Kurt first realised he was in love with Diane smack in the middle of his testimony in the Jason Beltran suit. Even now, years later, he can't say for certain what triggered it, but he knew, suddenly and without doubt, that he was looking at the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He was devastated when she said no to Costa Rica, though he realised he had only himself to blame. He was the one who stopped calling nearly a year prior. Who knew where they might be had he not been such a damned coward.

Then, when she showed up unexpectedly at his door a year later, he was surprised to find all his feelings for her were still there in full force, hidden just below the surface. And when she quietly backed out of his life again a short time later, he decided that was it for him and Diane Lockhart. He would not be doing that dance again.

Wrong again, McVeigh. All she had to do was say please.

And so they face off in front of her closed office door, irresistible force meeting immoveable object.

"I don't want to wait. I don't." She's agitated, almost aggressive, and he doesn't understand where any of this is coming from.

"And then what?" he asks.

She opens her mouth, closes it again, and he can almost see her confidence beginning to wither away.

"Diane," he says gently, reaching out to touch her arm. "What is this? What's this really about? Your father? Your judgeship? Giving up your firm? Because it's sure as hell not about what getting married is supposed to be about. You don't love me."

She takes a step back, looking like he's slapped her. His hand falls back to his side.

"You think I don't love you?" she whispers.

"I think you're…fond…of me. You're attracted to me. But Diane, I was ready to marry you two years ago. I wanted to spend my life with you, and you weren't interested. Before the other night, you'd never given me any reason to think you changed your mind."

"You think I don't love you?" she repeats, her voice steadier now, her head tilting slightly to one side.

He's getting a little confused. This shouldn't be news to her. "I…no. I mean, you've never said…"

"You think I'm fond of you?" She's laughing now.

"This is funny?"

"Yes!" She covers her mouth with her hand, muffling one last burst of laughter before she continues. "Actually, no. It's not funny. It's absurd."

She steps forward and places one hand on either side of his face. "Kurt, just so we're clear: I. Love. You. I love you. I always have. Whatever problems we've had, whatever the reasons were for us not being together, it was never a lack of love. A lack of courage, most likely, mixed with a side of inertia. But never a lack of love, at least not on my part. I love you."

And with that, she pulls his head down and kisses him. Mindless of the glass walls, he wraps his arms around her and kisses her back softly, gently, amazed at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Dear lord, we're bad at this," she says when they part.

He laughs and runs his hands up and down her arms. "Yep."

"So…" She's grinning at him, waiting for his capitulation, which of course she gets.

"So, do you have time to have dinner with your fiancé?" he asks, still not letting her go.

She nods. "Yes. Come back for me in half an hour."

"Okay." He kisses her one more time, softly on the lips, and then just before he drops his arms, he says quietly into her ear, "I love you too."