A/N: Here we are - the last chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! :)

Over the next month, Kurt and Blaine managed to make their long-distance relationship work. They texted between classes and chatted on Skype most nights. By Christmas break, they were dying to see each other again, and their families had made plans to fly out to New York two days after Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Kurt and Rachel drove to Lima again to spend Christmas with their families. Luckily, for most of the trip, the snow wasn't too bad; with four wheel drive on, they were able to make it to their destination without a single slip.

As always, it was freezing in Lima. Kurt had to plan his footsteps carefully to keep himself from slipping on the ice that lay on his house's walkway. When Kurt opened his front door, he found Blaine with the rest of his family gathered in the kitchen. Upon hearing the door open, they turned around and rushed to greet him. He hugged and said hello to everyone, taking a moment to kiss Blaine when he got past his family. He placed the presents he had bought for everyone under the fake Christmas tree their family put up every year.

"How's winter in New York?" Burt asked, and Kurt said, "It's freezing, but it's beautiful. Definitely pack heavier clothes. I think you guys will love it, though. Rachel and I found a Holiday Inn a few blocks away for all of the parents to sleep." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blaine glance between Finn and Kurt and trying not to laugh. While the corners of Kurt's lips slightly turned up, he pretended that he didn't see it.

Then Blaine said he should get home to his mother, and that he'll give Kurt his present tomorrow. He kissed Kurt on the cheek before leaving the house, and Kurt returned to answering his family's questions about New York and what they should pack and how he's been and if everything's going well at school while wondering what Blaine's present to him was.

The next morning, Kurt woke up at seven o' clock and went downstairs to find that, surprisingly, he was the first one awake. He texted Blaine, although he doubted he was awake. Merry Christmas! I love you. :) It was his third Christmas with Blaine—their second Christmas as a couple. He hoped Blaine liked the gift he got for him; while a few months ago, he had planned on getting something expensive and spectacular for his Christmas gift, he ended up wrapping a small, simple box for him. It didn't cost him a lot of money, but it was meaningful, and price didn't matter, right?

He went to work cooking breakfast, and decided to go all out—it was Christmas morning, after all—by making eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage, and just about every other breakfast food. Carole came downstairs while he was attempting to flip a pancake directly off of the pan, without using a spatula. His stepmother's entrance distracted him and the pancake fell to the floor with a flop.

"Having trouble?" Carole threw the dropped pancake in the garbage can and noticed the rest of the food laid out on the counter. "Oh, you didn't have to do all of this."

"Eh, I got bored." Kurt smiled, giving up and using a spatula to flip the other pancake. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." Carole lit up, a smile spreading across her face. She seemed to be considering something. "Should I let your dad and Finn sleep in or should I wake them up so we can open presents?"

"Wait until breakfast is done. Only because it's Christmas."

"Mmm, okay. Do you want any help?"

"You can pop some toast in the toaster if you want. Oh, and can you throw those eggs away for me, please?" He nodded towards the carton of egg shells next to him.

Carole happily did so, and by the time breakfast was done Burt was downstairs. Finn, on the other hand, was still sleeping, so Kurt got the not-so-exciting job of waking him up.

By nine o' clock, everyone was done eating and gathered in the living room to open presents. Blaine finally texted Kurt back: Merry Christmas! Meet me at our place at three? 3

Kurt knew where he was talking about. One day, about a year ago, Blaine had told him he had something to show him and drove him out to this forest preserve just outside of Lima. Kurt had passed it by hundreds of times while driving; it wasn't unfamiliar to him. He told Blaine this and he said, "Just wait." He opened the door for him and held his hand as he led him down the trail. Once they were quite far from where they'd parked, Blaine turned and took him into the forest. Kurt was bewildered and hated the fact that there were mosquitoes everywhere and that pine needles were getting stuck in his hair, but he kept quiet and followed Blaine down the narrow, barely visible trail. After a few minutes of walking, there was a wooden step that Blaine warned him about. A few more steps and he walked into an open circle of land. The ground was covered in wooden flooring and there were sculpted concrete benches around the inner perimeter. Behind the benches and circling the area were rows of cherry blossoms. In the center of the circle was a small platform with a bed of assorted flowers.

"It's beautiful," Kurt had said. And it was. It wasn't extravagant; it wasn't like there was a canopy with sparkling silver lights over it or anything. It was simple, and it was beautiful. "How did you find this place?"

"My mom used to take me here when I was little," Blaine had told him. "Even when she stopped, I still came here. It's a nice place to just sit and think."

Over the next year, it became their secret place, somewhere only they knew. If one of them was upset or just wanted to talk, they would often meet there. Sometimes they talked, while other times they didn't need to; it was enough just to be in each other's company. The small ten-by-ten circle grew to be special to them. It was one of the few things Kurt missed about Ohio.

Kurt texted Blaine back saying that he'll be there as his father began to pass out the presents that sat under the tree. They each got three gifts, one from each member of the family. For Finn, Kurt bought a few video games. He got his mother a cookbook as well as a gift card to her favorite store, and his father three tickets to an Ohio Buckeyes basketball game in February for Finn, Carole, and him.

Meanwhile, Kurt only received money in cards, which was what he asked for since a) he needed extra money, and b) his family never really knew what to buy him anyways. It was a win/win situation.

Everyone was happy with their gifts, which relieved Kurt. He would have been lying if he said he hadn't been worried if they would like them or not—he hadn't had a lot of time for shopping with midterms and everything else going on.

As promised, he went to the forest preserve at three o' clock. It had snowed overnight, giving them a white Christmas. He saw Blaine's footsteps in the snow and stepped on top of them as he walked through the trees to get to the circle, where Blaine was waiting on one of the benches. He shot out of his seat when he saw Kurt. "Merry Christmas!"

"Hey—" Blaine kissed him before he could say another word. Kurt grinned. "Merry Christmas to you, too." Maybe Kurt was just imagining things, but Blaine seemed to be acting strange. He was...erratic. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm great!" He beamed. "It's Christmas. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kurt just smiled at him and shook his head, taking a seat on the bench Blaine had been sitting on. "How's your holiday going so far?"

"Amaaazing," Blaine answered. "Coop got me a new iPod."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I told him it was too much, but he said it was nothing and that I would need something to put all of his songs on when he gets his record deal. At that point, I wasn't going to say anything because hey, it's an iPod."

"Yep, that sounds like your brother." Kurt laughed. "Oh! Let me give you your present." He reached into the pocket of his peacoat and pulled out a small box wrapped in Santa Claus-covered paper.

"Don't get your hopes up," he said as Blaine started to unwrap it. "It's nothing big, I just..." he trailed off as Blaine opened the box to reveal a silver chain. Hanging from it was a shining silver key. Blaine picked it up from the box and let it dangle between his fingers with a lost look on his face, like he was trying to figure out what the gift meant.

"It's a key to my apartment," Kurt explained. "Just so you know that...you're welcome anytime, and while you don't live there with me and Rachel yet, it's your apartment, too. I can't wait for us to start our lives together in New York."

"Kurt..." Blaine whispered, a wide grin quickly spreading across his face. He threw his arms around his boyfriend's neck. "Thank you so much."

"I'm really glad you like it." He smiled over his shoulder.

"It's the best gift I've ever gotten," Blaine said as he pulled away. Kurt took the chain from his hands and put it around his neck. "I don't know," he said. "I think the iPod kind of gave it a run for its money."

His boyfriend shook his head before bouncing in his seat. "Ooh, my turn." Out of his coat pocket he pulled out a box that looked similar to the one Kurt had given him.

Kurt unwrapped it to reveal a blue velvet box. As he moved his fingers to open it, Blaine moved off of the bench and got down on one knee on the snow-covered ground. It happened too fast for Kurt to process. His eyes shifted from the box to Blaine. "I—what are you—" Blaine just smiled, and it finally dawned on him. "Oh my God, Blaine—"

Blaine held one of his hands and used the other to push the box open. Inside was a silver ring with tiny diamonds in a horizontal line in the center. "Hold on. I prepared a speech." His grin grew wider. "Kurt...I love you so much. You're the love of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. This...this ring doesn't mean that we have to get married in a year. It can be in ten or thirty or fifty years, for all I care. All that matters to me is that we spend the rest of our lives together. This ring is to tell you that I'm yours, and I always will be. I promise to always be there for you no matter what, and..." He got choked up, and took a moment to collect himself. "And it would be an honor to be able to call you my husband."

Kurt used his sleeve to wipe away his tears and noticed that Blaine's eyes were also shining. "Kurt Hummel, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes, of course!" He was already back in Blaine's arms and kissing him. Blaine took a moment to step back and slip the ring onto Kurt's ring finger. All Kurt could do was stare at it in awe. It all seemed very real then, and a different kind of happiness began to flow through him. He was getting married. To Blaine.

"How did you afford this?" He asked curiously, looking down at the ring. He knew something had to be up, and he was right.

"I sold my guitar."

"What?!" Kurt hit his arm light-heartedly, and Blaine just kept smiling like an idiot. "You're adorable when you're mad. I'm kidding. Don't worry about it, okay?" he said, putting his hands on Kurt's shoulders and moving a step closer to him. "I can always get another guitar, but there's only one Kurt Hummel."

Kurt just couldn't be upset with him. He rested his forehead against Blaine's and kissed his nose. "We're engaged," he said, still in disbelief.

"We're getting married." Apparently it was still sinking in for Blaine, too.

"You know, I always imagined me being the one to propose. Not that I'm complaining."

"Sorry. You know how I am, always stealing the spotlight..." Blaine joked.

Randomly, Kurt said, "We have to have a fall wedding."

Blaine laughed. "I know. You told me you wanted to have a fall wedding before we even started dating."

"Imagine it, though. A fall wedding in New York City, when the temperature is perfect and the leaves are falling..."

"I can't wait to marry you." Kurt lovingly gazed into his eyes, unable to control the smile on his face.

"Me, neither. It'll be just like we always wanted; living in New York City together, getting married, starting a family..." Blaine kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The next half hour was spent with Blaine sitting on the bench and Kurt's head in his lap as they dreamed about the color schemes of the wedding and what they'll wear and who'll be invited and what song their first dance will be to (they couldn't agree on that one and decided to leave it to figure out later). During the conversation, they also agreed not to rush the wedding. They both wanted it to be perfect to every last detail, no matter how long it took.

Blaine made a surprised noise, like he remembered something important. "I'm really sorry, Kurt, but I have to get over to my Aunt Barb's house for dinner. Maybe you can ask your parents if I can come over later?" He stood from the bench and held out his hand. Kurt took it, and they walked back to their cars together. Once they were in the parking lot, they didn't want to say goodbye to each other after such a perfect couple of hours. One last time, Kurt brought his lips together with Blaine's in a loving, romantic kiss.

"I'll see you later?" Kurt questioned.

"Sure. Bye, Mr. Anderson."

"Or Mr. Anderson-Hummel," Kurt tested. "Or Hummel-Anderson. Or just Hummel or Anderson...I don't know, I think I like the ring of Hummel-Anderson."

"Me, too." Blaine winked and smiled at him. "See you later, fiancé."

Fiancé. Fiancé. Fiancé. The word ran over and over through Kurt's mind. "Yeah, that sounds good for now." He grinned. "Bye." He had started walking to his car when he thought of something. He turned around to see that Blaine was about ten meters away, headed to his own car. "Wait!" he yelled, and Blaine spun around. Kurt's face scrunched up in worry. "Please tell me you talked to my dad about this."

"Kurt." Blaine looked at him as if he were asking if he was serious. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

He threw his hands up in defense. "I just wanted to make sure. More for your safety than mine." He waved goodbye and turned around again, waiting until he was in his car to let out a small shout of delight. However, in the limited space his car gave him, he didn't have a lot of room to fully let out his excitement, so he was bouncing in his seat the entire ride home.

When he got home, Kurt quickly parked his car in the driveway before running to the front door and opening it, finally allowing himself to let out a high-pitched shriek of pure joy. His family was gathered in the living room; he could hear Carole shouting "let me see the ring!" before he could even see her come around the corner. His back was still against the front door, and his family quickly crowded around him as he put his left hand out for everyone to see.

"Oh, Kurt, it's beautiful!" Carole gasped. "I'm so happy for you."

His visibly teary-eyed father hugged him. "Congratulations, Kurt."

"Congrats," Finn said. "Wait, does this mean there'll be two bachelor parties?"

"The wedding probably won't be for a few years," Kurt told them. "For one thing, we're only eighteen—no offense Finn, you know I totally support you and Rachel, it's just not really our thing—and we want to wait until we're settled in New York. I'm not gonna lie, though, I'm surprised you guys did such a good job at keeping it a secret."

"Well, he just talked to us yesterday," Burt said. "About fifteen minutes before you walked in the door."

Kurt's eyebrows raised in disbelief. He had walked into the house with no clue that everyone had just found out that he was going to get engaged the next day.

"We're all so happy for you," Carole said. "Although I'm not sure how I feel about both my sons being engaged before I'm even fifty," she joked. "It makes me feel old."

"Tell me about it." Burt nudged her.

"Come on. You guys don't look a day over twenty," Kurt teased. "Oh, can Blaine come over tonight?"

Burt approved, and Carole suggested, "We can have a mini-engagement party-slash-Christmas-dinner! That would be fun. Let him know that his parents are invited, too. Finn, why don't you invite Rachel and her fathers? It'll be just like Thanksgiving."

Finn nodded excitedly and Kurt said, "Will do. Thank you guys so much." He hugged all three of them. "I'm so glad that you approve of me and Blaine getting married one day."

"We just want both of our boys to be happy," Burt said, going between Kurt and Finn and clapping them on a shoulder.

Kurt looked at his mother to see tears pooling in her eyes again. Carole excused herself, saying that she had to go check on the ham.

After going to his aunt's house, Blaine and his parents as well as the Berrys joined the Hudson-Hummels for another meal. Carole got out her stack of unused disposable cameras that she always had on hand, just in case. She snapped pictures of everyone and everything: Kurt and Blaine, the ring, the Andersons, Finn and Rachel, Finn and Rachel and Kurt and Blaine, the food, the snow outside, literally everything in sight. Kurt understood, though. Carole was sentimental sometimes. The adults had celebratory champagne, and even let the kids have half a glass. They toasted to Kurt and Blaine.

Throughout the night, the family members congratulated them repeatedly, and they just smiled and thanked them graciously. The entire thing still felt like a dream to Kurt. Of course, he always knew he would get engaged to and marry Blaine eventually. He just didn't think the day would come so soon—not that he minded.

The night was filled with fun and smiles and laughter and joy. Everyone was so supportive of them, and it made Kurt think of how much his life had changed in just a few years. Three years ago, he wasn't even out of the closet. Having a boyfriend—much less a life partner—was something he thought he would only dream about in such a small town as Lima. He was bullied terribly by Karofsky during his junior year. But then he met Blaine, who turned his life around completely. Who gave him a reason to smile, a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Blaine, who gave him hope, and a reason to go on and stand up for himself. And now, here he was almost two years later, engaged to him and about to live in New York with him. It was something fifteen year old Kurt couldn't have even imagined. If he went back in time and told his younger self to keep going and just wait because in just a couple of years, he'll meet someone who will change his life and make things so much better, he wouldn't believe him in a billion years.

Now, sitting next to Blaine on the living room couch, he held his hand even tighter, as if he were afraid that would disappear at any moment. In return, Blaine gave Kurt's hand a small squeeze, a reminder that he was there next to him and always will be.

After a shopping trip the next day with Blaine, Rachel, and Tina, Kurt began to repack his bags to go back home. Their flight was the next morning; Finn, Rachel, Blaine, and all of their parents all managed to get on the same flight, although in different rows and sections. However, he would gladly choose a plane ride over an uncomfortable ten hour car ride any day.

By seven o' clock in the morning, everybody was at the Hudson-Hummel house, bags packed and ready to go. It was a smooth ride to the airport and through security, and they next thing they knew they were on the plane. Kurt had an aisle seat; next to him sat Finn, and in the row across from them were Rachel and her dads. As long as Finn didn't fall asleep and start to drool on him, he figured it wasn't too bad. It was only an hour-long flight anyway.

With the indie movie playing on the DVD player hanging from the ceiling a few rows ahead as well as the small talk he made with Finn, time went by relatively fast, and soon they were being told to buckle their seat belts again for the landing.

After they landed, everyone got off the plane and met up a few feet from the exit. They quickly retrieved their luggage and stepped outside to face the cold, bitter New York air. A short cab ride took them to their apartment, which Kurt forgot the Andersons were seeing for the first time. Blaine's father said he loved it, and his mother complimented the layout. Kurt showed them around (which was really just pointing to the doors, since the bathroom and bedrooms were all connected to the living room and kitchen) before they left again to show the Andersons around their neighborhood.

Winter was in full effect in New York City; snow was falling at a steady pace, and there were at least three inches already on the ground. It was cold outside, but luckily everyone had adequately packed for it.

After walking around for hours, numerous parts of their bodies were beginning to feel numb, so on their way back home they decided to stop by at Kurt's work and get something warm to drink. Kurt held the door open for his family and friends and walked inside after them to see Rachel anxiously glancing towards him. "What is it?" He asked as he caught up with her, and she gave an almost imperceptible nod to the table to their right. Kurt followed her gaze to see Andrew sitting there, buried in a textbook. He hadn't noticed the group that had walked in the cafe yet. Before he could catch Kurt staring, he turned around and found Blaine, taking hold of his hand and gripping it tightly.

"Everything okay?" Blaine asked him, and Kurt quickly nodded. "Everything's great."

The barista—they worked the same shift a few times, during which Kurt had learned that her name was Lucy—took their orders. Once they received their drinks, Kurt did his best to rush them out the door and away from Andrew, but Mrs. Anderson insisted that they stay and sit for a while.

Things were okay between him and Andrew—he apologized, and Kurt forgave him. But he didn't want to know what happened when you put him in a room with Blaine, and honestly he was still kind of sensitive about the kiss. After being bullied relentlessly by Karofsky and being both physically and sexually harassed by him, being kissed without his consent was triggering; he'd by lying if he said it hadn't brought back a lot of bad memories.

So Kurt ushered them towards a table in the corner, where he hoped they would go unnoticed by the other boy. He tried to keep calm and not let his anxiety show, but it was nearly impossible not to keep shifting his eyes to the other table and see if Andrew had spotted them.

And he did. At one point, Kurt looked up to see Andrew staring back at him. All Kurt did was turn away and inch closer to his fiance sitting next to him, hoping that Andrew would get the point.

Blaine noticed him squirming in his seat. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kurt replied, putting on his most convincing smile.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "You can't fool me, Kurt."

Kurt knew he couldn't get out of this one. Meeting Blaine's eyes, he said, "Andrew's here."

"Andrew as in...the guy who kissed you?" Kurt nodded in confirmation, keeping his eyes on the table as Blaine observed the man across the cafe. He noticed his fiancé's hands start to shake, and Kurt took one of them in his own. "It's okay," he assured him. "I've only spoken to him once since the kiss, when he apologized. You have nothing to worry about, okay?" He squeezed his hand even tighter. "Please don't cause a scene. Not in front of our parents."

It seemed as if the fact that his parents were there was the only thing stopping him from walking right up to Andrew then and there and punching him in the mouth. Under the table, Kurt put a hand on Blaine's knee. "It's okay. I promise." His fiancé's eyes were still glued to Andrew, who had now met his gaze and was looking back at him, confused.

Kurt figured it was best for all of them to leave the building as soon as possible, before Blaine could cause a scene in his workplace. "We should get going," he told the group, standing up and pulling Blaine with him. "You know, things to do, people to see..." He was already walking towards the door, and his family and friends had no choice but to follow him. He made sure Blaine stayed on his right, away from Andrew, and stared straight ahead as they passed him.

He exhaled in relief when they were outside again, planting a short kiss on Blaine's lips and sending him a concerned smile. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Blaine said. "I'm fine. I just didn't...expect to see him while we were here."

"Trust me, neither did I. I haven't seen him in there in months. But let's not worry about it, okay?" He took both of Blaine's hands. "I won't let him ruin this week for us." He kissed Blaine again, hoping it would convince him that he had nothing to worry about and that Kurt was eternally his.

Their foreheads were pressed together and their breath came out in small clouds of vapor. They shared another smile and Kurt's hand caressed Blaine's cheek before they turned to catch up with the group.

On New Year's Eve, they headed to Times Square at seven o' clock to find that there was already quite a large crowd gathered there. Everyone was buzzing with excitement for the fact that it was their first New Years in New York City, and they were spending it with their families. They spent most of the time talking and laughing and complaining about how much their feet hurt. By the time eleven o' clock rolled around, literally thousands of people must have joined the crowd behind them. The performers and activities had begun an hour or two ago, and it was enough to keep them entertained. However, none of them could wait for the new year to begin.

The huge crowd allowed practically no room to move or stretch, so Kurt found himself pressed against Blaine the entire time. Not that he minded, of course. Every now and again he would look to his fiancé, still unable to believe that Blaine was his and here in New York with him. Kurt gave his hand a small squeeze, and Blaine returned it.

The hand on the clock slowly crept closer to the twelve, and soon enough the ball was beginning to drop and the crowd was counting down the seconds until 2013.

Ten...

A smile spread across Kurt's face as he looked around. Everyone was so happy and energetic, and Times Square at night was always amazing.

Nine...

He looked to his family and friends, who all smiled back at him excitedly.

Eight...

His heart swelled with joy and love for this breathtaking city and everyone who was there to share the experience with him.

Seven...

He thought about all that had happened in the past year: he had graduated from high school, moved to New York, started college, gotten engaged...with the exception of a few rocky months, it was a pretty good year for him.

Eight...

Now it just seemed like time was dragging on. He bounced up and down both in excitement and in an effort to keep warm.

Seven...

Hell, why not? He joined in the chanting.

"Six, five, four..."

He turned to Blaine.

"Three...two..."

They brought their lips together as the gigantic ball dropped to the ground, the crowd erupted in cheers, and fireworks flew into the sky. When they pulled apart, they stood forehead to forehead and smiled. "Happy new year," Blaine said over the roaring crowd surrounding them.

"Happy new year." They kissed again and then turned to face their families, where everyone was hugging each other. Mrs. Anderson threw her arms around Kurt, wishing him the best this year. Mr. Anderson even hugged him, for what Kurt believed was the first time—he usually only stuck to handshakes. "Happy new year, Kurt." he told him, and Kurt returned it.

Rachel was next to hug him. "Ready for another year of this?"

"Bring it on." He smiled as they pulled apart. Moving over to Blaine again, he wrapped an arm around his waist. "I love you."

Blaine leaned into him and let out a content sigh. "I love you, too."

When Kurt, Blaine, Finn, and Rachel returned home at two in the morning (all the parents were sleeping at the Holiday Inn nearby), they filled four glasses with sparkling grape juice Rachel had bought. They toasted to the new year and what it will bring—graduation for Blaine, him and Finn hopefully moving to New York, and of course many surprises.

As Kurt and Blaine lay in bed that night, both exhausted but neither falling asleep, they talked.

"I'm can't wait until you and Finn move in," Kurt said. "It'll be perfect. No long-distance, nothing to worry about..."

"Only six more months," Blaine reminded him.

"It can't come soon enough." He moved a little closer to Blaine to kiss him before resting his head on his shoulder.

Just as he was beginning to feel himself drifting to sleep, Blaine whispered, "Kurt?"

"Mmm?" He replied sleepily, tilting his face up to look at him.

Blaine grabbed his left hand and kissed his ring finger, where he wore the silver band. "Happy new year."

Kurt smiled at him and he was filled with joy and hope. He was happy they were able to put the drama of the last six months behind them and start the new year on a clean slate. Most of all, he was filled with an overwhelming amount of love for the man laying beside him. The man he was going to marry.

Kurt knew how lucky he was to have Blaine, and he just couldn't thank him enough for taking a chance on him and taking him back after everything that had happened last fall. However, he knew it was fate that had brought them together. Kurt knew he was born to be with Blaine and vice versa; there was simply no other option.

In six months, him and Blaine were going to be starting a new life together, and he couldn't wait for it to begin.

The End

A/N: I kept going back and forth about the ending, and I'm still not sure I'm completely satisfied with it, but I had a blast writing this entire fic. There's still an epilogue coming up, though! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing!