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“But--” Blaine started, then stopped.
“But...But what?” Kurt asked? His eyes desperate, but somehow hopeful at the same time.
“Let’s give the gay lovebirds a moment,” Santana said, getting up and pushing Sue bodily toward the door. Brittany followed and closed the door behind them, giving them a complicated series of winks as she went. Blaine thought it might have been a message in morse code, but he couldn’t worry about that right now.
Blaine shook his head a little to clear his thoughts, renewed his grip on Kurt’s hands, and pulled him gently over to the chair where Brittany and Santana had been sitting, settling himself on the ottoman nearby, so they could really talk.
Blaine took a deep, centering breath. “What if this is the answer?” He began.
“The answer to what?” Kurt asked, his eyes still searching Blaine’s.
“I gave up on us once,” Blaine explained. “You did, too. But what if, when I’m doubting everything because you’re busy, or you’re afraid that arguments are exposing cracks in our foundation, what if we knew it wouldn’t end? What if we could look at the rings on our fingers and know that we weren’t too young, and it wasn’t a question of when our forever would start, because we had already promised forever?”
Kurt searched Blaine’s eyes as he thought about this. Blaine was glad their hands were still joined, because he didn’t know what he would have done without that connection to Kurt while he waited. He reminded himself that they were back together, and that however this conversation ended up, they would still be together, and that was all that really mattered. But he hoped.
“We’d have to fix it,” Kurt said slowly.
“We’d have to fix it,” Blaine repeated, letting his thumbs caress Kurt’s knuckles. “Whatever happened, whatever problems or insecurities came up, we’d have to fix them. And we’d know we had the right to ask. There wouldn’t be a question of imposing or risking everything. We’d have to say what was on our minds, because that’s how forever works.”
Blaine believed what he was saying. The problem before--both times--had been giving up. It hadn’t been cheating. They had survived cheating when Kurt was texting that guy. The problem with Eli was that Blaine had given up on them because the distance was too hard. He’d been afraid that they’d never make it to forever, so he’d tried to move on. Blaine never would have touched another guy if he’d thought he still had a chance with Kurt. And the second time, Kurt had been afraid that forever couldn’t start because they were arguing about stupid little things. But if Kurt hadn’t given up, if Blaine hadn’t let him, they would have worked it through. After all, here they were, back together.
“We’d be husbands,” Kurt agreed, the hint of a smile curling at the edge of his mouth.
“Husbands,” Blaine agreed, his heart racing at the thought. “It won’t be easy. It probably won’t be any easier than it has been.”
“But we wouldn’t be able to give up this time,” Kurt promised. “Neither of us.” Blaine felt the squeeze of Kurt’s hands on his, and knew that Kurt understood what had gone wrong, and why they could never let it happen again.
“It’s still crazy,” Blaine warned.
“Well, breaking up hasn’t worked for us,” Kurt pointed out, laughing just a little.
Blaine smiled and rolled his eyes. Breaking up had been awful. He wasn’t sorry for the therapy, the growth he’d undergone, or even being with Dave. It had taught him a lot. He was coming back to Kurt with new perspective and skills, and was actually enjoying thinking about other colleges in New York he might attend. Whatever happened, he was done with NYADA. And that was a good thing, for him. But he’d never be done with Kurt. He knew that with all his heart.
“So we’re doing this?” Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hands again, searching Kurt’s eyes for a final answer.
“The look on Rachel’s face is going to be priceless,” Kurt giggled. “Oh, my god! We have to tell my dad. Blaine! My dad is going to marry us!”
Blaine caught Kurt by their still-joined hands before Kurt could leap out of the chair and run to find Burt, or Brittany, or Sue. Kurt’s attention re-focused on Blaine’s face questioningly.
“I love you,” Blaine said quietly, seriously, just taking a moment before everyone else got involved.
“I love you, too,” Kurt replied with a smile.
Blaine let go of Kurt’s hands and just looked into Kurt’s eyes for a moment. Then he slowly leaned forward and kissed the love of his life, gently cupping his face in both hands. It wasn’t the best kiss of Blaine’s life. It wasn’t even the best kiss that day. But it was one he would always remember. And for Blaine, that was the moment they were married. Alone, in the brides’ dressing room, just Blaine and Kurt, promising forever.