assured them that it really wasn't. “It's a small ceremony anyway. We'd be happy to have you there.” He stopped, considered something, then added dryly, “Especially after you've known we belonged together long before we caught a clue. You should see the story's happy ending.”
A slow, beautiful smile grew on Jordan's face at that. “In that case, we'd be honored to come to your wedding.”
“Excellent,” Blaine cut in, suddenly giddy and happy in a way that surprised even him. He didn't know why it had been so important to him all of a sudden to have these two men there, wanting them to be witnesses to Kurt and Blaine pledging their lives to each other. But after Kurt's little speech, he finally knew why. Yes, he wanted them to see their happy ending, and give them the hope that their story could end the same way. “I'll tell Laura to give you the details and send you an invite.”
“Okay,” Tyler said, looking a little overwhelmed. Jordan, on the other hand, looked positively delighted.
They said their goodbyes about twenty minutes later in front of the café, ignoring the lone paparazzo on the other side of the street. As soon as Tyler and Jordan were out of sight, Blaine pulled Kurt into the direction of their parked rental. “I'm sorry I didn't ask you before I blurted out the invitation,” he said, smiling sheepishly at Kurt who only shrugged and bumped their shoulders lightly.
“You wouldn't be you if you wouldn't surprise me constantly. You haven't led me astray so far, so I'll always give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Blaine stopped, right there in the middle of the sidewalk, and turned until he was facing Kurt. He took both his hands in his, gripping them tightly. He just looked at Kurt for a moment, taking in his features and his slowly greying hair. He was still the most beautiful man Blaine had ever seen, and he would always be that for Blaine until the day he died. “I love you, Kurt Hummel,” he said quietly but with conviction. Then he leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Kurt made a questioning noise, but didn't pull back.
They stood like that, kissing for all the world to see. Blaine was sure the paparazzo was still there and probably took picture after picture, but he didn't care. He loved Kurt, and they would be husbands in 48 hours. Let the man take his pictures – Blaine wanted the world to know that Kurt was his and that he was proud of being with him. So he put the paparazzo out of his mind, pulled Kurt into his arms, and didn't stop kissing him until they were both out of breath.