Looks like Kurt Hummel and his yummy boyfriend will be gracing the Tony Awards next month. Kurt's just been announced as a presenter at the ceremony, which means that my interest in watching the show has suddenly quadrupled. That man can wear a tux like no one else, am I right ladies and gays? I know they don't look alike, but does he remind anyone else of Cary Grant? I mean, the ease with which he wears clothes is just astonishing. Can he please teach the rest of Hollywood on how to not bore us to death with their clothing choices? If I see one more ill-fitting black suit with skinny tie on the red carpet I'm going to scream.

Anyway, back to Kurt…He hasn't been in the public eye as much since all the crap last summer (and who can blame him? The tabloids can suck my dick!), but with his new TV show coming up next season I'm sure we can all look forward to more appearances. I, for one, can't wait. The behind-the-scenes shots from on location have been nice, but I need more. Give me photo shoots and red carpets and photo-ops with his pocket-sized sweetie. – LightsCameraCathy, May 14th, 2021.

=^..^=

May

Blaine took a sip from a juice box left over from snack time the day before and thumbed past another screen on his phone, not yet finding what he was looking for. It was just before eleven in the morning and the staff room was quiet, with just a few teachers stopping in during their free periods. Blaine was normally in class at that time of the day, but he had some free time on his hands because his students were off with the first graders learning a song for the upcoming concert.

Mrs. Linden had begged for their help when her class had been selected to perform the non-competition song that traditionally ended the concert each year. The year before, the seniors had performed a reportedly awe-inspiring version of We Didn't Start the Fire, so she was determine to top them. The song selection was a secret for the moment, but Blaine was pretty sure one of his kids would let something slip before too long.

"Hey, Blaine!"

Blaine looked up from his phone and smiled at Evelyn Wilson, one of his best friends at the school, who was just then pulling up a chair at his table. "Hi, Evelyn. Do you have this period free?"

"The perks of teaching art: two free periods every day. Don't be jealous of my light schedule, it isn't becoming. What are you doing here?" Evelyn made a grab for a handful of yogurt covered raisins from the bowl by Blaine's elbow. "Where are the ankle biters? Did you finally crack and sell them off to the circus?"

"They're with Mrs. Linden learning a song for the showcase." Blaine held the bowl out of her reach playfully before setting it down in front of her and indicating she should help herself. "Hey, you've lived in New York a while, right?"

"Yeah, moved here in high school and don't you dare ask how many years ago that was. Why?"

Blaine tugged at his picnic blanket checkered bow tie nervously. "I'm looking for a restaurant ideas, but not one of the usual places. One of those been there for 50 years, neighborhood secret, recipes passed down for generations kind of places. Something really special."

Evelyn thought for a few seconds before listing off a couple of ideas. "If you give me more time I can ask around, come up with some other options. It'd be helpful to know the occasion. Is it a family deal, an anniversary, a proposal…" Blaine felt his face flush and knew the second that Evelyn saw it. "Oh. My. God. You're going to propose, aren't you?"

Blaine looked around surreptitiously to make sure no one else could overhear and gave her a tiny nod. "Yes."

A squeal that had probably been heard by every dog in a four block radius escaped Evelyn's lips. "That's amazing! I can't believe it. Kurt's going to be so happy. It is Kurt, right? Duh, of course it's Kurt, Evelyn, don't be a dummy! When? When? When?"

"Shh, someone will hear you and then it'll be on the internet before the hour is out. I was thinking maybe in a few weeks, once school's out."

She chuckled and leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I'm so excited I think I just peed my pants a little. I'm going to—wait, you're going to propose at a restaurant?"

Blaine sat up a little straighter, his brow furrowing a little at the disbelief in her tone. "Yeah, I was thinking a quiet, romantic dinner, maybe even the clich�d ring in the champagne, why?"

"It just doesn't seem like you, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

Evelyn leaned forward, her long, blond hair with pink streaks swinging around her face as she patted his hand lightly. "Blaine, you turned the new club announcements at the last assembly into a five minute medley complete with string quartet accompaniment and costumes. A quiet, typical proposal is about the last thing I'd expect from you. For some reason I kind of pictured you proposing over the Jumbotron screen in Times Square with all the fake superheroes and faux-Disney characters singing and dancing around you."

She wasn't wrong. It was Blaine's instinct to make as big a spectacle out of the proposal as he could and maybe if Kurt wasn't famous he would have done it, but Kurt was famous and there was no way Blaine was going to put their personal lives out in the open any more than they already were. The bloggers, videographers, and tweeters would just have to wait for the official announcement.

"Hey, that assembly was the first time in five years that the school had sponsored new clubs, so it was a special day," he protested. "It really deserved some pomp and circumstance. I know I tend to go…over the top sometimes, but Kurt really isn't into big public displays, so I think I need to cool it and keep the whole thing low-key. You know, private."

"Sure, sure, I get it. The hoopla and publicity will probably be off the charts when word gets out, so I guess it'll be nice to have the big moment be just the two of you."

Blaine sighed with relief. Her understanding was helping quiet the tiny part of him that still dreamed of flash mobs and confetti. "Exactly."

"Do you have a ring? Is it gorgeous? Can I see it?" She gasped and held her hands to her chest. "Can I try it on?"

"Yes, I've picked out a ring, but no, you can't see it." He smiled at her crestfallen expression. He'd never really had a close female friend before and he now understood why Kurt was so close with Rachel and Mercedes. "It's custom and still at the jeweler. I'm sure if I bring it home Kurt was stumble upon it somehow, so I'm just going to leave it there until the last minute. I'll send you a picture when I pick it up.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, just so you know." She tried to look stern, but her face dissolved into the silly smile most women seemed to get when talking about getting engaged. "Alright then. You just give me a few days to do some research and I'll give you a list of the most romantic hidden treasures in the city. Kurt's not going to know what hit him."

=^..^=

Blaine gave a cheery wave to the doorman as he made his way to the elevator, still energized from the meeting he'd just finished. It was only five days until the school musical showcase and he'd stayed at school late to meet with the lighting director.

He'd known the show was a big deal when he'd been put in charge, but he hadn't quite realized just what that would mean in a school with the seemingly unlimited budget that Carlisle had. The lights, sound, costumes, and set were all being handled by professionals who made their living working on Broadway.

Most of the people had worked on the Carlisle shows for several years, so thankfully all Blaine had to do was make sure everyone was on track and stand back and let them do their thing. Everything was firing on all cylinders and it looked as if the concert was going to be a huge hit (knock on wood).

He slipped into the apartment and was met by a jubilant Elphie, who he picked up and cradled like a baby as he walked towards the voices he could hear in the living room. To his astonishment, he found Kurt and Rachel lying next to each other on the floor with something that looked like guacamole covering their faces, listening to a vinyl copy of Funny Girl on a portable turntable he didn't recognize.

"Blaine! You're just in time for Don't Rain on My Parade. Come marvel at Barbra's breath control with us," Rachel called out from her prone position, acting like it wasn't strange that she was there despite the fact that Kurt had been cursing her name for two solid weeks.

Elphie wiggled free to go investigate her food dish as Kurt bounded up and over to Blaine, threatening to kiss him, his green face shining in the light from the table lamp. Blaine held him back by the shoulders, laughing. "You'd better not get any of that gunk on my new Brooks Brothers shirt or I'll make you explain it to the dry cleaner. I take it you guys made up?" he asked, his gaze moving from Kurt to Rachel.

Kurt shrugged. "Rachel apologized, I accepted. The end. We don't tend to hold grudges. Well, not for long, at least."

Rachel sat up and leaned back against the couch. "We usually follow up a big argument with an evening of pampering and classic show tunes."

Blaine took a reluctant side step towards the bedroom, trying hard to not look disappointed as his mental plans for the evening went up in Rachel colored smoke. "Oh, well, I don't want to interrupt, so—"

"Uh-uh. Don't think you're getting away that easily, Blaine Anderson," Rachel warned, patting a space on the floor next to her. "I need your guys' help picking out some silhouettes for red carpet gowns. We're going to be in demand once our show hits the air and I want to be ready. Plus, I just happen to have a honey-lavender mask right here that will do wonders for that oily T-zone of yours."

Blaine touched his finger to his forehead self-consciously as he heard Kurt humph beside him. "Blaine's skin is perfect, thank you very much." Kurt turned to him and gave him a coaxing look. "You should definitely stay, though. We're just about to whip up some margaritas and Kiss Me Kate is next on the old Victrola."

Blaine's eyes slid to Rachel, who had uncapped a jar of amber colored goo and was waving it back-and-forth temptingly. "I do love Kiss Me Kate," he said, torn between wanting to be a part of the fun and his feeling that he was encroaching on their bonding time. "If you make mine strawberry then you've got a deal."

"Original and strawberry margaritas coming right up!" Kurt sauntered to the kitchen, wiggling his rear end a little when he saw that Blaine was watching him go.

Blaine dropped down beside Rachel and plucked the jar from her hand, sniffing it suspiciously. "So, what types of gowns are you thinking of?"

Rachel grinned in delight and pulled a pile of gossip magazines in front of her, opening the top one, which had photos from the last Oscar's red carpet on the front. "I think I'd look amazing in a body conscious sheath. You've really got to have small boobs like mine to make it work..."

=^..^=

Blaine set his tablet down on the stage manager's podium and let the noise of the controlled chaos backstage wash over him. It was just minutes before the curtain was going to rise on the showcase and kids were everywhere. Final adjustments to costumes were being made and the seniors, who would be kicking off the evening with their song, were warming up in the back corner.

Blaine pulled the edge of the curtain back and peeked out, his heart thumping a little bit harder as he saw the packed house. The show had been sold out for weeks, but knowing that hadn't prepared him for the sight of so many people. Thank goodness he wasn't performing. How in the world did Kurt do this eight times a week?

Thinking of Kurt had Blaine scanning the crowd for that familiar thick and luxurious swooped hair and he found it on the aisle of the sixth row. Kurt was sitting next to Burt and Carole and all three had their heads down, scanning their programs. Blaine hadn't expected Kurt's parents to come, but Burt had insisted when he'd heard that Blaine was putting the whole show together, saying that they always came out to support their sons. Blaine had nearly cried.

Just then, the five minute warning alarm sounded from his tablet and Blaine went back to work. Once the first group was in their places, he grabbed the microphone and headed out onto the stage to welcome everyone and get things kicked off.

The show went smoothly, with just one hitch when the pre-recorded music for the fourth graders' song somehow went missing from the computer, delaying their performance by a few minutes. The crowd was enthusiastic and appreciative and each group came off stage grinning and jabbering excitedly. The kindergarten performed next-to-last and though they might not be the best singers, they definitely had the most fun on stage. They were about the cutest things Blaine had ever seen and he was so proud.

The kids gathered around him for a big group hug as the crowd cheered. Kurt, Burt, and Carole joined the kids' parents in a standing ovation.

The juniors performed last, marking the end of the competition and Blaine came back out to thank everyone for attending and to announce the exhibition piece that the first graders were going to perform with the help from the kids in his class. "Even I don't know what they have planned," he told the crowd with a laugh, "but I'm sure it'll blow our socks off."

It was the wave of noise from the audience that let Blaine know something was up. Whispers and murmurs were spreading across the auditorium and cell phones that had been lowered after the last performance were raised high once again.

Blaine looked to his left, where most of the people seemed to be looking, and saw Kurt coming towards him, his perfectly cut suit accentuating every scrumptious inch of his body. He walked across the stage with the confidence of someone who had done it a thousand times before and—wait, no. The outward confidence was there, but to someone who knew Kurt as well as Blaine did, there were signs that it was, at least partly, all an act.

Kurt's chest was expanded slightly, like he was holding his breath, and his right hand, facing away from the audience, was clenched in a fist. His cheeks were flushed slightly and when he came to stop in front of Blaine he reached up and smoothed a finger over his hair, which was something he only did when he was nervous.

"Mr. Anderson, if I may?" Kurt smiled at Blaine coyly and gently took the microphone that was hanging loosely from his hand.

"Wha—What?"

"Your students and I have prepared a little something."

The curtain rose silently behind him and revealing the kindergarteners, who were spread out on the risers. Blaine looked at them in shock and several kids started giggling. "When?" he asked in astonishment.

"I have my ways." Kurt turned his head and winked at Siobhan, who grinned widely and blew him a kiss.

Mrs. Linden slipped out from the wings with a chair and set it down at the side of the stage. Kurt shooed Blaine towards it and he slowly took a seat while Kurt turned back to the audience. He introduced himself and the kids before nodding to the sound director in the back to start the music.

Blaine watched in wonder as Kurt and his students performed Welcome to the Toy Box, the opening number from Toy Story. Kurt played his usual role, with kids standing in for the other characters. They danced around, sometimes bumping into each other and giggling, sometimes forgetting their lines, and one girl stood at the end of the stage just grinning and waving to the audience—but it was magical and amazing and probably the best thing Blaine had ever seen in his whole life.

The performance ended to huge applause. Kurt and the kids took their bows and then Mrs. Linden moved the students back, leaving Kurt alone in the center of the stage. The spotlight zeroed in on him and new music began to pour from the speakers.

Blaine's heart caught in his throat as he recognized the music as Love Changes Everything, from the musical Aspects of Love, one of his favorite songs of all time. He gaped in amazement at the power of Kurt's voice. He sang with more feeling than Blaine had ever heard before, which was really saying something. Blaine wanted to close his eyes and just let the sound wash over him, but there was no way he was going to miss a second of seeing Kurt perform that song.

About halfway through, Kurt turned his head and started singing the song directly to Blaine. He slowly walked closer with each line, until he reached Blaine's side. Unconsciously, Blaine reached out a hand, his body drawn to Kurt like a magnet to steel. Kurt grasped it tightly as he took a deep breath and sung the last powerhouse line.

The crowd was on their feet before the final note ended. The cheers turned to gasps when Kurt sank down to one knee in front of Blaine, still clutching his hand, his other hand coming out from behind his back with a ring box.

Kurt waited to speak until the audience went mostly silent, not that Blaine could hear them anyway over the loud beating of his heart. "I don't know if love changes everything, but it has certainly changed me. For the first time in my life I have more than just my ambition, more than just my career. You filled up a space I didn't even know was there and made me see everything I was missing. You are the one and only love of my life. Blaine Devon Anderson, will you marry me?"

Everyone in the auditorium seemed to be leaning towards Blaine, holding their breath as they waited for his answer. He let his eyes drop to the ring that was nestled in the box. It looked like silver, or maybe titanium and had two grooves that divided it into thirds, with a recessed diamond lying flush in the center. It was a perfect complement to the ring he'd had designed for Kurt and Blaine couldn't wait to have it on his finger. "Yes," Blaine managed to say despite the tightness of their throat. "One hundred million percent yes."

Kurt slipped the ring on (perfect fit!) with a shaky breath. Blaine pulled him up and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him in for their first kiss as an engaged couple. He felt Kurt's arms settle around his shoulders, drawing him in closer. Blaine broke the kiss and touched their foreheads together gently, their noses brushing against each other in an Eskimo kiss. "I can't believe you did this here. You hate this kind of stuff. All these people—"

Kurt kissed him again. "Not my favorite, no, but you love it and this was for you. I can't imagine you getting engaged any other way. I'd do anything to make you happy. You know that, right?"

There would have been another kiss, but the cheers from the audience finally broke through the bubble of joy that had surrounded them. Blaine looked over Kurt's shoulder, his eyes going right to Burt and Carole. Carole was openly crying and Burt's eyes had a suspicious glint to them. Around them, Blaine could see at least a hundred phones out, recording every move. At least he and Kurt would have video—from multiple angles—of the moment.

Mrs. Linden came onstage to grab the microphone and take over the emcee duties as Blaine and Kurt waved goodbye to everyone and ducked into the wings. The backstage area was empty and Blaine collapsed against the side wall in shock, his hand still intertwined with Kurt's, unable and unwilling to let go. "There never was a song with the first graders, was there? It was you the whole time, practicing with them."

Kurt pressed his lips together and tried to look innocent. "Why, I don't know what you mean."

"How did you…? When?"

"Well, Siobhan cornered me at the Toy Story party and demanded to know why I hadn't married you yet, because you were, and I quote, 'the bestest person in the whole wide world, except for maybe Mary Poppins' and for the life of me I didn't have a good answer. The whole plan kind of came together right then."

"I knew it. I knew putting the two of you together would be dangerous."

"But it was good, right?" Kurt asked, uncertainty starting to edge its way into his expression. "You liked it? I could have more personal during the actual proposal, but I knew that all those strangers would be watching and that it'd be up on YouTube before we left the stage, so I—"

Blaine silenced Kurt's ramblings with a kiss that sent them careening across the space to the opposite wall. "It was perfect in every single way. I'll remember it for my entire life. You are the most wonderful, interesting, exciting man on the planet. I don't know how I got so lucky."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Kurt whispered, his eyes staring directly into Blaine's. "It was destiny."