The first time Sebastian planned on proposing to Kurt Hummel was on their fifth anniversary. He thought it would be a romantic gesture, one that could be found in those rom-coms that Kurt adored so much. The five years they had spent together hadn't been a joy cruise, but Sebastian wouldn't have had it any other way. It was a roller coaster ride with ups and downs, pleasure turns and screams. The tingling feeling in their stomachs was ever-present, and in the end it always left them a little dizzy and overwhelmed, even after all these years.

If someone asked him how long he had been planning this, Sebastian would have just shrugged. The romantic part of him might have done something stupid and blurt out that he decided the moment he kissed Kurt for the first time. The cynic in him would have said that he still wasn't a hundred percent sure, because were anyone really ever a hundred percent sure? He still had doubts and insecurities. The scholar in him would have said that the time was ready now, considering how they had spent an appropriate period of time together as just boyfriends. But really, Sebastian just knew that he had to do this.

So one day during lunch, he stopped by Tiffany's to pick out a ring. He had half an hour left of his lunch break and thought he would use maybe fifteen of it picking out the ring. It couldn't be that hard, could it? It took Sebastian four months and a week to find the perfect ring. He stole one of Kurt's rings and brought it to the store to have the engagement ring resized and suddenly his pants pocket was a ring box heavier.

It took him another three weeks to figure out a perfect proposal, but it came to him late one night. Kurt's bucket list always hung by his vanity and Sebastian never questioned it. He supposed it was one of those inspiring things people liked to do. Just as he was about to switch of the lists, a certain bullet point on that list caught his attention; Number 114 - To ride a hot air balloon with my significant other.

It was surprisingly easy to fix a hot balloon ride in the outskirts of New York City where the scenery was a little nicer than the massive blobs of concrete skyscrapers.

Today was the day. The hot air balloon-ride tickets were burning in his coat pocket alongside with the ring. His heart was beating twice as fast against his chest, causing small drops of sweat to emerge on his forehead, despite the weather was already getting colder, and it was time for autumn coats and scarves. Sebastian decided to take Kurt out for dinner at their favourite restaurant first; Le Bon Vin (that had surprisingly good food too, despite the name).

"She tried to get me to the roof of the glass building and no matter what I said, she just wouldn't let go! In the end, I had to storm out of my office to keep her from dragging me up to the roof. You would think that someone I've known since high school would have remembered my fear of heights!" Kurt said, rolling his spaghetti on his fork before putting it on his mouth.

Fuck. Sebastian had completely forgotten Kurt's acrophobia. Usually it wasn't an issue. When they flew, Kurt didn't sit by the window and being inside skyscrapers wasn't a problem as long as the building was made of solid material like bricks or concrete. He could see why Rachel trying to have a picnic with him on the roof of a see through glass building would be a problem. Said the guy who wanted to propose to his acrophobic boyfriend in a hot air balloon. He had never felt a stronger urge to facepalm himself before.

"So anyway, we went to Margrete's instead and she wouldn't stop compla-… Sebastian, are you even listening?" Kurt huffed once he noticed that he didn't have his boyfriend's undivided attention.

Sebastian snapped out of his thoughts and offered a weak smile.

"Yeah, babe. Ehrm.. I have to go to the bathroom," he excused himself and got up.

Sebastian stared at the mirror in the restroom and couldn't believe that he could be so stupid. Tearing the hot air balloon tickets to tiny pieces, he threw it away. Another time. He'll think of a better plan and then Kurt would be his forever.

So maybe the hot air balloon idea was a little too grand, Sebastian thought a week later as he stirred the cooking paella on the stove. Nothing could be as simple but romantic as a home-cooked dinner, right? Right. So that was why he was bent over recipe books, trying to find out how to cook without burning the food. Until now he was doing just good. He just had a minor burn on his finger that would fade away within a week. The things he would do to get Kurt Hummel to marry him.

The funny thing is that he isn't afraid that Kurt wouldn't want to marry him. No, he was quite sure of that. But he wanted Kurt to get the perfect proposal he had always dreamt of. Sometimes it was hard to be Kurt Hummel's boyfriend, especially when said boy already had pre-planned every important event in his life and had great expectations for every romantic gesture. Naturally, after being with Sebastian for a while, those expectations for fluff overload had been hitched down a notch. Sebastian wasn't too fussed when it came it trivial things, but he wanted his proposal to be absolutely perfect. Something that Kurt could swoon about to his co-workers and friends.

When the Paella was done, he was partially surprised to find that the apartment was still in one piece and that the food actually tasted good. It was nothing like Kurt's cooking, but he thought he deserved points for at least making an effort. Just as long as Kurt would never know how much butter he put in this, he would be safe from his husband's wrath.

Just as he was done lighting all the candles, and there were quite a few of them spread around the apartment, basking the small space in a heavenly glow, his cell phone rang. It as a personalized ringtone set for Kurt with him singing his own version of 'As If We Never Said Goodbye'. It was an inside joke because they didn't want to be one of those couples who argued about who was going to hang up first.

"Hello?" he asked, pocking the lighter he used to light the candles.

The voices at the other end were frantic and he could hear a great deal of commotion and busy voices. ""Kurt?" he asked when he couldn't decipher his boyfriend's voice over the line. Maybe it was a pocket call. He was just about to hang up when he heard Kurt's voice. "Sebastian!" His voice was strained and sounded tired. Sebastian immediately balled his fists protectively, all though there was nothing he could do over the phone.

"Some idiot managed to crash the server and now half the files are missing! We have to publish in two days and we have to either retrieve the files or do everything again."

Sebastian knew what this meant, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at Kurt, not when his boyfriend sounded so distressed. However, he couldn't help the disappointment that seeped is body, slowly spreading in his veins like heavy lead, weighing him down. "You aren't coming home until late, are you?" he asked.

"The way things look, I'll be lucky if I get to come home today at all!"

Sebastian cringed at that and sighed. "I hope you find the files"

Kurt had the dream job. He worked at Vogue, remodelling fashion with the keen eye of Kurt Hummel, a known name in the fashion industry. That often entailed late working hours and busy schedules with catwalks, dinner and soirees to attend to. But, Sebastian couldn't complain. He had just gotten a promotion in the law firm he worked at and he more often than not had to bring his work with him home, pouring over case files while he lay in bed with a cup of coffee.

Despite that, they worked well together. Kurt woke up first and occupied the bathroom while Sebastian would brew coffee. They took part in a mythical dance around the kitchen counter, but they had perfected it after three years of living under the same roof. They didn't always have time for dinner together but at the end of the day it was always worth it when they cuddled up together in their double bed and fell asleep in each other's arms. Sebastian wouldn't admit it if you asked him, but he loved being the little spoon and Kurt would never bring it up because he knew that his boyfriend would deny it with every fibre in his body. But it looked like Sebastian would be sleeping alone tonight.

He blew out the candles with a disappointed heart and a dampened mood. Putting the food away in Tupperware boxes in the fridge, he hid the ring box the one place Kurt wouldn't look; his socks drawer. Kurt had an annoying habit of reorganising both his own and Sebastian's clothes, sorting them by colour or material and just because of that, to thwart him, Sebastian made a point of only owning black socks that were completely alike. He hid the box inside a clean sock and got ready for bed, hoping that Kurt would magically show up.

However, that night Sebastian went to bed alone with nothing but the faint glow of his alarm clock to keep him company.

Kurt came stumbling in around 4 am that night as they had finally managed to retrieve the missing files. He found the apartment cold and dark, and Sebastian deep asleep. Carefully, he slid under the covers and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend gently, not to startle him awake.

Sebastian stirred in his sleep, "Mff.. Kurtie?"

Kurt hummed in agreement. "Go back to sleep, Bas," he whispered, but Sebastian was already asleep.

It took Sebastian two new weeks to find the right opportunity to propose again. This time he wouldn't fail and nothing would go wrong.

He wanted to bring Kurt to their spot, the spot that had been their getaway for almost 7 years now. It took them 2 years of tentative friendship before they finally decided to date and from that point as far as Sebastian knew, none of them had looked back.

So this was why he was holding Kurt's hand as they made way to the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park. For them both, Central Park was a landmark, a symbol of New York. When they lived in Ohio, it was a symbol of freedom, a promise of a better future. So when they first decided to become friends and had started hanging out, somehow they had both absentmindedly been walking in the direction of the park one day while they were deep in conversation. From that day onwards, they went to the park more frequently than any of Kurt and Sebastian's friends.

A symbol of freedom, that had to be good enough for a Kurt-proposal, Sebastian thought as he carried the picnic basket that Kurt had prepared for them.

"I'm thinking.. Paris," Kurt said in a dreamy voice, squeezing Sebastian's hand a little.

"Mhm.." he said, a little distractedly, thinking through the speech he was going to hold for Kurt once he got down on one knee.

"Sebastian! Are you listening?" Kurt sighed, rolling his back upwards in a sigh. Kurt couldn't understand why, but Sebastian had been so distant lately and it was getting on his nerves.

"Yes, Paris for summer vacation. I completely agree and so would maman," Sebastian repeated the conversation perfectly. It was a trait he had learned as a lawyer and through years of being with Kurt. He could drown out boring parts about fashion and legalities, but yet remember the main points of the conversation.

Kurt grumbled unhappily, but he couldn't exactly call Sebastian out for not listening when he clearly did.

When they found their spot by the mushroom, Kurt spread out the blanket while Sebastian looked through the basket. He was so grateful that his boyfriend could cook. The ring felt heavy in his pocket and he was itching to get it out, now that his speech was perfect.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Sebastian felt something wet and cold on his shoulder and looked up. The sky still looked clear with a few slightly darkened clouds, but nothing too bad.

Drip.

Another drop fell on him, this time on his forehead.

Drip.

"Sebastian! It's raining!" Kurt exclaimed and hurriedly folding the picnic blanket back again, stuffing it in the basket. "Let's try to get back home before we get drenched."

Cursing the weather gods, Sebastian agreed and they headed back home. Only they didn't get back before they got wet.

Halfway home, the heavens above decided to open the floodgates and suddenly it felt as though they were in a cold shower. Running back home, despite Sebastian's protests that running wouldn't make them any drier – Mythbusters said so, he argued -, they stopped only when they were back in their block.

"Oh god, what a disaster," Kurt groaned and Sebastian couldn't help but agree, even though he couldn't tell Kurt why he was so pissed. But he was pissed at the circumstances and he was on the verge of giving up. Maybe they weren't meant to get married. Maybe this was some higher power telling them that marriage wasn't for them.

"Shower, now," Sebastian said between gritted teeth as he tried to get his teeth to stop chattering.

"Sure, you go first," Kurt offered kindly, but Sebastian looked at him as though he was mad.

"Let me rephrase. Shower sex, now."

Suddenly Kurt didn't seem so mad and he would be refamiliarized with how good Sebastian was at draining stress from his body with his well-placed kisses. The warm water between them as Sebastian relentlessly thrust into Kurt with slow, long strokes that made Kurt gasp for every time Sebastian went in deep, reminded them both how much they could tell each other without using words. The way Kurt pressed his lips against Sebastian's shoulder, stifling a deep moan as he came hotly over their stomachs spoke measures and the way Sebastian looked into Kurt's eyes with a hooded, lusty gaze as his lips parted, uttering an almost inaudible moan as he came inside of Kurt was more sincere than any words of love they could have exchanged.

After then had washed off, Kurt giggled when Sebastian wrapped him in a towel and carried him bridal style back to their bedroom. A soft thump was heard when Kurt was put down on the bed and they both crawled underneath the covers even though it wasn't even dark outside. That moment, when their eyes met as Sebastian leaned in to kiss Kurt, that was the moment he knew. That was the moment he understood that Kurt didn't want a grand gesture – he wanted in to be real. Placing a soft, open-mouthed kiss to his lips, he took a deep breath as he pulled away.

"Marry me?" he asked, all traces of the fancy speech he prepared was gone. Left were two men, too busy for their own good, but who still somehow made it to work. There was nothing between them than love, adoration and a good sense of humour – everything they needed for a life together.

"I thought you would never ask," was the reply Kurt gave him. Not a squeal or a shriek as Sebastian might have expected, but an honest, wholehearted answer. Kurt wasn't surprised, not really. He knew that it would happen ever since he let Sebastian be the little spoon for the first time.