Kurt straightened his father's tie, smoothing his hand down over it. "There. You look very handsome."
"Aren't I supposed to be the one telling you that?" Burt asked, pulling on the coat of his tuxedo. "Are you nervous for this?"
"I was." Finn added in as Kurt stopped in front of him, repeating the gesture and making sure his stepbrother's tie was just so. "Man, that was already almost a year ago."
"And you have made plans for your anniversary, right?" Kurt teased before he stepped up into a mirror to check his own tux. "I'm not nervous about marrying Blaine. We've been living together more than a year. I know that this is exactly who I want to be with for the rest of my life. I might admit to being a little bit nervous about something going wrong, though. I spent so much time getting all the details exactly right. What if Jules throws a tantrum in the middle of the aisle or the caterer knocks into the wedding cake?"
Burt laughed, stepping up to rest a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "You've been planning this day since you were five, Kid. But you know what? Things can go wrong. In fact, something probably will. Don't let that keep the day from being perfect."
Blaine knelt down in front of Julian, looping the fabric of bowtie around the boy's collar. "See how special you are today? You get to wear a real bowtie."
"Real bowtie." Julian agreed, slurring the r into a w sound as he fidgeted on his shiny new shoes.
"Auntie Miriam is going to watch you for a few minutes, remember? And when the music is playing you're going to walk up with Ella. Who are you going to go to?" Blaine asked, trying to remind the little boy of their carefully practiced plan. All the practice in the world only meant so much when it came to expecting a two year old to follow through, though, Blaine knew.
"Unca Mike." Julian stated, his eyes veering off to watch Ella spin around in her flower girl dress making the skirt twirl out.
Blaine gave a light tug to the vest Julian was wearing getting his son's attention. "Right. Uncle Mike or Uncle Finn." They'd decided that having a small wedding party was their best bet, just a pair of best men. It left less chance of offending people who weren't chosen or ending up with twenty attendants each.
That was one of many compromises and choices they'd have to make. Some of them were smaller, like what flavor of cake to settle on. Others were more important, like whether to have a church wedding. In the end, they'd compromised on that as well. They'd chosen this venue of a gazebo in a rose garden but asked Blaine's pastor to officiate. On Kurt's request, they'd asked him to focus on a civil service. Pastor Dan had agreed, promising to draw on multiple sources and cultures in speaking of love.
Miriam stepped closer, pausing to use her phone to snap a quick picture of father and son together. "Are you ready?" She asked.
"I've been ready for this for a long time." Blaine straightened, readjusting his own clothes. "To stand up in front of all of the people we care about and pledge to love and support Kurt forever? Nothing could be easier than that. It's everything in the years that follow that takes the work."
The ceremony space looked just as Kurt had pictured it. White chairs were set in neat rows in the grassy clearing, surrounded by rose bushes. More flowers lined the walkway and entwined the wrought iron gazebo at the end of the aisle. He paused at the edge of the ceremony space beside Miriam to watch the preschoolers as it became their turn.
Ella danced up the aisle, literally boogieing to the processional music, remembering every few feet to toss a rose petal or two. Julian was taking his job much more seriously, walking slowly with the pillow bearing the rings clasped up against his chest.
"So cute." Miriam declared softly as the kids reached the end of the aisle. Mike took Ella's hand and Julian wrapped his arms around one of Finn's long legs. "Alright. That's your cue."
Kurt nodded. "Thanks for wrangling the kids." He took a deep breath before he stepped forward, watching so many familiar faces turn toward him. Kurt couldn't keep the smile off his face all the way down the aisle.
It didn't even fade when Julian left Finn's side to yank imperiously on his jacket and loudly demand, "Papa, up!" After a moment's hesitation, Kurt obliged, settling Julian on his hip as he turned to watch Blaine come down the aisle. His eyes lit up as he saw Blaine start down the aisle. It didn't matter that he'd picked out the black tuxedo Blaine was wearing or that he'd seen Blaine fix his hair into the same straightened wave several times before. This was different.
Kurt reached out a hand to Blaine as soon as the other man was close enough, balancing Julian expertly on one hip. Blaine entwined his fingers with Kurt's as they turned to face the minister.
Finn tried to take Julian as Pastor Dan welcomed everyone there. The two year old cut the pastor off with a loud, "No!" and burrowed his face down into Kurt's jacket.
Kurt could feel his face flush with heat but the crowd just laughed. Blaine shrugged and leaned in close. "It'll be alright if you hold him. Fitting really." Kurt nodded his agreement trying to focus on what the minister was saying, knowing that it was unlikely he'd remember any of the words later. What he knew he'd take from this was the feeling of Julian snuggled against his chest, of Blaine's hand clasped in his, of having their friends and family from far and wide there to support them.
Kurt's attention was drawn back fully onto the ceremony when he heard Blaine start into his vows. After much discussion, they'd decided to use the traditional ones. Once Blaine had admitted that he'd always dreamed of saying those words to a man he loved, who was Kurt to say no?
"I, Blaine, take you, Kurt, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."
As Kurt's eyes met Blaine's, he decided that he'd never meant any words more than those he echoed back. "I, Kurt, take you, Blaine, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."
Julian was finally convinced to join his Uncle Mike and Ella before rings were exchanged. Kurt couldn't help holding his hand up to the sunlight for a moment, marveling at the sight of the ring they'd picked out actually on his finger.
Kurt could have sworn that he heard Santana in the crowd catcalling as they exchanged what turned out to be a rather chaste kiss. There would be time for more later. His dad and Carole were watching Julian for a week so that they could enjoy a honeymoon. There would be time for plenty more than just kisses.
Kurt turned with Blaine at the minister's signal beaming out at the crowd as Pastor Dan spoke. "It is now my privilege to present to you for the first time Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as the recessional music started. Blaine leaned in close as Finn and Mike tried to convince the pair of two-year-olds to walk back out. "This is such a perfect day. There is no one in this world I would rather pledge to spend the rest of my life loving. On this crazy journey, I'm so incredibly lucky to have met you."
"So all I had to do to finally get you to come visit me in L.A. was get married?" Kurt joked as he slipped an arm around Rachel's waist. "Dance with me?"
The reception dinner had been held on a stone pavilion overlooking the rose garden where they'd married. The sun had fallen around them as they dined, and the sides of the pavilion had been lit with thousands of small white lights. The chairs from the ceremony had cleared away, leaving the grassy lawn for dancing under the stars, what could be seen of them in an oasis of nature in an urban environment.
"Of course." Rachel led them out onto the lawn. She's already kicked off her heels, dancing barefoot in the grass. "I'll admit to you that I should have could to visit earlier, but if you tell anyone else I said that? I'll deny it."
Kurt laughed as he turned, pulling Rachel into his arms to dance to the slow song with the familiarity of years of friendship. "I know that eight shows a week keeps you plenty busy. Congratulations on the role, by the way."
"It's not a lead role yet," Rachel sighed dramatically to admit it, "but I have actual solos. Plus, I now have the ability to find tickets for my friends if they fly all the way out from L.A. to see me."
"Uh huh. Very subtle." Kurt led the dance, careful of Rachel's bare toes. "Blaine and I have talked about coming out to see the show. Now that we won't be saving every penny to spend on all of this? Maybe we'll make it later this summer or next fall."
"This was a beautiful wedding. It feels like we're in some kind of fairy kingdom, not the outskirts of Los Angeles." Rachel's gaze moved to watch Blaine, who had taken Julian out for a dance on the floor, the little boy's feet on top of his own. "I like this one. I'm glad you married someone with an appreciation for the arts."
"That would be one of the things lowest on my list of why I love him." Kurt shook his head. "Despite the fact that I fully expect that he's going to grab the microphone and serenade me at some point tonight. I care much more about the fact that he loves whole heartedly. He's kind and funny and more than a bit silly. He comforts me when I'm down and brings me back to earth when I get caught up in a bitchy mood. He lets me take care of him and takes care of me in return. Even without growing up with a great role model for it," Kurt's eyes caught for a moment on Mr. and Mrs. Anderson where they were sitting at one of the tables on the pavilion, "he's still become a great dad because he loves with everything he has, me, Julian, everyone around him."
"Well, I'm so happy you found him, then." Rachel stated as one slow song led into another. "You don't regret leaving New York?"
"Never. I miss it sometimes. I'd love to go back to visit," Kurt admitted. "But how could I regret leaving the city when I found so much here?" Kurt followed Rachel's line of sight over to where Finn and Laura were dancing, with much laughter as Finn tried not to smoosh Laura's toes. "Do you ever regret that?"
"All the time." Rachel admitted in turn. There was something almost freeing about talking like this, surrounded by music and starlight with champagne and cocktails loosening everything up. "I still love him, but I do think that in the end it was the right decision. Finn was never going to be happy in New York, and I was never going to be happy in Ohio. He tried for me, but it was clear he hated it. The choice became ending it with some fond memories instead of waiting until we resented each other." Rachel hesitated for a moment before she asked, "Is he happy there? With her?"
Kurt nodded his head. "Finn loves his job. Laura is a lovely woman, a good sister-in-law. I doubt it will be too many more years before Julian has little cousins. He asks about you sometimes, even though he always seems to already know the answer. He's moved on, but you'll always be his first true love." Kurt paused before he squeezed Rachel's hand and continued with a teasing tone. "Maybe you can channel that into a role."
"You think I haven't already?" Rachel joked right back. "Someday I'll find someone who fits all of me as well as Blaine fits you. Until then? I have work I love and solos to sing in front of appreciative crowds."
Blaine stepped up to them with an apologetic smile on his face. "Kurt, Rachel, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Carole took Julian off our hands. She said that a lot of people are starting to leave, so we should go say our goodbyes."
"And aren't I glad that Grandpa Burt and Grandma Carole get the joy of getting Julian to sleep tonight? After all this extra stimulation and staying up way past his bedtime, he'll be an absolute joy tonight, I'm sure." Kurt drawled, pulling Rachel in for a hug. "We'll get out to visit you. I am not letting it go this long with only phone calls and skype sessions again. Deal?"
"Deal." Rachel lifted up on her toes to give her ex-roommate a tight hug and whisper in his ear, "Now go say your goodbyes and get off to doing your husbandly duties."
"Rachel!" Kurt pretended to be scandalized for a moment before he leaned in close. "Oh, I have every intention of meeting those quite well, tonight and for years to come." He whispered, pressing a kiss to Rachel's cheek before he stepped away to tuck his arm into Blaine's. "Shall we?"
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