Authors notes. This is my first time using FF so I'm still learning everything! I hope that you guys like the story and any kind of advice/comments are welcome. My wonderful beta is persephonesmelody! She was an absolute lifesaver in pointing me in the right direction and taking on this fic.

"Reed it looks perfect! I promise!"

"You're just saying that because you want to sleep in the same bed as me tonight." Reed stuck his tongue out and turned his attention back to the canvas in front of him.

Shane leaned against the doorway and sighed. "You need to take a break love."

He walked up behind Reed and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy; resting his chin on top of his head. "Come on, we can go grab something for dinner and then go by that art store you like so you can get some more paint." He pulled Reed closer, making sure his brush was far away from the canvas before scooping him up.

"Shane! Put me down!" Reed huffed and swiped the brush across Shane's cheek, leaving a green trail behind. "Ok you win. We can go out, but then we come straight back here. This is my final project for this class, and it counts for 40 percent of my grade. I NEED to make this perfect." Shane toted Reed into the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth. He ran it under the water and started to clean the different colored smudge marks that marked Reed's face and neck.

"Everything you do is perfect. Don't doubt yourself. I understand you're under a lot of pressure at the moment, but look!" He made a wild hand gesture that made Reed giggle. "This is your last semester, and then you're done! You won't have to worry about grades after this, because you'll be done with college." Shane dropped the washcloth onto the counter and gently stroked Reed's cheek. "I love you. Now go find something that isn't covered in paint and I'll meet you in the hall." He sat Reed down on his own two feet; kissing him on the cheek. Reed cut his eyes and pursed his lips, before walking out of the bathroom, grumbling something about knowing he needed to change.

Shane shut the door and locked it before sitting on the side of the tub and pulling out a small box from his pocket. He took a shaky breath before peeking inside to make sure its contents were still intact. He relaxed a bit and stood back up to wash off the streak of paint Reed had left on his face.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Shane? I'm ready" Shane opened the door and smiled down at Reed; bending over to kiss his forehead.

"Come on, I have a feeling you're going to like where I'm taking you." he laced his fingers into Reeds and walked to the door.

—-

"Anderson!" Shane and Reed both looked up when the name was called, and Reed slid out of their booth.

"I'll get it, since you paid. Thank you for dragging me out of the house. You were right. I needed a break." Reed smiled at Shane before going up to the counter to grab their food. Shane had taken him to his favorite café, and had found a secluded booth for them to sit in private.

Shane watched him walk away, and jerked slightly as his phone buzzed on the table. The phone read, 'One New Message', and he had a feeling he knew who it was.

'Shane! It's Kurt. Blaine took my phone away so I wouldn't text you. So, now I'm sneaking this to you on his. Have you asked him yet? I swear you better not chicken out of this~K'

Shane chuckled at this. Kurt had been pestering him ever since he had asked to help him pick out the ring.

'Remind me to thank Blaine later for taking your phone, unless you're reading this now. If so, thank you SO SO much Blaine. I'm working on it. Give me some time-S'

"Who's that?" Reed returned with their food and slid back into the booth. He picked up his drink and sipped it, while watching Shane set down the phone.

"Oh, it was just Kurt seeing what we were up to." He picked up his sandwich and took a bite of it; watching Reed with dreamy eyes.

"Oh, that's nice. It's been awhile since I've seen Blaine and him now that I think about it…" Reed trailed off and chewed on his lip. "I really can't wait for the summer. You're the only person I see anymore, and that's because we live together." Shane reached across the table and took Reeds hands in his.

"Hey," he rubbed small circles with his thumb into Reeds skin "do you want to go see them tonight instead of going to the art store?" Shane watched as Reed's eyes lit up and he nodded, "You don't think they would mind do you?"

"I don't think they would but I'll ask." Shane picked up his phone while Reed started to blow on his bowl of soup so that he wouldn't burn his tongue.

'Ok. Kurt or Blaine, whoever has the phone, I guess you guys should get ready for me and Reed to come over because he misses you guys. Before either of you ask NO I haven't gotten around to asking him. It's not the right moment yet. So, if either one of you say anything when we get there I WILL kill you.-S'

Shane and Reed finished eating and walked to Kurt's and Blaine's apartment. Shane kept fingering the small box in his pocket, wishing he could figure out when the right time to ask Reed would be. Once they were at the apartment Reed knocked on the door.

"Hey! It's Reed and Shane" there was a loud bang and some muffled yelling on the other side and the door swung open. Kurt was standing there looking disheveled and a little out of breath.

"Reed!" Kurt skipped forward and hugged him just as Blaine made his way around the corner looking slightly aggravated. They all made their way into the apartment, and Reed and Kurt went off to the kitchen to grab drinks; leaving Blaine and Shane in the living room.

"Blaine, what just-" Blaine silenced him with his hand.

"I told Kurt that you hadn't proposed and he kinda flipped out. I told him not to push you though."

Shane grinned at his brother "Thank you. I just can't seem to find the right moment to ask him though. He's so stressed out about passing this class." They heard Kurt and Reed coming out of the kitchen, and Blaine threw his arm around Shane's shoulders.

"You'll know when the time is right.

A little over an hour later they had all ended up piled onto the couch watching a movie together. Kurt sat in Blaine's lap, and Reed sat in Shane's. Reed moved to whisper something to Shane just as Kurt glared over at him mouthing 'Do something!'. Shane looked away after rolling his eyes at him before giving his attention to Reed.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight" Reed moved a little upwards in Shane's lap and kissed him. Shane pulled back and ran his fingers through his reddish curls, staring into his eyes.

'I love him so much' Shane thought. At that moment, it was like something had hit him on the head, and he knew that it was the right moment. He reached down and pulled the small box out, keeping it out of sight.

"Reed, I love you so much. I can't picture life without you. Hell, I haven't been able to picture life without you since the day I met you." Kurt had elbowed Blaine by this point and they were both watching the other two with soft smiles on their faces. "You're about to finish college and move on to your future; to bigger and better things. I was hoping you would want to add another thing to your future." Reed's eyes filled with confusion and tilted his head slightly.

"What do you mean?" Shane bit his lip before pulling the box out so that Reed could see it. He watched as Reed's eyes grew huge.

"Reed Van Kamp, would you make me the happiest man it the whole universe and be my husband?" He felt the couch move and saw Kurt bouncing up and down on his and Blaine's end of the couch. Reed sat there for a minute, staring at the ring inside the box. Finally, he looked Shane in the eye before launching himself at his neck.

"Yes! Yes! Oh God yes!" Shane pulled the small band out of its box. He lifted Reed's left hand from his neck; slipping the ring on his finger and kissing it. Reed looked down at his hand with tears in his eyes and moved to kiss Shane.

Reed whispered against his lips, "I love you too. So much." Shane pulled away and brushed a curl out of Reeds face.

"Champagne! We need champagne to celebrate!" Kurt's voice brought them back from their own little world as he jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen to find what he was looking for just as Blaine patted both of them on the shoulder.

"I'm happy for you too, and hate to break the love fest up, but Kurt has been waiting for three days to gush to you about this so you might as well let him live it up." He grinned at the two before making his way into the kitchen. Reed turned back to Shane "Three days?"

Shane's cheeks grew red.

"Yeah. The first day I asked him to help me pick out the ring, the second day we got the ring and today for me to ask you." He smiled when he saw Reed grinning. "I can't believe Kurt didn't say anything beforehand."

Shane picked him up and toted him to the kitchen to join Blaine and Kurt. "I told him his life was at stake if he said anything" he winked at him before setting him down with a kiss to the cheek. Kurt came over and started asking him what he thought and if he liked the ring. Shane just leaned against the counter and watched the two friends conversing while he reveled in the fact that Reed was now his forever. Forever. Yeah, that sounded absolutely perfect to him.