One Step Ahead
Title: One Step Ahead
Rating: G
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Summary: On the first Sunday in December, Blaine was holed up in the Columbia library in the carrel that had been his for the past three and a half years.
Word Count: 1438
Author's Note: Third in the little verse that includes An Autumn Afternoon and Legacy. Unrepentant fluff, because I needed something cheerful and precious before I dive into NaNoWriMo.
On the first Sunday in December, Blaine was holed up in the Columbia library in the carrel that had been his for the past three and a half years, stacks of books and papers and his laptop spread out before him. The first draft of his Honors thesis was due in five days, and the write-up of his most recent semester of student teaching was due three days after that. His last two finals would be completed later that week, and then he would have exactly a week to get his act together for Christmas. He hadn’t managed to think about Christmas at all yet, and so even though Kurt had finished all his Christmas shopping, including buying gifts for both their families, Blaine still had no idea what he was going to get for Kurt. Well, he did have one idea, but that particular idea was neither practical nor timely. He would come up with something that would work, just as soon as he survived finals for the second-to-last time.
Blaine looked out the window and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. That meant that it was headed toward late afternoon, and Kurt’s matinee would be getting out within half an hour. Kurt had suggested they meet at Lincoln Center, and then they’d probably grab some dinner with friends before catching the 2 back to their apartment in Brooklyn. They’d lived there for a year and a half, since the start of Kurt’s senior year at NYU. It was tiny and cramped and incredibly far away from everything they had to get to in the city, but it was theirs. Kurt had filled it with beautiful things, Blaine filled it with books and instruments, and they both filled it with music and life and love. When Kurt had gotten that first little part on Broadway six months before, they’d celebrated with a homemade dinner eaten at the two-top table in the kitchen, with its grand view of the fire escape. It had been perfect, and Blaine knew that neither of them could have asked for more.
Smiling at the memory, Blaine began to gather his things so he could trudge through the cold toward the closest subway stop. He usually loved the cold, but it had descended viciously at the end of November, and he wasn’t sure he’d still be enjoying it by Christmas, much less three months from now. He wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck as he stepped out into the twilight. Winter in the city had its advantages, but the wind that careened down the streets between skyscrapers was not one of them. The warmth of the subway platform was a welcome change, and by the time he got to Lincoln Center he was feeling better about winter, but not about his workload. Maybe he’d see if Kurt would let them skip out on dinner and head home for leftovers and quality time with his thesis.
He came above ground and crossed the street, admiring the lights twinkling from all the trees and the lavish holiday displays in the store windows. He found Kurt on a nearby bench, holding two cups of coffee and looking as tired as Blaine felt.
“Hi, baby,” Blaine said. “Good show?”
“It was fine.” Kurt handed over a cup, and they settled in next to each other, seeking warmth. “No one fell, forgot more than a word or two, or knocked over any scenery, so I’m calling it a success.”
“Sounds like it.” Blaine knew the show had started off a little shaky, so he could understand Kurt’s low expectations.
“Enough about me, though. How was your fun-filled day in the stacks?”
“Exhausting.” Blaine tipped toward Kurt so that he could cuddle close and press his nose into Kurt’s scarf. Kurt shifted his coffee to his other hand so he could wrap his arm around Blaine’s shoulders. “I got most of the last main section written, but I’m no closer to a conclusion than I was yesterday. I know I shouldn’t force it, but I just want it done, you know?”
Kurt hummed in agreement, which Blaine took as a cue to keep talking.
“I can’t believe I have to go to class this week. And student teach. And play for the winter concert next weekend - I almost forgot about that. God. And I haven’t even started thinking about Christmas yet.” Now that he’d started, a million anxieties he’d been ignoring began bubbling to the surface. “And I feel like I haven’t really seen you all week, and now you have a day off and I have all this crap hanging over my head…”
“Oh, honey. You just need to breathe. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll get it all done. You always do. And as for Christmas, I think I’ve got that taken care of.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like you can get your own present.” Blaine laughed at the thought. Kurt, as much as he had very precise tastes, loved to be surprised with gifts. And Blaine loved surprising him.
“Yeah,” Kurt said quietly. “About that.”
“What?” Blaine felt Kurt shift awkwardly against him and sat up so he could see his face. A light snow had begun to fall, and snowflakes stuck to Kurt’s lashes as he blinked at Blaine.
“I was kind of hoping you’d go along with a less tangible present this year. For both of us.” Kurt shifted so he could put down his cup and link Blaine’s fingers with his. “But I don’t really want to wait until Christmas.”
“Ok?”
“So this should be a pretty low-stress present for you. I only need one thing from you.”
“Which is?” Blaine watched as Kurt reached up to fiddle with his scarf, a nervous habit that Blaine loved.
“An answer.” Kurt’s hand dropped back to twine with Blaine’s, and he caught Blaine’s gaze, his eyes so, so blue.
“I think I can handle that,” Blaine said, knowing without thinking that what he said next was everything that mattered.
“Blaine.” Kurt brought their hands up to his lips, kissing Blaine’s cold fingers - he’d forgotten gloves again - before looking up at him again and speaking. “Marry me?”
“Really?” Blaine could feel his face heat up as Kurt laughed. “I mean yes! Of course. Yes. Always. But really?”
“Oh, honey.” Kurt untangled their fingers so he could take Blaine’s face in his hands. “Yes, really. Marry me. Be my husband. Let me be yours.”
“This is the best idea you’ve ever had,” Blaine said. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Kurt leaned in, coffee forgotten, to press his lips to Blaine’s. “And I really, really don’t need presents this year. Not since I have you.”
“You absolutely have me. For always.”
They curled back together on the bench, kissing and laughing and crying and talking until they got too cold and hungry to stay still. By mutual agreement, they headed for home, wanting to be in their space to celebrate their life together. They splurged on gourmet pizza at the trendy little shop a block down from their apartment, eating it off paper plates on their sofa, quiet music playing in the background.
“You know,” Blaine said when they’d finished dinner. “I’d had some vague thoughts about asking you this Christmas. I thought maybe it was too soon, or too much, or something. But it turns out that today it was perfect. How did you know that?”
“I think you should be used to me always being one step ahead of you by now,” Kurt said, and Blaine nodded as he thought about how often over the past six years that had been true.
“I think I’ll always be happy to let you lead if it works out this well for me.”
“But we’re in this together,” Kurt said.
“Of course. You may get there first sometimes, but luckily it’s not a race. It’s our life.”
“I love our life.”
“I love you,” Blaine said, grinning when Kurt rolled his eyes.
“You’re a cheeseball. But you’re my cheeseball, and I love you, so I guess you can stay.”
“Hey. You asked, and I answered. You’re stuck with me now.”
“That I am,” Kurt said, tugging Blaine closer so they could cuddle. “Lucky me.”
“Lucky us,” Blaine countered, settling in.
Outside, lights shone and windows sparkled in their adopted city as soft snow filtered down from a slate grey winter sky. Life rushed on, and it would catch up to them soon enough. But for now, in this moment, perfect peace and happiness were theirs. It was enough. It was everything.
Rating: G
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Summary: On the first Sunday in December, Blaine was holed up in the Columbia library in the carrel that had been his for the past three and a half years.
Word Count: 1438
Author's Note: Third in the little verse that includes An Autumn Afternoon and Legacy. Unrepentant fluff, because I needed something cheerful and precious before I dive into NaNoWriMo.
On the first Sunday in December, Blaine was holed up in the Columbia library in the carrel that had been his for the past three and a half years, stacks of books and papers and his laptop spread out before him. The first draft of his Honors thesis was due in five days, and the write-up of his most recent semester of student teaching was due three days after that. His last two finals would be completed later that week, and then he would have exactly a week to get his act together for Christmas. He hadn’t managed to think about Christmas at all yet, and so even though Kurt had finished all his Christmas shopping, including buying gifts for both their families, Blaine still had no idea what he was going to get for Kurt. Well, he did have one idea, but that particular idea was neither practical nor timely. He would come up with something that would work, just as soon as he survived finals for the second-to-last time.
Blaine looked out the window and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. That meant that it was headed toward late afternoon, and Kurt’s matinee would be getting out within half an hour. Kurt had suggested they meet at Lincoln Center, and then they’d probably grab some dinner with friends before catching the 2 back to their apartment in Brooklyn. They’d lived there for a year and a half, since the start of Kurt’s senior year at NYU. It was tiny and cramped and incredibly far away from everything they had to get to in the city, but it was theirs. Kurt had filled it with beautiful things, Blaine filled it with books and instruments, and they both filled it with music and life and love. When Kurt had gotten that first little part on Broadway six months before, they’d celebrated with a homemade dinner eaten at the two-top table in the kitchen, with its grand view of the fire escape. It had been perfect, and Blaine knew that neither of them could have asked for more.
Smiling at the memory, Blaine began to gather his things so he could trudge through the cold toward the closest subway stop. He usually loved the cold, but it had descended viciously at the end of November, and he wasn’t sure he’d still be enjoying it by Christmas, much less three months from now. He wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck as he stepped out into the twilight. Winter in the city had its advantages, but the wind that careened down the streets between skyscrapers was not one of them. The warmth of the subway platform was a welcome change, and by the time he got to Lincoln Center he was feeling better about winter, but not about his workload. Maybe he’d see if Kurt would let them skip out on dinner and head home for leftovers and quality time with his thesis.
He came above ground and crossed the street, admiring the lights twinkling from all the trees and the lavish holiday displays in the store windows. He found Kurt on a nearby bench, holding two cups of coffee and looking as tired as Blaine felt.
“Hi, baby,” Blaine said. “Good show?”
“It was fine.” Kurt handed over a cup, and they settled in next to each other, seeking warmth. “No one fell, forgot more than a word or two, or knocked over any scenery, so I’m calling it a success.”
“Sounds like it.” Blaine knew the show had started off a little shaky, so he could understand Kurt’s low expectations.
“Enough about me, though. How was your fun-filled day in the stacks?”
“Exhausting.” Blaine tipped toward Kurt so that he could cuddle close and press his nose into Kurt’s scarf. Kurt shifted his coffee to his other hand so he could wrap his arm around Blaine’s shoulders. “I got most of the last main section written, but I’m no closer to a conclusion than I was yesterday. I know I shouldn’t force it, but I just want it done, you know?”
Kurt hummed in agreement, which Blaine took as a cue to keep talking.
“I can’t believe I have to go to class this week. And student teach. And play for the winter concert next weekend - I almost forgot about that. God. And I haven’t even started thinking about Christmas yet.” Now that he’d started, a million anxieties he’d been ignoring began bubbling to the surface. “And I feel like I haven’t really seen you all week, and now you have a day off and I have all this crap hanging over my head…”
“Oh, honey. You just need to breathe. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll get it all done. You always do. And as for Christmas, I think I’ve got that taken care of.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like you can get your own present.” Blaine laughed at the thought. Kurt, as much as he had very precise tastes, loved to be surprised with gifts. And Blaine loved surprising him.
“Yeah,” Kurt said quietly. “About that.”
“What?” Blaine felt Kurt shift awkwardly against him and sat up so he could see his face. A light snow had begun to fall, and snowflakes stuck to Kurt’s lashes as he blinked at Blaine.
“I was kind of hoping you’d go along with a less tangible present this year. For both of us.” Kurt shifted so he could put down his cup and link Blaine’s fingers with his. “But I don’t really want to wait until Christmas.”
“Ok?”
“So this should be a pretty low-stress present for you. I only need one thing from you.”
“Which is?” Blaine watched as Kurt reached up to fiddle with his scarf, a nervous habit that Blaine loved.
“An answer.” Kurt’s hand dropped back to twine with Blaine’s, and he caught Blaine’s gaze, his eyes so, so blue.
“I think I can handle that,” Blaine said, knowing without thinking that what he said next was everything that mattered.
“Blaine.” Kurt brought their hands up to his lips, kissing Blaine’s cold fingers - he’d forgotten gloves again - before looking up at him again and speaking. “Marry me?”
“Really?” Blaine could feel his face heat up as Kurt laughed. “I mean yes! Of course. Yes. Always. But really?”
“Oh, honey.” Kurt untangled their fingers so he could take Blaine’s face in his hands. “Yes, really. Marry me. Be my husband. Let me be yours.”
“This is the best idea you’ve ever had,” Blaine said. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Kurt leaned in, coffee forgotten, to press his lips to Blaine’s. “And I really, really don’t need presents this year. Not since I have you.”
“You absolutely have me. For always.”
They curled back together on the bench, kissing and laughing and crying and talking until they got too cold and hungry to stay still. By mutual agreement, they headed for home, wanting to be in their space to celebrate their life together. They splurged on gourmet pizza at the trendy little shop a block down from their apartment, eating it off paper plates on their sofa, quiet music playing in the background.
“You know,” Blaine said when they’d finished dinner. “I’d had some vague thoughts about asking you this Christmas. I thought maybe it was too soon, or too much, or something. But it turns out that today it was perfect. How did you know that?”
“I think you should be used to me always being one step ahead of you by now,” Kurt said, and Blaine nodded as he thought about how often over the past six years that had been true.
“I think I’ll always be happy to let you lead if it works out this well for me.”
“But we’re in this together,” Kurt said.
“Of course. You may get there first sometimes, but luckily it’s not a race. It’s our life.”
“I love our life.”
“I love you,” Blaine said, grinning when Kurt rolled his eyes.
“You’re a cheeseball. But you’re my cheeseball, and I love you, so I guess you can stay.”
“Hey. You asked, and I answered. You’re stuck with me now.”
“That I am,” Kurt said, tugging Blaine closer so they could cuddle. “Lucky me.”
“Lucky us,” Blaine countered, settling in.
Outside, lights shone and windows sparkled in their adopted city as soft snow filtered down from a slate grey winter sky. Life rushed on, and it would catch up to them soon enough. But for now, in this moment, perfect peace and happiness were theirs. It was enough. It was everything.