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It feels weird to be back in Bushwick, even if it is only for a few days. The place holds bittersweet memories — some good, some much worse. The new place Kurt and Blaine will be moving into promises better memories, made under the relatively new commitment of marriage and a secure understanding of each other.
Not to mention that it will be a much nicer place to live — closer to both of their schools, NYU and NYADA, and free from any possible roommates. This apartment is theirs and theirs alone, their first home together as husbands.
With the big move only a day away, Blaine and Kurt set to work on the final few bits to pack up — things such as toiletries, the last few dishes, and clothes. As Kurt tackles the kitchen, Blaine makes quick work of organizing their clothing into boxes. He’s not going to lie, it feels a little strange packing up only Kurt’s clothes for the most part; his were packed up when they were still in Lima, because he hadn’t lived with Kurt in New York for the better half of the last year.
But that’s neither here nor there. They’re married now, and they’ve had their fair share of heart-to-hearts about their issues during and after their engagement. Blaine knows they’re in it for the long haul — for forever.
Blaine hums to himself as he works through what remains in Kurt’s small dresser, carefully folding the pieces and packing them gently into the labeled boxes. At Kurt’s request, he works from the bottom up, leaving the socks and underwear for last. That way, they provide a buffer to protect the other clothes if boxes were to sit on top of this one in the move.
Thus, when Blaine reaches Kurt’s sock drawer, he’s not paying too much attention to how he packs each pair. He gets into something of a blind rhythm, reaching into the drawer and placing the socks carefully in a layer over the rest of the folded items.
When his hand hits something small, squared, and definitely not a sock, he stops momentarily. Glancing into the drawer, Blaine’s heart plummets into the pit of his stomach as he pulls out a familiar box, and sure enough, when he opens it, he reveals a familiar ring.
His breath catches in his throat, and tears threaten to spill over in the rush of emotion. It’s silly, really, he thinks, considering that they’re married now, and they’re in a good place — a really, really good place. But for some reason, the sight of the engagement ring makes Blaine’s chest tighten.
“Blaine, do you know if we already packed —“ Kurt stops suddenly, frozen in the makeshift doorway of his old bedroom. “Oh, honey.”
“It’s — it’s okay,” Blaine stammers, fighting back tears, swallowing around the thickness in his throat. “I just — it caught me off guard, I —“
It’s then when Blaine actually looks to Kurt, immediately noticing the tears that are steadily rolling down his face. “Kurt, I didn’t know, I’m sorry —“
He shakes his head, crossing the room to wrap his arms around Blaine, holding him tightly. “Don’t apologize,” he chokes out, wiping tears from his husband’s face as more run down his cheeks. “I should’ve remembered I put it there.”
“Why did you... I can’t believe you kept it,” Blaine murmurs, almost unable to keep his eyes off of the silver band. “You should’ve thrown it away, after everything that happened.”
“I couldn’t,” Kurt replies on the edge of a sob, taking a shaky breath to compose himself. “After that night, I came back here and just cried for hours until I fell asleep. I was so broken, and it was all my own fault.”
Blaine tries to interrupt, likely to console him, but Kurt quiets him with a wave of his hand. “No, don’t you dare say it wasn’t my fault, because it was. And I was so broken that I didn’t move from this bed, and I spent hours just crying and staring at the ring on my hand,” he explains. “I couldn’t bear to take it off, to make what I’d done final.”
Kurt squeezes his eyes shut, as if he’s trying to block out the memories, and Blaine cups his cheek gently, brushing away some of his tears with his thumb. “It took me three days to take it off. And I only did it because it took me three days to shower, I was so messed up. I always took my ring off when I showered, so that time... I just never put it back on.”
“Kurt,” Blaine breathes, and Kurt lets out a watery chuckle.
“I know, I know. It’s pathetic,” he comments, and Blaine shakes his head.
“No, no, it’s completely understandable. I’m just shocked you didn’t toss it over a bridge or something,” Blaine jokes lightly, and Kurt smiles.
“Well, I can’t say I didn’t think about it.”
“I think we should do that,” Blaine decides. “Together.”
Kurt furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Throw the engagement ring off of a bridge?”
Blaine shrugs. “Why not? As a sign of new beginnings.”
Kurt stares at him blankly. “But, it’s still —“
“We have new rings now, and we match,” Blaine grins, bringing Kurt’s left hand up to press a gentle kiss to the wedding band on his ring finger. “We don’t need that ring, we have the memories. And those are enough, Kurt. We don’t have to prove to each other that we love each other anymore.”
The corners of Kurt’s mouth tilt up into a slight smile. “But I like proving that I love you.”
Blaine rolls his eyes, laughing exasperatedly. “Okay, okay. You know what I mean. We don’t need the security blanket of a ring to prove that we’re in love anymore.”
“I understand,” Kurt replies fondly. “And even if I take my wedding ring off to shower, I’ll always put it back on. I promise.”
“Me too,” Blaine agrees, pressing up to meet his husband’s lips in a gentle embrace, brushing away the last few remnants of tear stains on his face.
Kurt sighs when they break apart, resting his forehead against Blaine’s. “Were you serious about throwing the ring off of a bridge?”
Blaine chuckles. “Yes. You want to do it today?”
“Part of me thinks we should resell it and use the money to pay our first rent bill,” Kurt teases. “But I also like the dramatic symbolism of tossing it over a bridge.”
“I knew you would.”