A/N: I don't do top notes, but I've also never done this. I would like to dedicate this one-shot to a fan who just turned 14 today. Happy Birthday, Ivillr! May you one day have your own Darren Criss to sing you this song ('Happy Birthday, Beautiful,' by the Innocence Mission). I hope you enjoy this special fic for your special day!

Kurt wasn't big on birthdays. This was something Blaine (and the poor, unfortunate rest of the Warblers) had learned very quickly, when they had thrown a huge surprise party for the countertenor in the dorm lounge (Blaine had been the one in charge of finding out when his birthday was, which, despite attempting to wheedle, plead, beg, tease, and (later, after wonderful, wonderful realization had struck) kiss the answer out of him, was a near impossible task. He had eventually been forced to call Finn and ask, ignoring the jock's laughter and finally getting the answer to his question) and Kurt had been… less than pleased. The countertenor had returned to McKinley by then, but all of the Dalton boys still loved him, and Blaine had also been the one to convince Kurt to come back for a visit on that May 27, pretending he had forgotten all about his boyfriend's Warblers didn't do anything half-assed, and the amount of songs and attention and gifts was overwhelming, so even though Kurt stayed for the whole party and fixed his 'I'm happy, guys, really' smile on his face, Blaine knew his boyfriend hadn't enjoyed himself at the celebration.

Well, birthdays happened once a year for all the sane people in the world (Blaine didn't believe in half-birthdays, there was only so far one could stretch celebrating the passage of time), and a lot had changed since the last time Blaine had tried to celebrate Kurt's birthday. Yes, Kurt could be a drama queen and he loved having solos and putting himself out there on stage, but the countertenor wanted to choose when he was the center of attention and when he could fade into the background (as much as his vibrant personality and flashy fashion sense would allow), and he didn't care to make his birthday a grand event. Since that fateful May 27 (on which Blaine was certain he'd made his boyfriend absolutely miserable on his own birthday), Blaine had learned even more about the wonderful man he was lucky to be dating for over a year, and their relationship had… intensified, to put it politely.

Still, close and stable and happy as they were, Blaine still had no idea why his boyfriend hated his birthday. He didn't mind participating in celebrating the birthdays of others (Rachel had made a spectacle of her birthday in December), so it made no sense.

The reason this bothered him so much was that Blaine loved birthdays. Perhaps it was irrational, celebrating every year that passed in one's life, and maybe his enthusiasm would fade as he grew older (much older) and the passage of time became less exciting and more saddening. Still, it was fun to gather one's friends and celebrate for the heck of it sometimes, and once a year seemed just frequent enough to him.

There was nothing he would change about Kurt, he loved the countertenor fiercely, but perhaps he could convince Kurt to be a little less harsh about his birthday. And he, of course, had a plan, because he knew the countertenor well enough to be able to guess the kind of birthday party his boyfriend would actually enjoy. First he needed to do a little bit of shopping, because even though presents were very much part of the 'traditional' birthday experience, which Kurt clearly didn't like, he would be a terrible boyfriend if he didn't buy Kurt something.

The question that faced him once he had decided that was simple: what? He wouldn't dare attempt to buy Kurt clothing; not only did his boyfriend have incredibly expensive tastes, but Blaine wasn't exactly sartorially gifted, and even though Kurt would grin and bear it, he wouldn't end up liking any item of clothing Blaine bought for him. So, he steered away from that line of thought immediately. He had no one to ask either: Rachel would suggest something horrible, Mercedes couldn't keep a secret, Finn was as useless as his on-and-off girlfriend (currently on? Sometimes Blaine couldn't even remember), and when he asked the Warblers, their suggestions were… unhelpful, to say the least, and most certainly explicit.

Blaine's little stint in the mall trying to pick out a present for Kurt also turned into shopping for decorations. Yes, their birthday celebration would be fairly private and yes, Kurt had a very distinct line that he had drawn between romantic and completely cheesy, but Blaine was pretty good at balancing on that tightrope and keeping his boyfriend happy without being proclaimed mawkish.

He had gathered all of the decorations for his plans when the perfect idea struck him, and it was only two stores away. Smiling and juggling a near unreasonable amount of bags (because anything romantic he attempted had to be elaborate), Blaine practically skipped toward the perfect present.

"Celebrate with me," was how he presented the idea to his boyfriend, not even bothering to wheedle or attempt to manipulate or surprise Kurt. Not only did he not want to lie to the countertenor, but he knew none of his attempts would be successful anyway; Kurt was far too good at reading him. Blaine leaned casually against a bank of lockers as Kurt searched through his.

"Celebrate?" Kurt asked, as if he couldn't think of any coming occasions. "Nationals? The New Directions will throw a big, doubtlessly alcoholic party afterwards, I don't think any celebration beforehand is necessary."

"I'm not talking about Nationals, Kurt," Blaine said, suppressing a sigh. He had been planning his boyfriend's birthday for a week, and now that it was tomorrow he realized he might not have addressed the most difficult part of his plan: getting Kurt to say yes. "You do realize it's May 25th, right?"

"Either that or Rachel may finally lose her mind upon discovering her Nationals countdown is inaccurate," Kurt said dryly, pulling a book out of his locker (apparently the only senior who was still putting any effort into classes) and shutting it to turn and look at his boyfriend. "Should I even ask what you're up to?"

"You don't think I forgot, did you?" Blaine said, because Kurt had to know.

"It may have been more of a vain hope," Kurt muttered. "Blaine, look, the Warblers-"

"Nothing with the Warblers!" Blaine promised quickly before his boyfriend could finish his sentence. "Or the New Directions or the Cheerios or anyone else. Just you and me," he said, reaching to take one of Kurt's hands and twine his fingers with long, pale ones.

"I'm not big on birthdays," Kurt said, looking down at their intertwined hands but not objecting.

"And I am aware that I screwed up monumentally last year, but I'm not trying to put you on the spot, Kurt." As if it would do anything to convince his boyfriend, he pulled their intertwined hands closer to him, gently kissing Kurt's knuckles and making the corners of the countertenor's mouth quirk up.

"You do understand the definition of not putting me on the spot, correct?"

"No big parties, no surprises," Blaine said, still pressing kisses to the back of Kurt's hands.

"And no serenades," Kurt added, putting a slight dent in Blaine's plans. "Promise?"

"Of course I promise," Blaine said, using the hand he'd captured to pull Kurt a little bit closer. "I just want you to understand why it's so fun to celebrate birthdays."

"Because I've spent another 365 days of my limited lifespan in Lima, Ohio?"

Blaine rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's sarcasm. "More like because you're another 365 days closer to getting out of this hick town."

"Always the optimist," Kurt said with a sigh. "I want you to know that I'm agreeing to this under protest." Blaine smiled to himself a little; it was so Kurt. He wanted to make Blaine happy even at the sacrifice of his own happiness, enough so that he would spend what was supposed to be his special day doing things Blaine wanted to do. Hopefully, he would change his tune and end up enjoying himself.

"Understood." Blaine pulled Kurt closer and pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's mouth before Kurt could protest that they were in public. "My house, 7 PM, don't be late." He walked away, knowing Kurt had some sarcastic grumble to add as the last word; he didn't want to hear it.

Blaine was already set up fifteen minutes before Kurt was scheduled to arrive. Honestly, he'd been ready to celebrate his boyfriend's birthday all day, but saying 'fifteen minutes' sounds less pathetic than 'ten or so hours.' He'd started off the morning with a simple text (reading 'Happy Birthday, Kurt. I love you.), and received a sassy answer.

From: Kurt

'Is the latter conditional on the fact it is the anniversary of my birth?

He hadn't answered.

The moment the Navigator pulled into his driveway, Blaine was at the door, ready to pull it open before Kurt had to knock. He turned around, giving the room a once over for the hundredth time, and then faced the inside of his door, ready to attempt the impossible task of persuading Kurt of anything.

Blaine whipped open the door just before Kurt's knuckles brushed it, and he saw his boyfriend's eyes sweep around the room before giving him a pointed up-and-down. "You look nice," Kurt said with a smile that was still a touch shy a year into their relationship.

"You look beautiful as always," Blaine promised (and he didn't have to stretch the truth a millimeter, Kurt always managed to look fantastic and composed, no matter the occasion), greeting his boyfriend with a swift kiss before ushering him into the room.

"Candles, food, a banner… What, no balloons?" Kurt asked, stepping into the room.

Blaine had put his heart and soul into guessing exactly what Kurt might like. He had gotten a banner (because 18 was one of the big ones, after all), but it was black writing on ivory and perfectly understated. He had dimmed the lights, covered his house in close to a hundred tiny fire hazards, and made Kurt an elaborate dinner. "I was thinking they were a little tacky," he commented as he wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind. "Besides, I thought this wasn't too much like a stereotypical birthday."

Kurt leaned back into the embrace, doubtlessly noticing the wrapped present on the table but hopefully missing the guitar partially hidden behind a bookshelf in the living room. "Why do you like birthdays so much?"

"Well, when I was younger," Blaine admitted against the back of Kurt's neck, glad he didn't have to give Kurt this little speech face-to-face, "I didn't. Birthdays just marked another year I'd survived living with my parents and being gay in Ohio." Kurt's hand rested on his arm where it was wrapped around the countertenor's lithe waste, squeezing comfortingly. "But now that I'm older, and lucky, and amazingly happy with the most amazing boyfriend I could have imagined," Kurt let out a little self-deprecating chuckle at that, but Blaine continued without commenting, "birthdays are a time to look back at all the things that have gone right, celebrate all of the things that are ahead, and figure out what I can do to make my next birthday even better."

"Like your own personal New Year's Eve?" Kurt asked with a little chuckle, but Blaine smiled, pressing a kiss to the soft skin at the back of the countertenor's neck.

"Exactly. Plus I've had a countdown to my eighteenth birthday since I was eight," Blaine admitted, making his boyfriend laugh. It wasn't funny, exactly, that Blaine was so eager to escape the reign of his parents, but sometimes the mood could be too heavy without laughing at what was sad but absurd. "Aren't you excited that you're eighteen? You can vote now."

"And the likelihood of gay marriage appearing on the Ohio ballot anytime soon is exactly zero," Kurt said dryly, gently unwrapping Blaine's arms and turning to face him. "Thank you. This is… special," he admitted with a little smile. "If I'm going to spend a day selfishly reflecting on all the good things that have happened to me in the last year, it seems right I should do it with the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Blaine's intention had been to make Kurt cry a little with his impassioned speeches and later song (because promises only extended so far), but he felt tears welling up in his own eyes at that. "I have one more surprise for you," he said, heading over toward where he had stashed his guitar. He was going to wait until later in the night, but no moment could be more right.

When you wake up, sun will shine
We will not go under any cloud
Let balloons go up in town
Ring out every bell

Happy birthday, beautiful
All the birds of this day
Sing a song, sing a song

Kurt looked unimpressed at first, but when Blaine called his beautiful, he started blushing and smiling a little bit. The song was simple, an easy melody to play on the guitar and slightly repetitive to sing, but it was sweet and warm and simple, the kind of birthday Kurt wanted.

Dream of trains carrying you
Through the state parks with the cherry flowers
When you wake up it will be
The beginning of the world

Blaine gestured toward the wrapped present next to Kurt, messing up the melody a little as one of his hands joined his head movement without his permission. The countertenor smiling, the little mistake making the live performance more endearing somehow, and turned to the gift.

Happy birthday, beautiful
In the fields of this day
Hear a song, hear a song

Kurt tried to unwrap it quietly, but there was no such thing when wrapping paper was involved, and Blaine heard his breath catch a little bit when he opened it. Perhaps his present had been cheesy, the bought half anyway, but the… 'homemade' half was sweet enough for both of them.

Oh, undeserved sweetness and light
Stay by my side
We will go out in the morning now
A crown of maple leaves, a crown of flowers
Circling your sweet head

Blaine leaned down to press a kiss to Kurt's head as he sang, his boyfriend still clutching the fabric that had previously been in the box in his hands.

Happy birthday, beautiful
In the streets of this day
Play a song, play a song

Happy birthday, beautiful
In the streets of this day
Play a song, play a song

Blaine dumped the guitar unceremoniously and pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips before sitting down. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked, gesturing to the silver platters over the two portions of dinner he'd already plated during a nervous fit.

"Thank you," Kurt said, quietly, clutching his presents in his hands. The first, bought at the mall, was a bottle of his mother's perfume, found at a store full of discontinued things. Blaine had thought he could use a little more of that comforting reminder when he would be away from home and the dresser with which he found solitude. The second was a little cheesier. During the time Kurt had spent at Dalton, he had spent quite a few nights sleeping (and just sleeping) in Blaine's room, for a variety of reasons, and while he had eventually stolen a drawer or two in the room, at first he'd been forced to wear uniform pants to bed if he wanted to stay over, or borrow a pair of pajama pants from someone on the floor. Since there was no comfortable way to sleep in a button down shirt, Blaine had loaned Kurt a sweatshirt of his, a Dalton one, that was big enough on him to be comfortable on Kurt. At first it had been a gesture of friendship, but later, when their relationship had evolved into a romantic one, Kurt had admitted that he loved wearing it. It was warm and smelled like Blaine, a comfort.

"I thought when you're in college, you should have a few reminders of home," was all he said, not bothering to explain all his thoughts to his boyfriend. Kurt understood without him having to say it. Without waiting for an answer, he whipped the covers off the food in front of them, revealing Kurt's guilty pleasure: homemade macaroni and cheese.

"Best birthday ever," Kurt teased softly, placing a hand over Blaine's on the table.

A/N: Reviews are Love.