The first time hadn't really been a proposal at all.
Kurt's breath hitched as Blaine pulled out a ring box from his school bag. "If that's an engagement ring, my answer is yes!" Kurt said without really thinking.
Blaine smirked as he told Kurt to open the box. It was a promise ring, and as Blaine explained to Kurt, it was a promise of many things but he left one promise unsaid; the promise to marry the imperfectly perfect boy someday. He didn't have to tell Kurt this because it was a fact really, they were soul mates and that meant forever. He knew it was too soon to formally propose, they had been dating for less than a year, they were still in high school, they still had so much to experience, plus they couldn't even legally get married. As Kurt threw himself into Blaine's arm he whispered, quite enough that Kurt couldn't even here, "Someday."
As Blaine explained all the promises he was making to Kurt, Kurt just stared into those beautiful brown eyes and tried to hold back his tears. He thought back to last Christmas, he was still in love with this same boy but back then Blaine only saw him as his best friend. Now, a year later, Blaine is promising him everything, well, almost everything. He never promised a real proposal; Kurt knew it was silly to even think about marriage. He was still in high school, him and Blaine had been dating less than a year and only started having sex a month ago; they still had so much to experience together before marriage. But as Blaine slipped the promise ring on Kurt's figure he closed his eyes and pictured the day when it was a real proposal.
The second time was a sort of pre-proposal.
"I told you, I'm never saying goodbye to you." Kurt said with tears in his eyes. "Kurt, I love you so much." "I love you too."
Blaine hugged Kurt like he was never letting go. But in reality, he literally had to. In a few months, Kurt would be moving away from him, and taking his heart with him. When Kurt suggested that they skip the rest of their classes for the day and go back to his place to talk, Blaine immediately grabbed Kurt's hand a little tighter than normal and led the way to their cars. Laying in Kurt's arms was Blaine's favorite place in the world, he felt so safe, so loved. "I want to marry you." Blaine said, as nonchalantly as he had when he told Kurt he loved him. Kurt's eyes went wide but he didn't say anything. "Kurt you are the love of my life and I have never been as sure of something in my entire life. The reason I am so upset that you are leaving is that I am so fucking afraid that you will realize that you could do so much better than me. In New York you can find a Broadway star, a lawyer, a doctor anyone you want because you are so amazing. But I—I Kurt you are it, I wouldn't be able to find anyone better than you and I don't want to even try. This isn't a proposal, because you deserve a fucking production, and I know we are young and I know you are moving but god I want to be your husband Kurt Hummel and someday I will propose to you and all I can do is just hope that you would say yes." Blaine let his tears fall freely as he poured his heart out to Kurt. It still amazed Blaine how much he loved Kurt.
One minute Kurt was taking in the smell of Blaine's raspberry hair gel as he was snuggled in his arms and the next Blaine is telling Kurt he wants to marry him. Kurt reached over and wiped the tears away from Blaine's face, ignoring the ones falling down his own cheeks. "Blaine, you are the one. I have been sure of this since the day I met you on that staircase. I might be moving to New York but I am leaving my heart in Lima with you. I will never meet another man that can give me courage like you did, that can make me laugh as much as you do, that can make me feel special like you can; it's just not possible. I was ready to marry you when you gave me that promise ring at Christmas, I am ready to marry you now and I will be ready to marry you whenever you decide to propose. You are it, you always have been." Kurt grabbed Blaine's face and kissed him with more passion and more love than he ever has. This kiss wasn't just a kiss to Kurt; it was his promise to Blaine that he would marry him someday.
The third time was almost a proposal.
"Nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy. All you need is love."
Blaine was unbelievably nervous as he paced back and forth in the Dalton courtyard. His eyes scanning, searching for the love of his life. The car finally pulls up and Kurt gets out of the car. Blaine's heart is suddenly in his throat as he cues up the band and the three different show choirs he has assembled there. Before the production starts, Blaine takes a moment to take Kurt in. He is absolutely beautiful; New York looks good on him. Blaine is glad that he looks nervous too, because Blaine is a total mess. Blaine begins to sing his second favorite Beetles song (Blackbird is his favorite) and he sees a smile come across Kurt's face. As Blaine sings he takes Kurt's hand and leads him through the back corridors of Dalton Academy. The hallways where he first held Kurt's hand. He leaves Kurt at the end of the hall as the Warblers take over the chorus and Blaine gets into place. As soon as he gets to the top of the staircase he signals the New Directions to get Kurt and lead him to the base of the staircase, the place he first met Kurt. Blaine reached into his pocket and fishes out a ring box and slowly walks down the staircase and taps Kurt on the shoulder. As Kurt turns around he looks at Blaine in shock and then down to the box and then back to Blaine. The song ends and then the choirs, the bands and Burt Hummel leave the two boys alone on the staircase. "Kurt, this is an engagement ring. But I am not proposing… yet. I bought this last week, before regionals because I want to marry you more than anything in this world. Seeing you these past two weeks has just brought back a rush of emotions and made me realize how much I need you in my life. I know I have screwed this up, I know my stupid mistake destroyed everything we had and you know that I will forever regret that. I want to spend the rest of my life making that up to you, proving to you that I am, we are, worth fighting for. I am not proposing because I want us to both be ready, I want us to be in New York together, I want you to be proud to be my fiancé. So before I propose I want you to be my boyfriend again, Kurt will you please be my boyfriend?" Blaine took a deep breath as he felt like he didn't take one breath during his whole speech. Tears in his eyes he looked to the beautiful boy in front of him.
Kurt is in shock as he is led to the Dalton staircase, the most significant place in his entire life. He stares at Mercedes as she is trying to hold back tears and she sings the final few bars of the song with the rest of the choirs. He feels a tap on his shoulder and as he turns around and a rush of memories come back to him, it's Blaine. Blaine with a ring box, and Kurt begins to get dizzy as he grabs on to the stair railing for support. Kurt is openly crying as Blaine finishes his speech. "Blaine, I-I-I don't know what to say. I have spent the last six months trying to forget you, forget us because of what you did. I realized quickly that I absolutely could not live without you in my life because you are my best friend. So I hoped that being friends again, that it would be enough. Then Christmas happened, and then Valentine's Day happened and now this week happened and I realized it isn't that easy. You are my soul mate Blaine Anderson, there is no denying that and I am so tired of trying. I really want that ring on my finger, but I agree we aren't ready. I still don't trust you completely even though I have forgiven you." Kurt sees Blaine drop his head and he reaches up to pull his chin up so he is once again looking into those beautiful eyes. "But… but I am willing to let you show me I can. I need you to be my boyfriend again, I need you Blaine." That kiss, that kiss was the best kiss Kurt has ever had in his entire life.
The fourth time was a proposal.
Blaine rushed home. He was running so late. He had just taken his last final, wrapping up his first semester at NYADA. He was planning on making Kurt a very romantic, very important dinner tonight and the sudden snow storm seemed to make the entire city slow down to a crawl. When he finally walked into their apartment, he was exhausted. He was grateful that Kurt wasn't home yet, he usually couldn't wait for Kurt to be home, but he was glad to have some time to prepare. As Blaine set the groceries on the counter he noticed a note from Kurt.
Sweetheart,
I made reservations at 8 for us at that really fancy restaurant overlooking central park to celebrate our finals being over. I have to work late at vogue so I will just have to meet you there. Meet me in the park at7:30 so we can walk in together, you know how I hate waiting in a restaurant by myself. I also have ideas on how we can celebrate back at the apartment, but we need to eat first. Love you, gorgeous!
-Kurt
Blaine smiled at the note. He loved that Kurt would rather write a note then text him, it didn't bother him that he would have to get on another train to go into the city or that his dinner plans had changed, he just shrugged and put away the groceries. The romantic dinner and proposal could wait until the weekend, he had been waiting 3 years, and another day wouldn't matter. As Blaine got ready, he put on his best bowtie and shoved the ring he bought for Kurt over six months ago in his pocket. He had been carrying it around for the last two months because he never knew when the perfect moment would present itself. For two months there had been plenty of great moments but in Blaine's mind nothing perfect enough for a proposal to Kurt Hummel. But he was getting tired of waiting so he decided he would create the perfect moment with the romantic dinner he was planning. Blaine took another look in the mirror and headed for the subway. As he walked towards Kurt, the snow was lightly falling and Blaine smiled to himself because after all this time he was still in awe that he had Kurt, that he was his boyfriend, that soon enough he would be his husband.
Kurt was freezing as he paced back and forth in the park. Why had he chosen one of the coldest nights to propose to Blaine, and why did he decide to where white pants? But as the snow fell on his Burberry jacket he looked around and saw Blaine walking toward him with huge smile and he suddenly felt very warm. Kurt took a deep breath and smiled back, this was it. "You got my note?" Kurt said with a slight smile. "I did." Said Blaine as he kissed Kurt on the nose. "Let's get inside, you must be freezing!" Blaine pulled on Kurt's hand, but Kurt didn't budge. Still holding on to Blaine's hand, Kurt began to speak. "Blaine, do you remember three years ago when you gave me that promise ring?" Kurt asked but didn't give Blaine a chance to respond. "I do. I remember that after less than a year of dating I wanted to marry you. I knew it then. Then at the end of senior year, do you remember laying on my bed together after we had that huge fight? I do. I remember you telling me that you wanted to marry me and I remember wanting more than anything to spend forever with you. I knew it then. Then last April do remember bringing me back to Dalton, where it all started for us and you showed me a ring box? I do. You said we weren't ready to get married, but you asked me to be your boyfriend again. I remember feeling like I got my heart back that day at Dalton, it had a few cuts and scrapes, some that weren't quite healed but somehow my love for you was stronger. I knew it then. And here we are, 3 years from that first promise. Together, in New York City, more in love then we have ever been." Kurt smiled through the tears that had started to fall and reached in to his pocket for the tiffany ring box as he knelt to the cold ground. "Blaine Anderson, I have known since I was 17 that I wanted to be your husband, please, please make that dream a reality."
Blaine couldn't believe it; Kurt Hummel was on his knees in his Gucci white pants, in Central Park proposing to him. Blaine immediately got down on one knee as well and pulled out the ring he had saved from the first time he wanted to propose to Kurt. Wiping his eyes he looked at Kurt, "Kurt Hummel, you are the love of my life, my soul mate, my everything, of course I will marry you." With tears streaming down both of their faces, they exchanged rings. As they both hugged each other they both let out a sigh, "Finally."