Work Text:
April, 2015
It starts when Blaine buys Kurt a set of three pairs of silk boxers for Christmas. They are an extravagant gift, made of the finest silk, and are unimaginably soft. Kurt loves the colors – sky blue, sage green, and a deep red. And he loves the way Blaine’s eyes follow him when he walks around their apartment clad in nothing but… of course, one might say that Blaine’s eyes follow him like that all the time.
He also knows Blaine likes the feel of them. Sometimes when they are cuddling together at night, Blaine will slide a finger under the waistband of Kurt’s pajamas, not to tease or grope, but just to stroke at the silky material. Kurt doesn’t wear them all that often, but he does keep them in his regular rotation – they don’t deserve to be hidden away in a drawer.
One day Kurt gets home from a late rehearsal to find Blaine in the bathroom, humming to himself as he does some handwashing. He is carefully sudsing the boxers up, rinsing them, and laying them down flat to dry.
“You didn’t have to wash my underwear,” Kurt says, a little embarrassed. Not that they haven’t been as intimate as two people could be – and frequently – but still, it’s underwear.
“I don’t mind,” Blaine says, smiling gently. And he continues with the next pair. Kurt shrugs and goes to make a pot of tea. He’s not going to question it. If Blaine has a thing for his panties, well, Kurt’s got a thing for Blaine’s ass, so it all works out just fine.
It’s a few days later, and it’s one of those times when things have gotten busy for both of them. It seems like ages since they’ve had any quality time together, their school and rehearsal schedules taking over, their free moments failing to overlap. Kurt knows this makes Blaine antsy, and he worries, but isn’t sure what to do. When Kurt finally gets home, he finds Blaine conked out on the couch. He’s snoring a little bit, still not completely over a spring cold that has been plaguing him, and seems to have fallen asleep in the middle of folding laundry. There’s a basket with clean clothes on the floor beside him, and some carefully organized polos on the coffee table. And clutched in Blaine’s hand, curled up against his chest as he sniffs and snuffles, is the pair of dark red silk boxers. Kurt tugs a knit throw over Blaine’s body, presses a soft kiss to his damp hair, and retreats to the bedroom to think.
That weekend, armed with a new cashmere blend blanket and a length of fine, crimson silk, Kurt gets to work. Unfortunately for the element of surprise, Blaine gets out of rehearsal early, and appears at the bedroom door, eyebrow raised at the sight of Kurt at his sewing machine.
“What’s that?” Blaine asks, but Kurt smiles and shakes his head before Blaine can come closer.
“Almost done. Give me a few more minutes?”
Blaine nods easily, blows Kurt a kiss, and heads off to the shower.
It’s almost an hour later by the time Blaine emerges, having allowed himself time to soak before cleaning up, and taking the opportunity to actually follow Kurt’s recommended skin care plan. He comes out of the bathroom smelling like a day at the spa, rosemary and mint and eucalyptus wafting out on the steam.
Kurt is in the bedroom, folding his project into a neat rectangle He motions for Blaine to come over. Blaine is still a little damp, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Kurt pauses in his mission, just for a moment, and pulls Blaine tight against him for a kiss.
“You’re happy tonight,” Blaine says, breathing hot against Kurt’s neck. “A special occasion?”
“Silly. I’m just happy to be with you.”
Blaine grins, in that hopelessly devoted way that never fails to squeeze Kurt’s heart. “Yeah, me too.” He looks down at the blanket. “Is this what you were working on?”
Kurt nods and sits down on the bed. Blaine follows suit, and Kurt picks up the blanket, unfolds it, and drapes it around Blaine’s body. The deep red of the blanket makes Blaine’s skin look divine, Kurt thinks, just as he had anticipated.
Blaine takes the blanket and pulls it close around him, admiring the wide border of delicate silk Kurt has added along the edge. He rubs it between his thumb and fingers, and brings it up to slide against his freshly shaven cheek. When he looks up at Kurt, his eyes are wide.
“You made this for me.” It’s a statement, tinged with wonder, but no less certain for it.
“I did. Do you like it?”
“I love it.” Blaine looks down, still working his fingers along the silk border. “It feels really good,” he says, almost apologetically.
“I know. I’m glad.”
Being an adult is hard, and the city is still a big scary place, for both of them sometimes. And if Kurt can give Blaine something to make him feel a little safer, something to soothe him when their days are long and their nights are too short, he is more than happy to do it. They slide up against the pillows and twine themselves together, Blaine curled up against Kurt’s side, his new blanket covering them both.
“I love you,” Blaine says softly. “I can’t even tell you how much I love you.”
Kurt smiles and presses a kiss to his forehead, then slides down to catch his gaze. “I know. I love you, too.” He lets Blaine nestle back up against him, pressing his face into Kurt’s neck. “If there’s ever anything I can do… tell me, okay?”
Blaine nods against him. “Yeah, I will. But I’m okay, really.”
“Good.” It wasn’t as if anything had been wrong, per se. But Kurt worries. Little anxieties can build up. One pair of light blue socks can turn into twenty. He knows.
He’s more vigilant now than he used to be of Blaine’s state of mind, to the health of their relationship, to his own insecurities. He knows Blaine is trying harder too. They’re married, and they intend to stay that way.
But Kurt’s concern may be misplaced, at least right now. Blaine has relaxed against him, his breath starting to even out as he sinks into sleep. Kurt closes his eyes and lets himself drift, thinking of silk bow ties and pocket squares in deep red, and Blaine’s fingers pulling a matching silk neckerchief snug around Kurt’s neck.