[Author's note: Again, there's going to be some dialogue in here that many of you, if you're anything like me, have practically memorized because you've seen the scene so many times. I hope you'll agree that it had to be there. I couldn't continue to write this story and not include this scene. However, I take absolutely zero credit for that speech. I could never write a proposal speech that amazing.]
Kurt was so surprised to see the marching band greeting him, he almost missed the Warblers filtering out onto the second floor balcony. This was not at all what he had been expecting. He knew Blaine had a propensity for planning big public moments, but this was already beyond anything Kurt could have imagined.
Kurt froze on the front walk as he caught sight of Blaine. He was dressed in a gorgeous yellow suit with a navy sweater vest and of course, a signature Blaine bow tie. Though Kurt's brain was already overstimulated, some portion of it managed to register how well their outfits complemented each other, even without any coordination.
Blaine headed toward him, singing the opening lines of "All You Need Is Love." Kurt was impressed with his confidence. He seemed impressively self-assured for someone who was laying his heart on the line, publicly and in song, despite the fact that a similar gesture a few years ago had gone so horribly, horribly wrong. Kurt's heart swelled with love at Blaine's resilience, his certainty, his bravery.
Blaine continued singing, but inclined his head as he backed toward the doorway. Kurt followed him in and was shocked to see Santana, Mercedes, and Rachel standing in a line to greet him. They all smiled happily and reached out to hug him, while Blaine continued to serenade him. As he turned away from Rachel, Kurt stopped to admire the Warblers' choreography. He couldn't believe Blaine had reached out to include them, despite everything that had happened. That had been a big step.
Blaine continued through to the next room and Kurt followed. Blaine paused again as the New Directions came streaming toward them, joining in the chorus. The hugs continued as Sam, Tina, and Artie all greeted him, with the Warblers filing in behind. The New Directions and the Warblers singing in the same room? Kurt couldn't believe Blaine had gone through all this trouble to convince them to set aside their differences and work together. Sing together. Dance together!
As Kurt continued to marvel at the sights around him, Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes stepped up behind him. Rachel took his hands and led him toward… holy cow, were those members of Vocal Adrenaline coming forward to take his hand? How had Blaine done this?
He was so distracted with awe, he didn't notice Blaine ducking down a side hallway while he and Rachel stepped into the next room. Kurt's jaw dropped as he saw the entire Vocal Adrenaline team happily dancing and singing along. Rachel grinned at his surprised expression and squeezed him in delight before continuing to lead him through the halls.
As they approached the staircase where it had all begun, Kurt's head felt like it was about to explode, in the best possible way. The glee club from the Haverford School for the Deaf lined the staircase, joining in the song. Kurt blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but they remained in place. Kurt didn't even think there were words to describe how impressed and moved he was by the amount of effort Blaine had put in.
Rachel stopped at the top of the stairs and gave Kurt one final hug before motioning to the staircase. Slowly, Kurt made his way down, just as he had that magical day just a few short years earlier. The Warblers and Vocal Adrenaline filed in as rose petals were thrown from the top of the staircase, filling the air with fragrant red confetti.
Kurt's shocked expression turned to a grin and a laugh of disbelief as Blaine and the New Directions filed in, with Blaine belting out, "He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah." The love in his eyes was clear, even from across the room. Kurt took in the smiling faces of the crowd, the 4 most competitive show choirs in all of Ohio, singing together in unity because of Blaine. He paused briefly on his dad's face, full of support and acceptance, as it always was. Kurt knew Burt would support him no matter what his answer was today.
Feeling like he had entered another dimension, or like he was having the best dream of his entire life, Kurt had trouble focusing when the song ended and Blaine started to speak. "We met right here," Blaine announced to the assembled crowd. "I took this man's hand, and we ran down that hallway. And for those of you that know me know I'm not in the habit of taking people's hands I've never met before, but I think that my soul knew something that my body and my mind didn't know yet."
Blaine returned his focus to Kurt, his face and his voice solemn and steady. "It knew that our hands were meant to hold each other, fearlessly and forever, which is why it's never really felt like I've been getting to know you, it always felt like I was remembering you from something. As if in every lifetime that you and I have ever lived, we've chosen to come back and find each other and fall in love all over again, over and over, for all eternity. And I just feel so lucky that I found you so soon in this lifetime, because all I want to do, all I've ever wanted to do, is spend my life loving you."
Kurt took a deep breath, his eyes filling with tears, as Blaine reached back and got a ring box from Sam. As he knelt on the stairs, he asked, "So, Kurt Hummel, my amazing friend, my one true love, will you marry me?"
Kurt stared down at the man he loved, kneeling before him in the place they had first met, a beautiful ring held in his hands. He forgot about all the other people in the room. He forgot about his worries, his doubts, his mental arguments back and forth. He forgot about everything except the only word he could say, the only word that was in his heart, the only answer he ever could have given. How could he have doubted? It was simple. "Yeah," he whispered, his voice coming out breathy, his head nodding without any conscious decision to move it. "Yeah," he repeated.
A huge smile spread across Blaine's face as he lunged forward to kiss Kurt. His hand cupped the back of Kurt's neck, and Kurt's arm wrapped around Blaine's shoulders of its own accord. Their lips met in a kiss full of joy and happiness and hope. They held on tightly as the room filled with applause and cheers, as a group of rivaling competitors joined together to celebrate a happy moment. Even when Blaine pulled back to slide the ring on Kurt's finger, Kurt left his hand on Blaine's hip. He wasn't ready to let go of Blaine or this moment, not yet. Blaine seemed to share that feeling, because as soon as the ring slid on his finger (a perfect fit, though Kurt would expect nothing less of a man whose planning skills were able to organize 4 show choirs into one number), Blaine reached out and grabbed him in a tight hug.
Kurt hugged his new fiancé closer and tried to force his overwhelmed brain to memorize as many details as it could of this perfect moment. Instead, it seemed focused on just one word: fiancé. Kurt Hummel had a fiancé.
