Molasses #23, Cookies N Cream #8, Star Fruit #8, with Brownie and Fresh Strawberries - Love Hangover
Title: Love Hangover
Summary: Chloe and Kurt’s engagement, from proposal to before the ceremony.
Timeline: June 2036 to December 2036.
Challenge: Molasses #23 (in the bag), Cookies N Cream #8 (laugh), Star Fruit #8 (just picture everyone in their underwear)
Extras/Toppings: Brownie, Fresh Strawberries
Rating: PG-13
Kurt wasn’t at all surprised that Chloe ended up wearing the pants in their relationship. It’s not that he wasn’t manly or anything, cause he was a fucking firefighter after all, and he won a good amount of the arguments they had. It was just in her to own everything around her, and Kurt was pretty sure that she didn’t even realize she did it. It came to her completely natural, and it made him love her even more, really. So he didn’t find it weird when she flopped down onto their bed (What was weird was having stuff that was theirs and not hers and his. This living together thing would take some getting used to.) and proudly announced that she felt like going out to dinner that night, and how did Italian sound?
He almost pouted about that, because he was actually interested in trying to cook in their kitchen, now that they finally had actual groceries, but there was something in her expression that couldn’t be argued with; a sort of nervous desperation that made him nervous. Kurt was immensely relieved that it disappeared when he agreed. She had gave a little cheer, kissed him in a way that had completely distracted him from the idea of food, and then leaped off the bed to start getting ready.
Not even a minute later, she had dashed back into the bedroom to tackle him back onto the bed. He didn’t complain much that it took them later than usual to get ready (and with Chloe’s clothing selection that was saying something.)
By the time they arrived at the restaurant and were seated, that nervousness of hers had returned and he couldn’t help but ask what was wrong. Chloe had given a shaky laugh and denied that anything was wrong; she was just a bit stressed from song writing and trying to get her music figured out, something he didn’t quite believe. He dropped it though, because Kurt knew how she got when anyone pushed her. It wasn’t pretty when her temper flared and a hint of brogue entered her usually Manhattan accented voice.
Any hint of conversation they had was short and blunt, which really told him something was wrong, because he had never known Chloe to not be vocal. Ever. She was only quiet when she slept, and even then it wasn’t a sure shot, because she had this cute little way of mumbling nonsensical things in her sleep. Finally, he had asked what was wrong again, and she had muttered something ineloquent, rubbed a hand over her forehead and pulled two little velvet boxes out of her purse. After that, he had only stared as she opened them and placed them in the middle of the table.
“I was going to try and go for the whole romantic thing.” Chloe stuttered, and then it was as if all the words she hadn’t used during dinner came bubbling to the surface. “I wasn’t going to get on one knee or anything, because this is a nice dress and that’s just really overplayed, but I was going to try and go for a better surprise but I just seem to be bad at this. You know how I am with planning. But there’s a ring for both of us, see, cause it seemed weird to get a ring for just you, and it seemed really weird to get a ring for me and then ask you to marry me, because that just seemed self-centered.
Really, I just got these earlier on a whim and thought I’d go for it, and please don’t be freaked out or say no because I already think I might hurl and I really don’t know how guys have done this for the past God knows how long, because this seriously has a crap ton of pressure associated with it and please say something? Do you hate the ring? Cause I can get another one or something, or if you say no, I guess I can just con the waiter into giving us a really strong bottle of wine and Oh, God, please say something.”
As she lapsed into silence again, Kurt reached forward to grab both boxes and bring them closer, feeling as if someone had kicked him in the head or he had inhaled too much smoke somehow when he was at work. The world seemed fuzzy around him, and his hearing had gone a bit soft, and man, his heartbeat was loud. Just as silent as Chloe was, he looked at the rings which seemed oddly in focus; one was a thick band that looked fancier than just plain silver, and was engraved all the way around in some sort of tribal pattern, and Kurt found that he really liked it. The other one was made of the same material, but had a more delicate design; the metal formed a band except at the top where it expanded and broke into strands to form a delicate lattice that held sapphires and diamonds.
Putting the box with the thicker, engraved ring down, he slid it back towards Chloe, and hesitated as her face started to fall. He held up the second box, with the more delicate ring, and grinned. “So, this one’s mine, then?”
For a long moment, she stared at him in shock, and he wasn’t sure if she was going to beat him senseless or tackle him like she had earlier. Luckily for his chances of scoring a second time that night, she only settled in giving him the happiest smile he had ever seen her wear and laughing in a way that he had never heard; parts relief and ecstasy and nervousness. Then Kurt realized that they were engaged now, and he felt like laughing in that odd way right along with her.
~~~
Unsurprisingly, Faith was the first person she called on the car ride over to Andy and Oz’s, and Kurt had the bemused pleasure of listening to them talk about where the honeymoon would be once the excited squealing had stopped - Faith through the car speakers via Bluetooth, and Chloe into her headset. When all of the usual spots had been thrown out and shot down (Hawaii, Bermuda, Jamaica, France, Italy), they had gone for the truly insane.
“Just break into one of the museums with all of those beds from like, way the fuck back when England and stay there.”
Chloe laughed. “We could go to the moon. I bet Daddy could afford that.”
“Steal the moon and go to Jupiter.”
“I’d like to cut in and say that I am not doing anything that involves astronaut training.” Kurt drawled, checking his blind spot before he merged lanes, and ignoring the pout Chloe threw his way.
“Why not go somewhere that no one would consider a honeymoon spot then, jackass?” Faith’s answer was as dry as Kurt’s had been. “Like, hell. Just stay in New York and get one of those fancy ass penthouse hotel rooms and ditch your phones at home for a week or two. If, er. Firefighters are allowed to do that.”
“I think I’d be able to take off of work for my own honeymoon, but I’m not promising two weeks.” Kurt glanced over at Chloe to see her opinion on this, and wasn’t surprised to see a dawning look of approval on her face. “I’m guessing this is okay with you?”
“I’m just imagining how easy it would be, depending on the hotel. We could get married, have the reception, and then go to our honeymoon all in the same building.”
Her reply was whimsical and star struck, and for a moment it actually completely hit Kurt that he was getting married and there was a rush of panic and elation so sudden that he wondered if he was having a heart attack or if it was just his inner bachelor dying. He missed the end of the conversation, though it didn’t last much longer; a few more streets and they’d be at their destination, and that realization only caused the panic to completely push elation out of the running.
He had never had a problem with Oz and Andy. They were cool. Oz frequently talked shop with him, and Andy had had been glad to give him advice on keeping up with Chloe. (Kurt vividly remembered Andy clapping him on the back, and giving him a pitying sort of grin when he told him that he was going to need all the help he could get.) But that didn’t mean that he didn’t have a healthy fear of them, and now he was doing his best to remember if he had ever done anything to really piss them off. If they weren’t happy with this news, chances were that they would kill him.
They parked a little way down the street from the townhouse that Chloe had grown up in, and Kurt considered saying that he would wait in the car while she broke the news. He wondered if that was how it would have to be anyway, because he was really worried to find that his legs didn’t seem to want to work.
Chloe couldn’t help but giggle at the look of terror he wore, because there was something charming about it, and she reached across the seat to lightly massage the back of his neck. “Don’t worry so much. They like you, and you know they trust my decisions. If they didn’t want me to see you, it would have been made really, really clear by now. Trust me.”
“If you say so, babe.” He answered shakily. Somehow, he managed to get out of the car and follow her down the sidewalk, which was a sight in of itself. He had seen her dance and run and one time on a dare, even work out in heels that seemed dangerous enough that they should be illegal. But he had never seen her skip in heels before. Add in the fact that she was dressed for a pretty fancy restaurant, it was even more of a surreal sight, and he found his nervousness slowly draining away. She was right. She was always right.
This would be fine, and they would both live through this. And in six months, or a year, or whenever she wanted it, she’d walk down the aisle and they’d exchange rings and then she’d be Mrs. Kurt Midgely. Or he’d be Mr. Chloe Grant. With her, who knew.
Chloe waited for Kurt to walk up the steps behind her before ringing the doorbell over and over again until they heard the familiar accented voice yelling at them to shut up and hold on a bloody fucking second. He heard her snicker, and knew why; anyone else that risked that would be on the receiving end of the surliest sort of glare that Kurt had ever seen. Chloe, of course, knew every way of getting around her fathers’ negative emotions. Unsurprisingly, Oz answered the door with a frown that disappeared as soon as he caught sight of the two waiting on his doorstep. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. You two don’t know how to call ahead anymore?”
“I was too busy talking to Faith, Daddy.” Chloe completed her answer by giving him a hug and maneuvering her way into the living room at the same time. “Is Daddy here? We need to talk to you both about something!” She giggled as she settled onto one of the couches, and Oz gave Kurt a long and searching look in response. Kurt really wished he could do more than give a nervous smile in return, because it didn’t seem to do much more than make Oz look more suspicious than he already was.
“Yeah... He’s in the kitchen. I’ll go get him.”
Kurt sat next to Chloe, and his smile became a bit less forced as she took his hand in hers. “Hey. Remember what I said? Besides, if worse goes to worse, I already have three back-up plans on distracting them until they learn to deal with it.”
He chuckled at that and squeezed her hand as Oz and Andy walked back into the living room, Andy drying his hands on a dish towel. Both of them eyed the young couple warily, and for good reason. It wasn’t uncommon for them to drop by without calling ahead, but it was odd for them to do so to tell them something. The fact that Chloe seemed so exuberant, while Kurt was as nervous as they’d ever seen him only made them more cautious about what news this might be.
When they were all settled, Kurt looked to Chloe to start. Her smile widened, and she opened her mouth a few times to start, though she couldn’t really seem to find the words. For some reason, breaking out with ‘We’re engaged!’ just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. In the end, she just grabbed Kurt’s left hand in hers and held them up so the two rings glittered in the light.
The older men only stared for a moment, seemingly unable to completely understand what exactly the rings meant. After a moment, Andy smiled, but leaned back in his seat and looked to Oz for his reaction. There was some sort of amusement in his expression that confused Kurt just a little, but it was going better than he expected. He hadn’t been punched yet.
“So. Er...” Oz finally spoke, voice a bit crackly. “When are you due, then?”
Silence fell, and Chloe’s eyes narrowed at her father, whose gaze hadn’t left her and Kurt’s hands. For a moment, she shared a glance with Andy before she shrugged. “Oh, I’m not sure yet. I still have to go to the doctor for an actual test, but I’d guess that I was about two months along or so.”
Kurt didn’t know that it was possible to choke on air, but he found himself caught in the middle of a coughing fit. He bent over his knees while Chloe firmly patted his back, and he completely missed Andy quickly hide a grin while Oz went pale. She - What - How - Well, he know how but Jesus, you’d think she would have told him something like this before she told her fathers. As the coughing subsided and he got his breath back, Kurt sat up to weakly look over at Chloe. Her lips were thinned and pressed together, and there was something in her eyes that said she was definitely not happy.
“Of course, it could be that we’re getting married because we love each other and not that I’m knocked up or anything.” She sarcastically drawled, and Kurt was certain that the relief on Oz’s face was a mirror reflection of his own expression. “Jesus, Daddy, doubt me a little more why don’t you?”
Andy started chuckling as color flooded Oz’s face, and the Irishman turned to look at his husband with a bewildered look. Andy only continued to laugh. “Sorry, but you deserved that. You should have known better than to even ask, and you know it.” He admonished, before turning back to Chloe and Kurt. Leaning forward, he grabbed Chloe’s hand to inspect the ring before glancing to Kurt’s left hand. “Two rings. Unusual. Do I have to ask whose idea that was?”
“I wasn’t even the one to propose, sir.” Kurt answered, someone embarrassed. “Chloe surprised me out of nowhere with it, and got two rings to boot. I’m not really sure that part surprises me, cause it seems to be something she’d do.”
Andy’s grin widened as Chloe muttered something about talking about her like she was there. Oz, meanwhile, continued to pout over Chloe’s stunt and didn’t offer anything to the current conversation. “Sorry about Oz. He’s just worried. We both are, I think. Twenty is a big young, isn’t it?”
“Daddy...” Chloe whined, taking her hand back so she could cross her arms over her chest and leaned back against Kurt. “Don’t. When has that talk ever worked on me, anyway? Kurt and I have been together for a year, and we’ve been living together for a few months now, and we’ve finally gotten the financial aspects under control now that I’m getting actual gigs and Kurt has his firefighter job, and-“
“Okay, okay, we understand.” Holding his hands up in defeat, Andy stopped his rather lackluster argument. It was nice to see that Chloe had thought this through a bit, considering how impulsive she could be at times. “We’re happy for you. The both of you. No matter how much Oz is pouting.”
Next to him, Oz snorted and gave a grumble of annoyance.
“He’ll get over that, because it was his own damn fault anyway. Just tell us what you need, and we’ll be happy to provide it.”
Chloe smiled, somewhat shyly, and looked down to her and Kurt’s intertwined hands. “Well, I was wondering if... I mean, if it’s okay with Kurt... If you would officiate the ceremony? I know you still have the certificate from Aunt Sarah and Aunt Rayne’s wedding, so...”
Andy seemed taken aback by the request, and his shell shocked expression grew even more so. He had to blink a few times and clear his throat before he could answer. “Well. I think that would depend on Kurt, wouldn’t it?”
Silently, they all looked to Kurt, who blushed under such scrutiny. “I, um... I don’t have any problem with it, really. It saves us a bit of work down the road, doesn’t it?” He stammered, shifting uncomfortably.
“I’d love to, then.” Andy’s smile was wide, and Kurt easily recognized where Chloe got it from.
Next to him, Chloe sniffled and looked to Oz, who looked hopeful and nervous all at the same time. “Daddy?” Her voice was a bit wobbly. “I was wondering, since Daddy is going to officiate, if you would walk me down the aisle?”
“Well, it’s not like I’d let Sarah or anyone else do it, would I?” Oz groused, though there was a very distinct thickness to his voice, and Kurt wondered if something was going to end making him tear up sometime soon.
Of course, he came damn close to crying in relief once Chloe had stopped her pregnancy joke, so that probably counted.
Getting up from the couch, Chloe hugged Oz, and then Andy, who stepped back to look down at her with acceptance in his eyes. “So, I guess this means you’re finally grown up, doesn’t it?” He asked, voice soft.
Chloe sniffed derisively, wiping carefully at her eyes. “Not even. I won’t be able to legally drink at my own wedding, since we’re having it in December.”
Kurt looked up at that, surprised. “...We are?”
“Let me give you some advice.” Placing a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, Oz laughed. “Just sit back and stay out of her way. She’s got everything planned out, and I doubt she’ll need your help for much of anything. Like, er. Chloe, where is this going to be, and how many guests?”
“The Hotel Plaza Athenee, with less than one hundred guests. Just close friends and family, of course.” She automatically answered, blue eyes glowing at the pleasure of talking wedding plans. “I’m still deciding on music, and there will definitely be a vegan option for dinner. Oh.” Suddenly, she turned to Kurt. “Do you think one of your firefighter friends will be fine with escorting Jax down the aisle? Because he’s definitely going to be in my wedding party.”
Kurt sat there in stunned silence as both Oz and Andy started to laugh.
~~~
“Okay, so for the bridesmaids’ dresses, I’m definitely thinking a light grey. Something with one shoulder and all... scrunchy in different places. Like, a twist drape kind of thing. And definitely something tight and a bit short. I want it to contrast my wedding dress, but I don’t want it to be too short. Sexy, but classy.” Chloe explained as best as she could, sucking on the end of a pencil as she watched Jax sketch out a basic pattern.
“I’m taking a leaf outta Kurt’s book and saying right now that I am not going to wear those insane heels that you do. No higher than four inches, and that’s just me.” Faith piped up, looking over Erin’s shoulder as they browsed through random bridal magazines.
Erin nodded, before raising a hand like they were in class. “Um. If we’re saying what we don’t want, I don’t really know if I feel comfortable wearing a, um. A sexy dress. I’m not a sexy dress wearing type of person. So, just watch how short and how tight?”
“You can choose whatever heels you want, just make sure they’re silver or grey. I’m not going to be one of those brides that has like, five different colors in their wedding. The girls will be in light grey, the boys in light grey and black.”
“No, you’re just the type of bride that is getting the bridesmaids’ dresses made to fit our measurements perfectly, and getting your wedding dress made from scratch and having it based on an Armani dress design from two thousand and ten.”
“And a vest and tie for me!” Jax said with a grin. “I don’t mind bein’ in your wedding, Chloe, but I dunno if I love you enough to wear a tight and scrunchy dress. Unless I get to wear my platform sneakers with ‘em, but it might take away from how pretty you’re gonna be, and I don’t wanna do that on your wedding day.”
Chloe perked up, suddenly remembering something. “Oh, Jax, Jason isn’t going to be the one walking you down the aisle anymore. He had to drop out because he has to move back home, and Kurt asked Penn to replace him. So now you’ll be walking down the aisle with him in the bridal procession. Is that alright?”
Jax’s grin widened, and a slight blush stained his cheeks. “Well, Penn is awful prettier than Jason was, so I guess I don’t mind too much. Do ya think he’d be willing to dance with me at the reception?” The last question was aimed towards Faith, who started to snicker.
“I don’t know, Jax. You’ll have to ask him.” Leaning forward to rest her chin on Erin’s shoulder, Faith titled her head and batted her eyelashes. “What do you think Erin, do you think Penn would dance with Jax?”
Erin blushed as red as a beet, focused very intently on the magazine article about wedding cakes. “Well, I, uh. Um. I guess I don’t see why it would bother Penn, cause he. You know. He gets along with Oz and Andy so well, and stuff.”
Faith and Chloe both began giggling, and Jax gave them both chiding looks as Erin somehow blushed a darker red. “Y’all leave her alone. Just cause you can tease her so easily Faith, it doesn’t mean ya should.”
Chloe pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oh, she knows we’re just playing with her. Really, it’s just amazing that we haven’t corrupted her yet, since we’ve known her since we were ten and she’s helped with all of our shenanigans.”
“I have not helped you! I just put up with them, and made sure neither of you went to jail.” Erin protested. “I can only imagine what would have happened if I let you two go through with that Catholic school stunt.”
“Catholic school stunt?” Jax asked, putting a last few details on the dress sketch. “Is this somethin’ I want to ask about?”
“Well, some of Chloe’s friends go to this Catholic school in Brooklyn. St. Joseph’s. It’s a lot like ours, cause it has all thirteen grades in one building, so it’s really small, you know? Exclusive. Well, one day, Chloe wanted to see what it was like to go to their school instead of ours, and we came up with this plan-“ Faith explained, before Erin cut her off.
“It wasn’t a plan. It was an insane scheme.” She scoffed, before turning to Jax. “They got it into their heads that they would somehow borrow two of the uniforms from this school, and sneak into a day of classes. Remember that this school is about as small as ours is, if not smaller. It was only because I threatened to tell their parents that they didn’t go through with it.”
“I still think we could have gotten away with it.” Faith grumbled as she moved to slump down next to Chloe.
It was Jax’s turn to laugh as Chloe shook her head and rolled her eyes; obviously, her opinion differed. Still giggling, he set the pencil down and slid the sketch over to Chloe who looked it over with a critical eye. After a long moment, she smiled at him, eyes sparkling with excitement. “It’s perfect.” She exclaimed as Erin and Faith crowded around her to look at the drawing.
Almost immediately, Erin started to chew on her bottom lip. “I don’t know... It’s still pretty short and tight. Are you sure I won’t look ridiculous in it?”
“I don’t think you could look ridiculous in much, if it means anything from me.” Jax gleefully replied. “You’re already so pretty, so I think anything you wore would look nice.”
Erin smiled and blushed again, though it was a pink flush that prettily spread across her cheeks instead of the tomato red from earlier. “Well... I guess as long as my heels are too high, it’ll be okay. And I guess I can wear a shawl with it?” She asked, sending Chloe a cautious glance.
“Oh, Erin, you know that’ll be fine! I don’t like those weddings were everyone matches, and I’d rather you be comfortable. Besides, I think it’ll be a lot nicer looking if you dress it up to reflect who you are, and you are definitely a girl that needs a shawl with her fancy wear.” Chloe answered, half of her attention still on the sketch. She paused, before adding on, “And I mean that in a nice way.”
“I know you do. You’re pretty much the only person that can ramble like that and spin into a compliment.”
Grinning over at the blonde for a short moment, Chloe turned to Faith who was still pouring over the sketch. “Faith. Any problems with it? Anything you absolutely need changed?”
“No... I’m just trying to figure out if you could even wear underwear with it. We might have to deal with thongs and those rubber things that you put under your tits, Erin.”
Erin’s response was much less of a yell, and more of an embarrassed screech. “FAITH!”
~~~
The bathroom was quiet, though there was plenty of background noise just past the door; people arriving and making small talk while waiting for the wedding to begin. “Now, Lizzie. What are the rules for flower girls once we get dressed?” Julia asked, helping her daughter slip into her dress.
The six year old rolled her eyes, oblivious to the fact that her mother could see the action in the mirror. “No running, no getting messy, no playing in the yard, and no eating until after the wedding.” She mournfully recited.
Julia smiled in spite of herself as straightened out the hem of Lizzie’s skirt. “It’s only for a little while, you know. Chloe said herself that the ceremony wasn’t going to be long.”
Lizzie whined. “But that’s not happening for hours! I’m gonna die if I can’t do anything fun until then, Mama!”
“Oh, you will not. I was the flower girl at Aunt Adrianna’s first wedding, and I made it through just fine. Now stay still while I fix your hair.”
The child pouted, though stayed still as Julia started to pull her hair into two braids. “Aunt Adrianna’s wedding with Uncle Zach?”
“No, not that one. Chloe was the flower girl then.” Julia paused to wrap an elastic band around the end of one of the braids before thoughtlessly continuing. “I was the flower girl when Aunt Adrianna married Uncle Oz.”
Lizzie’s jaw dropped, and she stared wide eyed at her mother’s reflection as her second braid was tied off. “...Nuh-uh!”
Julia finally realized what she had said, and silently cursed. A second too late, she forced a smile and a laugh. “No, I wasn’t. But that made you quit pouting over not being able to play, didn’t it?”
Immediately, Lizzie’s face flushed and she started to glare. “That wasn’t nice, Mama.”
Julia’s answering smile was one of relief as she pinned the two braids around the crown of Lizzie’s head and reached for the hairspray.
~~~
The dressing room for the bridal party was surprisingly calm as Julia led Lizzie in, but it probably helped that it was nearly time for the ceremony to start. By this time, everyone was putting on the finishing touches; Erin was helping Jax with his cufflinks, while Faith made sure that Chloe’s dress fell in the way it should. As Chloe caught sight of Lizzie’s dress, her already wide smile grew just a bit more, and she stepped away from Faith to very carefully kneel down in front of the flower girl. “Didn’t I tell you it would be a pretty dress?”
Lizzie smiled and blushed before hiding her face in her mother’s knees. Julia only laughed and lightly pushed her daughter away. “I have to go sit down now, sweetie. You remember what you’re supposed to do once you finish walking up the aisle?”
“Go sit by you in the front row.” Lizzie muttered, now shy that she was in bigger company.
“Good girl.” Looking back to Chloe, Julia’s smile turned soft before she carefully gave her younger cousin a hug. “I remember when I had to chase you and Faith around the house to keep you out of trouble. Now I get to watch you get married. You make me feel old, brat.”
“Yeah, now we get to chase the miniature version of you around when you need a break.” Faith joked as she slipped into her heels. “We’ve learned our lessons in payback. Trust me.”
“Watch who you’re name calling, ginger.” Chloe teased back, sticking out her tongue. “Or I’ll start bringing up the disaster that your wedding ended up being.”
“That was on purpose, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times...”
Before she could get started on her rant, the door to the dressing room opened and Oz stuck his head in. “Apparently, it’s time for everything to start. I was sent to fetch you all, so hurry up and get out here."
In a second, everything was frantic again as bouquets and a basket of flower petals were hastily found, and there was one last check of everyone’s hairstyle before they filed out the door. Chloe took last place, blinking rapidly as Oz took her arm once everybody was lined up. She had to take a steadying breath, and her grip around the stem of her bouquet tightens.
“Nervous?”
Oz’s voice brought her back to Earth, and grounded her. Looking up at him, Chloe smiled. “Are you kidding? It’s just a crowd of people staring at me, and waiting for me to recite my lines. I do this three times a week.”
Oz laughed, and beyond them, the music that ushered in the wedding procession started to play.
Summary: Chloe and Kurt’s engagement, from proposal to before the ceremony.
Timeline: June 2036 to December 2036.
Challenge: Molasses #23 (in the bag), Cookies N Cream #8 (laugh), Star Fruit #8 (just picture everyone in their underwear)
Extras/Toppings: Brownie, Fresh Strawberries
Rating: PG-13
Kurt wasn’t at all surprised that Chloe ended up wearing the pants in their relationship. It’s not that he wasn’t manly or anything, cause he was a fucking firefighter after all, and he won a good amount of the arguments they had. It was just in her to own everything around her, and Kurt was pretty sure that she didn’t even realize she did it. It came to her completely natural, and it made him love her even more, really. So he didn’t find it weird when she flopped down onto their bed (What was weird was having stuff that was theirs and not hers and his. This living together thing would take some getting used to.) and proudly announced that she felt like going out to dinner that night, and how did Italian sound?
He almost pouted about that, because he was actually interested in trying to cook in their kitchen, now that they finally had actual groceries, but there was something in her expression that couldn’t be argued with; a sort of nervous desperation that made him nervous. Kurt was immensely relieved that it disappeared when he agreed. She had gave a little cheer, kissed him in a way that had completely distracted him from the idea of food, and then leaped off the bed to start getting ready.
Not even a minute later, she had dashed back into the bedroom to tackle him back onto the bed. He didn’t complain much that it took them later than usual to get ready (and with Chloe’s clothing selection that was saying something.)
By the time they arrived at the restaurant and were seated, that nervousness of hers had returned and he couldn’t help but ask what was wrong. Chloe had given a shaky laugh and denied that anything was wrong; she was just a bit stressed from song writing and trying to get her music figured out, something he didn’t quite believe. He dropped it though, because Kurt knew how she got when anyone pushed her. It wasn’t pretty when her temper flared and a hint of brogue entered her usually Manhattan accented voice.
Any hint of conversation they had was short and blunt, which really told him something was wrong, because he had never known Chloe to not be vocal. Ever. She was only quiet when she slept, and even then it wasn’t a sure shot, because she had this cute little way of mumbling nonsensical things in her sleep. Finally, he had asked what was wrong again, and she had muttered something ineloquent, rubbed a hand over her forehead and pulled two little velvet boxes out of her purse. After that, he had only stared as she opened them and placed them in the middle of the table.
“I was going to try and go for the whole romantic thing.” Chloe stuttered, and then it was as if all the words she hadn’t used during dinner came bubbling to the surface. “I wasn’t going to get on one knee or anything, because this is a nice dress and that’s just really overplayed, but I was going to try and go for a better surprise but I just seem to be bad at this. You know how I am with planning. But there’s a ring for both of us, see, cause it seemed weird to get a ring for just you, and it seemed really weird to get a ring for me and then ask you to marry me, because that just seemed self-centered.
Really, I just got these earlier on a whim and thought I’d go for it, and please don’t be freaked out or say no because I already think I might hurl and I really don’t know how guys have done this for the past God knows how long, because this seriously has a crap ton of pressure associated with it and please say something? Do you hate the ring? Cause I can get another one or something, or if you say no, I guess I can just con the waiter into giving us a really strong bottle of wine and Oh, God, please say something.”
As she lapsed into silence again, Kurt reached forward to grab both boxes and bring them closer, feeling as if someone had kicked him in the head or he had inhaled too much smoke somehow when he was at work. The world seemed fuzzy around him, and his hearing had gone a bit soft, and man, his heartbeat was loud. Just as silent as Chloe was, he looked at the rings which seemed oddly in focus; one was a thick band that looked fancier than just plain silver, and was engraved all the way around in some sort of tribal pattern, and Kurt found that he really liked it. The other one was made of the same material, but had a more delicate design; the metal formed a band except at the top where it expanded and broke into strands to form a delicate lattice that held sapphires and diamonds.
Putting the box with the thicker, engraved ring down, he slid it back towards Chloe, and hesitated as her face started to fall. He held up the second box, with the more delicate ring, and grinned. “So, this one’s mine, then?”
For a long moment, she stared at him in shock, and he wasn’t sure if she was going to beat him senseless or tackle him like she had earlier. Luckily for his chances of scoring a second time that night, she only settled in giving him the happiest smile he had ever seen her wear and laughing in a way that he had never heard; parts relief and ecstasy and nervousness. Then Kurt realized that they were engaged now, and he felt like laughing in that odd way right along with her.
~~~
Unsurprisingly, Faith was the first person she called on the car ride over to Andy and Oz’s, and Kurt had the bemused pleasure of listening to them talk about where the honeymoon would be once the excited squealing had stopped - Faith through the car speakers via Bluetooth, and Chloe into her headset. When all of the usual spots had been thrown out and shot down (Hawaii, Bermuda, Jamaica, France, Italy), they had gone for the truly insane.
“Just break into one of the museums with all of those beds from like, way the fuck back when England and stay there.”
Chloe laughed. “We could go to the moon. I bet Daddy could afford that.”
“Steal the moon and go to Jupiter.”
“I’d like to cut in and say that I am not doing anything that involves astronaut training.” Kurt drawled, checking his blind spot before he merged lanes, and ignoring the pout Chloe threw his way.
“Why not go somewhere that no one would consider a honeymoon spot then, jackass?” Faith’s answer was as dry as Kurt’s had been. “Like, hell. Just stay in New York and get one of those fancy ass penthouse hotel rooms and ditch your phones at home for a week or two. If, er. Firefighters are allowed to do that.”
“I think I’d be able to take off of work for my own honeymoon, but I’m not promising two weeks.” Kurt glanced over at Chloe to see her opinion on this, and wasn’t surprised to see a dawning look of approval on her face. “I’m guessing this is okay with you?”
“I’m just imagining how easy it would be, depending on the hotel. We could get married, have the reception, and then go to our honeymoon all in the same building.”
Her reply was whimsical and star struck, and for a moment it actually completely hit Kurt that he was getting married and there was a rush of panic and elation so sudden that he wondered if he was having a heart attack or if it was just his inner bachelor dying. He missed the end of the conversation, though it didn’t last much longer; a few more streets and they’d be at their destination, and that realization only caused the panic to completely push elation out of the running.
He had never had a problem with Oz and Andy. They were cool. Oz frequently talked shop with him, and Andy had had been glad to give him advice on keeping up with Chloe. (Kurt vividly remembered Andy clapping him on the back, and giving him a pitying sort of grin when he told him that he was going to need all the help he could get.) But that didn’t mean that he didn’t have a healthy fear of them, and now he was doing his best to remember if he had ever done anything to really piss them off. If they weren’t happy with this news, chances were that they would kill him.
They parked a little way down the street from the townhouse that Chloe had grown up in, and Kurt considered saying that he would wait in the car while she broke the news. He wondered if that was how it would have to be anyway, because he was really worried to find that his legs didn’t seem to want to work.
Chloe couldn’t help but giggle at the look of terror he wore, because there was something charming about it, and she reached across the seat to lightly massage the back of his neck. “Don’t worry so much. They like you, and you know they trust my decisions. If they didn’t want me to see you, it would have been made really, really clear by now. Trust me.”
“If you say so, babe.” He answered shakily. Somehow, he managed to get out of the car and follow her down the sidewalk, which was a sight in of itself. He had seen her dance and run and one time on a dare, even work out in heels that seemed dangerous enough that they should be illegal. But he had never seen her skip in heels before. Add in the fact that she was dressed for a pretty fancy restaurant, it was even more of a surreal sight, and he found his nervousness slowly draining away. She was right. She was always right.
This would be fine, and they would both live through this. And in six months, or a year, or whenever she wanted it, she’d walk down the aisle and they’d exchange rings and then she’d be Mrs. Kurt Midgely. Or he’d be Mr. Chloe Grant. With her, who knew.
Chloe waited for Kurt to walk up the steps behind her before ringing the doorbell over and over again until they heard the familiar accented voice yelling at them to shut up and hold on a bloody fucking second. He heard her snicker, and knew why; anyone else that risked that would be on the receiving end of the surliest sort of glare that Kurt had ever seen. Chloe, of course, knew every way of getting around her fathers’ negative emotions. Unsurprisingly, Oz answered the door with a frown that disappeared as soon as he caught sight of the two waiting on his doorstep. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. You two don’t know how to call ahead anymore?”
“I was too busy talking to Faith, Daddy.” Chloe completed her answer by giving him a hug and maneuvering her way into the living room at the same time. “Is Daddy here? We need to talk to you both about something!” She giggled as she settled onto one of the couches, and Oz gave Kurt a long and searching look in response. Kurt really wished he could do more than give a nervous smile in return, because it didn’t seem to do much more than make Oz look more suspicious than he already was.
“Yeah... He’s in the kitchen. I’ll go get him.”
Kurt sat next to Chloe, and his smile became a bit less forced as she took his hand in hers. “Hey. Remember what I said? Besides, if worse goes to worse, I already have three back-up plans on distracting them until they learn to deal with it.”
He chuckled at that and squeezed her hand as Oz and Andy walked back into the living room, Andy drying his hands on a dish towel. Both of them eyed the young couple warily, and for good reason. It wasn’t uncommon for them to drop by without calling ahead, but it was odd for them to do so to tell them something. The fact that Chloe seemed so exuberant, while Kurt was as nervous as they’d ever seen him only made them more cautious about what news this might be.
When they were all settled, Kurt looked to Chloe to start. Her smile widened, and she opened her mouth a few times to start, though she couldn’t really seem to find the words. For some reason, breaking out with ‘We’re engaged!’ just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. In the end, she just grabbed Kurt’s left hand in hers and held them up so the two rings glittered in the light.
The older men only stared for a moment, seemingly unable to completely understand what exactly the rings meant. After a moment, Andy smiled, but leaned back in his seat and looked to Oz for his reaction. There was some sort of amusement in his expression that confused Kurt just a little, but it was going better than he expected. He hadn’t been punched yet.
“So. Er...” Oz finally spoke, voice a bit crackly. “When are you due, then?”
Silence fell, and Chloe’s eyes narrowed at her father, whose gaze hadn’t left her and Kurt’s hands. For a moment, she shared a glance with Andy before she shrugged. “Oh, I’m not sure yet. I still have to go to the doctor for an actual test, but I’d guess that I was about two months along or so.”
Kurt didn’t know that it was possible to choke on air, but he found himself caught in the middle of a coughing fit. He bent over his knees while Chloe firmly patted his back, and he completely missed Andy quickly hide a grin while Oz went pale. She - What - How - Well, he know how but Jesus, you’d think she would have told him something like this before she told her fathers. As the coughing subsided and he got his breath back, Kurt sat up to weakly look over at Chloe. Her lips were thinned and pressed together, and there was something in her eyes that said she was definitely not happy.
“Of course, it could be that we’re getting married because we love each other and not that I’m knocked up or anything.” She sarcastically drawled, and Kurt was certain that the relief on Oz’s face was a mirror reflection of his own expression. “Jesus, Daddy, doubt me a little more why don’t you?”
Andy started chuckling as color flooded Oz’s face, and the Irishman turned to look at his husband with a bewildered look. Andy only continued to laugh. “Sorry, but you deserved that. You should have known better than to even ask, and you know it.” He admonished, before turning back to Chloe and Kurt. Leaning forward, he grabbed Chloe’s hand to inspect the ring before glancing to Kurt’s left hand. “Two rings. Unusual. Do I have to ask whose idea that was?”
“I wasn’t even the one to propose, sir.” Kurt answered, someone embarrassed. “Chloe surprised me out of nowhere with it, and got two rings to boot. I’m not really sure that part surprises me, cause it seems to be something she’d do.”
Andy’s grin widened as Chloe muttered something about talking about her like she was there. Oz, meanwhile, continued to pout over Chloe’s stunt and didn’t offer anything to the current conversation. “Sorry about Oz. He’s just worried. We both are, I think. Twenty is a big young, isn’t it?”
“Daddy...” Chloe whined, taking her hand back so she could cross her arms over her chest and leaned back against Kurt. “Don’t. When has that talk ever worked on me, anyway? Kurt and I have been together for a year, and we’ve been living together for a few months now, and we’ve finally gotten the financial aspects under control now that I’m getting actual gigs and Kurt has his firefighter job, and-“
“Okay, okay, we understand.” Holding his hands up in defeat, Andy stopped his rather lackluster argument. It was nice to see that Chloe had thought this through a bit, considering how impulsive she could be at times. “We’re happy for you. The both of you. No matter how much Oz is pouting.”
Next to him, Oz snorted and gave a grumble of annoyance.
“He’ll get over that, because it was his own damn fault anyway. Just tell us what you need, and we’ll be happy to provide it.”
Chloe smiled, somewhat shyly, and looked down to her and Kurt’s intertwined hands. “Well, I was wondering if... I mean, if it’s okay with Kurt... If you would officiate the ceremony? I know you still have the certificate from Aunt Sarah and Aunt Rayne’s wedding, so...”
Andy seemed taken aback by the request, and his shell shocked expression grew even more so. He had to blink a few times and clear his throat before he could answer. “Well. I think that would depend on Kurt, wouldn’t it?”
Silently, they all looked to Kurt, who blushed under such scrutiny. “I, um... I don’t have any problem with it, really. It saves us a bit of work down the road, doesn’t it?” He stammered, shifting uncomfortably.
“I’d love to, then.” Andy’s smile was wide, and Kurt easily recognized where Chloe got it from.
Next to him, Chloe sniffled and looked to Oz, who looked hopeful and nervous all at the same time. “Daddy?” Her voice was a bit wobbly. “I was wondering, since Daddy is going to officiate, if you would walk me down the aisle?”
“Well, it’s not like I’d let Sarah or anyone else do it, would I?” Oz groused, though there was a very distinct thickness to his voice, and Kurt wondered if something was going to end making him tear up sometime soon.
Of course, he came damn close to crying in relief once Chloe had stopped her pregnancy joke, so that probably counted.
Getting up from the couch, Chloe hugged Oz, and then Andy, who stepped back to look down at her with acceptance in his eyes. “So, I guess this means you’re finally grown up, doesn’t it?” He asked, voice soft.
Chloe sniffed derisively, wiping carefully at her eyes. “Not even. I won’t be able to legally drink at my own wedding, since we’re having it in December.”
Kurt looked up at that, surprised. “...We are?”
“Let me give you some advice.” Placing a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, Oz laughed. “Just sit back and stay out of her way. She’s got everything planned out, and I doubt she’ll need your help for much of anything. Like, er. Chloe, where is this going to be, and how many guests?”
“The Hotel Plaza Athenee, with less than one hundred guests. Just close friends and family, of course.” She automatically answered, blue eyes glowing at the pleasure of talking wedding plans. “I’m still deciding on music, and there will definitely be a vegan option for dinner. Oh.” Suddenly, she turned to Kurt. “Do you think one of your firefighter friends will be fine with escorting Jax down the aisle? Because he’s definitely going to be in my wedding party.”
Kurt sat there in stunned silence as both Oz and Andy started to laugh.
~~~
“Okay, so for the bridesmaids’ dresses, I’m definitely thinking a light grey. Something with one shoulder and all... scrunchy in different places. Like, a twist drape kind of thing. And definitely something tight and a bit short. I want it to contrast my wedding dress, but I don’t want it to be too short. Sexy, but classy.” Chloe explained as best as she could, sucking on the end of a pencil as she watched Jax sketch out a basic pattern.
“I’m taking a leaf outta Kurt’s book and saying right now that I am not going to wear those insane heels that you do. No higher than four inches, and that’s just me.” Faith piped up, looking over Erin’s shoulder as they browsed through random bridal magazines.
Erin nodded, before raising a hand like they were in class. “Um. If we’re saying what we don’t want, I don’t really know if I feel comfortable wearing a, um. A sexy dress. I’m not a sexy dress wearing type of person. So, just watch how short and how tight?”
“You can choose whatever heels you want, just make sure they’re silver or grey. I’m not going to be one of those brides that has like, five different colors in their wedding. The girls will be in light grey, the boys in light grey and black.”
“No, you’re just the type of bride that is getting the bridesmaids’ dresses made to fit our measurements perfectly, and getting your wedding dress made from scratch and having it based on an Armani dress design from two thousand and ten.”
“And a vest and tie for me!” Jax said with a grin. “I don’t mind bein’ in your wedding, Chloe, but I dunno if I love you enough to wear a tight and scrunchy dress. Unless I get to wear my platform sneakers with ‘em, but it might take away from how pretty you’re gonna be, and I don’t wanna do that on your wedding day.”
Chloe perked up, suddenly remembering something. “Oh, Jax, Jason isn’t going to be the one walking you down the aisle anymore. He had to drop out because he has to move back home, and Kurt asked Penn to replace him. So now you’ll be walking down the aisle with him in the bridal procession. Is that alright?”
Jax’s grin widened, and a slight blush stained his cheeks. “Well, Penn is awful prettier than Jason was, so I guess I don’t mind too much. Do ya think he’d be willing to dance with me at the reception?” The last question was aimed towards Faith, who started to snicker.
“I don’t know, Jax. You’ll have to ask him.” Leaning forward to rest her chin on Erin’s shoulder, Faith titled her head and batted her eyelashes. “What do you think Erin, do you think Penn would dance with Jax?”
Erin blushed as red as a beet, focused very intently on the magazine article about wedding cakes. “Well, I, uh. Um. I guess I don’t see why it would bother Penn, cause he. You know. He gets along with Oz and Andy so well, and stuff.”
Faith and Chloe both began giggling, and Jax gave them both chiding looks as Erin somehow blushed a darker red. “Y’all leave her alone. Just cause you can tease her so easily Faith, it doesn’t mean ya should.”
Chloe pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oh, she knows we’re just playing with her. Really, it’s just amazing that we haven’t corrupted her yet, since we’ve known her since we were ten and she’s helped with all of our shenanigans.”
“I have not helped you! I just put up with them, and made sure neither of you went to jail.” Erin protested. “I can only imagine what would have happened if I let you two go through with that Catholic school stunt.”
“Catholic school stunt?” Jax asked, putting a last few details on the dress sketch. “Is this somethin’ I want to ask about?”
“Well, some of Chloe’s friends go to this Catholic school in Brooklyn. St. Joseph’s. It’s a lot like ours, cause it has all thirteen grades in one building, so it’s really small, you know? Exclusive. Well, one day, Chloe wanted to see what it was like to go to their school instead of ours, and we came up with this plan-“ Faith explained, before Erin cut her off.
“It wasn’t a plan. It was an insane scheme.” She scoffed, before turning to Jax. “They got it into their heads that they would somehow borrow two of the uniforms from this school, and sneak into a day of classes. Remember that this school is about as small as ours is, if not smaller. It was only because I threatened to tell their parents that they didn’t go through with it.”
“I still think we could have gotten away with it.” Faith grumbled as she moved to slump down next to Chloe.
It was Jax’s turn to laugh as Chloe shook her head and rolled her eyes; obviously, her opinion differed. Still giggling, he set the pencil down and slid the sketch over to Chloe who looked it over with a critical eye. After a long moment, she smiled at him, eyes sparkling with excitement. “It’s perfect.” She exclaimed as Erin and Faith crowded around her to look at the drawing.
Almost immediately, Erin started to chew on her bottom lip. “I don’t know... It’s still pretty short and tight. Are you sure I won’t look ridiculous in it?”
“I don’t think you could look ridiculous in much, if it means anything from me.” Jax gleefully replied. “You’re already so pretty, so I think anything you wore would look nice.”
Erin smiled and blushed again, though it was a pink flush that prettily spread across her cheeks instead of the tomato red from earlier. “Well... I guess as long as my heels are too high, it’ll be okay. And I guess I can wear a shawl with it?” She asked, sending Chloe a cautious glance.
“Oh, Erin, you know that’ll be fine! I don’t like those weddings were everyone matches, and I’d rather you be comfortable. Besides, I think it’ll be a lot nicer looking if you dress it up to reflect who you are, and you are definitely a girl that needs a shawl with her fancy wear.” Chloe answered, half of her attention still on the sketch. She paused, before adding on, “And I mean that in a nice way.”
“I know you do. You’re pretty much the only person that can ramble like that and spin into a compliment.”
Grinning over at the blonde for a short moment, Chloe turned to Faith who was still pouring over the sketch. “Faith. Any problems with it? Anything you absolutely need changed?”
“No... I’m just trying to figure out if you could even wear underwear with it. We might have to deal with thongs and those rubber things that you put under your tits, Erin.”
Erin’s response was much less of a yell, and more of an embarrassed screech. “FAITH!”
~~~
The bathroom was quiet, though there was plenty of background noise just past the door; people arriving and making small talk while waiting for the wedding to begin. “Now, Lizzie. What are the rules for flower girls once we get dressed?” Julia asked, helping her daughter slip into her dress.
The six year old rolled her eyes, oblivious to the fact that her mother could see the action in the mirror. “No running, no getting messy, no playing in the yard, and no eating until after the wedding.” She mournfully recited.
Julia smiled in spite of herself as straightened out the hem of Lizzie’s skirt. “It’s only for a little while, you know. Chloe said herself that the ceremony wasn’t going to be long.”
Lizzie whined. “But that’s not happening for hours! I’m gonna die if I can’t do anything fun until then, Mama!”
“Oh, you will not. I was the flower girl at Aunt Adrianna’s first wedding, and I made it through just fine. Now stay still while I fix your hair.”
The child pouted, though stayed still as Julia started to pull her hair into two braids. “Aunt Adrianna’s wedding with Uncle Zach?”
“No, not that one. Chloe was the flower girl then.” Julia paused to wrap an elastic band around the end of one of the braids before thoughtlessly continuing. “I was the flower girl when Aunt Adrianna married Uncle Oz.”
Lizzie’s jaw dropped, and she stared wide eyed at her mother’s reflection as her second braid was tied off. “...Nuh-uh!”
Julia finally realized what she had said, and silently cursed. A second too late, she forced a smile and a laugh. “No, I wasn’t. But that made you quit pouting over not being able to play, didn’t it?”
Immediately, Lizzie’s face flushed and she started to glare. “That wasn’t nice, Mama.”
Julia’s answering smile was one of relief as she pinned the two braids around the crown of Lizzie’s head and reached for the hairspray.
~~~
The dressing room for the bridal party was surprisingly calm as Julia led Lizzie in, but it probably helped that it was nearly time for the ceremony to start. By this time, everyone was putting on the finishing touches; Erin was helping Jax with his cufflinks, while Faith made sure that Chloe’s dress fell in the way it should. As Chloe caught sight of Lizzie’s dress, her already wide smile grew just a bit more, and she stepped away from Faith to very carefully kneel down in front of the flower girl. “Didn’t I tell you it would be a pretty dress?”
Lizzie smiled and blushed before hiding her face in her mother’s knees. Julia only laughed and lightly pushed her daughter away. “I have to go sit down now, sweetie. You remember what you’re supposed to do once you finish walking up the aisle?”
“Go sit by you in the front row.” Lizzie muttered, now shy that she was in bigger company.
“Good girl.” Looking back to Chloe, Julia’s smile turned soft before she carefully gave her younger cousin a hug. “I remember when I had to chase you and Faith around the house to keep you out of trouble. Now I get to watch you get married. You make me feel old, brat.”
“Yeah, now we get to chase the miniature version of you around when you need a break.” Faith joked as she slipped into her heels. “We’ve learned our lessons in payback. Trust me.”
“Watch who you’re name calling, ginger.” Chloe teased back, sticking out her tongue. “Or I’ll start bringing up the disaster that your wedding ended up being.”
“That was on purpose, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times...”
Before she could get started on her rant, the door to the dressing room opened and Oz stuck his head in. “Apparently, it’s time for everything to start. I was sent to fetch you all, so hurry up and get out here."
In a second, everything was frantic again as bouquets and a basket of flower petals were hastily found, and there was one last check of everyone’s hairstyle before they filed out the door. Chloe took last place, blinking rapidly as Oz took her arm once everybody was lined up. She had to take a steadying breath, and her grip around the stem of her bouquet tightens.
“Nervous?”
Oz’s voice brought her back to Earth, and grounded her. Looking up at him, Chloe smiled. “Are you kidding? It’s just a crowd of people staring at me, and waiting for me to recite my lines. I do this three times a week.”
Oz laughed, and beyond them, the music that ushered in the wedding procession started to play.