Over the next week Blaine imposed on Mercedes a lot more than he'd meant to. Every day he was texting questions about Kurt's favorite color, his preferred flowers, favorite sweets, middle name, beverage of choice, kitties or puppies, ninjas or pirates... they stopped pertaining to the upcoming event with stunning rapidity. Most of the time he only texted her so he could restrain himself from texting Kurt. He'd spend hours lying on his bed, holding his phone to his heart, listening to the scratchy recording of Kurt singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart," which had been made into an audio clip for him by one of the Warblers, and wondering what would be the harm in just a "Hi, Kurt!" Then he'd come to his senses and text Mercedes for more tight-lipped details into Kurt's life. By the time Friday rolled around, he more than owed her the expensive dinner at Breadstix they shared, at which she assured him of Kurt's excitement for the following Tuesday.

            After the pseudo-date, he spent the entire weekend and most of Monday worrying and planning and rehearsing, both with the Warblers and on his own, and trying to come up with precisely the right way to ask Kurt to be his boyfriend.

            Tuesday, during class, Blaine finally received a So... See you at Dalton this afternoon? from Kurt, the first non-Mercedes communication the two had had in over a week. He made a small squeak and bounced in his seat when he got it and had to ask to be excused so as not to disrupt the rest of the class while he jumped up and down, fist pumped and hugged himself with excitement. After calming down, he replied with Yes. See you then. before barraging Mercedes with yet more questions, some of which she'd already answered, and most of which she ignored, choosing to instead focus on her lunch hour and Kurt's nervous inanity. For not having a Valentine, she felt like she was doing an awful lot of planning for the big day. Over the course of the next few minutes she was fielding, What's he doing right now? and Should I text him? I think I should text him again. before threatening Blaine with handing her phone over to Kurt, and simultaneously Kurt-who was asking yet again if she thought he should bring Blaine flowers-with calling up Blaine. They both declined on the basis of wanting that afternoon to be a surprise. Instead Kurt leaned his head together with Rachel and they made sad faces at each other. Rachel and Mercedes would both be going stag to Dalton's party, and Finn hadn't shown up to school that day at all. Rachel's plans to ambush him with love on Valentine's Day had failed and she was just trying to be happy for Kurt.

            Throughout the entire day Blaine found his leg bouncing or his finger tapping on the desk. He kept staring at his phone or at the clock and constantly stopping between classes to wash his hands, which were sweating profusely.

            When the last bell finally rang, he found himself once again in the bathroom, running cold water over his hands and psyching himself out in the mirror. That was where Wes and David and several other Warblers found him.

            He looked up when he saw them and wheeled around with wide eyes. "I think I'm in love," he announced.

            David stepped forward and smiled kindly, patting his shoulder, "Oookay, but we're not going to go with that."

            "You're just going to ask him to be your boyfriend. That's it. He's going to sing with you. We," he gestured to the hodgepodge selection of the group that had crowded into the men's bathroom with them, "will be accompanying. Then, you're going to pop the question-"

            "But!" David cut in again, "Only the boyfriend question."

            Wes agreed, "And then there'll be hugs and cheering, confetti will fall, then we'll all eat chocolate and dance with our dates. Pretty simple."

            Blaine closed his eyes and shook slightly with a calming breath. "I'm so nervous!" he told them.

"Don't be," Wes commanded.

"Nothing can go wrong. We've got your back," David reminded him.

Blaine took another deep breath and smiled at them all, "Gah! Thank you guys so much for helping!"

            "We're always happy to bring on the romance!" said one of the group, which they all agreed on, then they shooed themselves out of the restroom so they could finish preparing the senior commons for the event.

            Decorations had been pulled together over the weekend. There were so many pink and red and white streamers and decorations, all adorned with hearts and roses, it would make Cupid himself nauseous. For the size of the room, they'd made an impressive dance floor by removing all the furniture and adding make-shift bleachers covered in white butcher paper at one end of the room. They'd even placed tables with hors d'oeuvres and a chocolate fountain around the edges of the floor.

The Warblers had managed to keep the whole thing down to a private, invitation only event. A few of the boys had invited girlfriends, but overall the expected turnout didn't far surpass that of the group that had been present at Breadstix that night after Sectionals.

            As 3:55pm rolled around and a few dates began to arrive, Blaine stood in the middle of the room, hands together and pressed to his lips, surveying the room. One of the boys who didn't have a girlfriend, Trent, and also Nick showed up beside him and each lay a hand on his shoulder.

            "What's wrong, Blaine?" Trent asked.

            Blaine's eyes scanned wildly around at the heart-infested décor. "It's wrong... it's all wrong. Everything. I shouldn't be doing this. What was I thinking? He's not going to want to date me. I mean, look at me! Have you seen him? Oh my god...He's going to hate me. This was such a mistake. We need to take everything down before he gets here. I shouldn't have done this."

            The two boys grabbed him firmly as he started to turn toward Wes with wild eyes.

            "Blaine, you're ridiculous," Nick told him, smiling.

            "You're amazing, Blaine. He's going to love you," Trent assured him, raising his eyebrows.

            Blaine looked from one to the other and back again, nodding slowly. His hands were shaking. "What if he says no?" he whispered.

            The two boys looked at each other. "Then we'll shank him!" Trent announced, rolling his eyes.

            "Who are we shanking?" Thad asked, a few paces away.

            Nick answered enthusiastically, "Kurt Hummel, if he doesn't accept our Blaine's undying love."

            Everyone within earshot groaned and came over to give Blaine reassuring pats on the back. He felt pale and shaky and gross and wished he'd used more gel to make his hair a little straighter or maybe that they hadn't agreed to wear their blazers so he could be in something a bit more festive, and what would Kurt be wearing? What if Kurt hated him now or what if he was even more beautiful than ever but came walking in that door with his hand linked to some other guy who was better dressed-

            4:00pm had passed. There were footsteps in the hall, and through the open doors of senior commons, the New Directions could be seen inching their way along, following the heart-trail on the floor. And... there he was. Blaine didn't know that he'd spent the past hour freaking out and doing touch ups with Mercedes and Tina that included full skin care, super quick manicure, facial, extra hairspray, and that he had four outfits in his car and had made them choose between them, then changed his mind twice. All Blaine could see was that that was Kurt, and that he was just as perfect as ever.

            "Okay, Blaine. Show-face!" he told himself shaking his head. He took a deep breath, and strolled to the open doorway, plucking a rose from a vase as he went. Time to be suave. Behind him, the Warblers were falling into their positions.

            "Welcome, McKinley!" he said, smiling directly at Kurt, who was already a bit pink in the face.

            "Whoa. Seriously, nice place you've got here," Puck said. An underclassmen had met them at the door and directed them where to leave their coats before they made their way to the hall. They were all looking around excitedly, and Blaine stepped back to invite them into the hall. They piled in, heading toward the dance floor area where the few guests were already standing. The Warblers had moved to the bleachers at the first sign of the New Directions and were set up to form a heart with an empty spot at the point. As they entered, Blaine grabbed the corner of Kurt's sleeve to hold him back. They greeted each other with a traded, "Hey," then Kurt's eyes went wide and he sucked in his lips, trying to hold back a smile as Blaine offered him the rose. He took it gingerly, and let himself be lead closer to the bleachers.

With a smile, Blaine walked to the point of the heart, still keeping Kurt close to him as he addressed the group, "On behalf of all of us, I'd like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's day! To begin tonight's entertainment, the Warblers and I have something we'd like to share with all of you." He took Kurt's hand, looking into his eyes. No turning back. "Kurt, I'd like you to sing with me."

Kurt's face turned bright red and he whipped his head around to look at Mercedes and Rachel, both of who were giving him enthusiastic thumbs up.

"W-What?" he stammered, "But... but, Blaine! I... I don't..."

"You know it," Blaine whispered. As if cued by his words, the lights half dimmed. Colored laser lights lit up all around the room and the first dramatic note sounded from the Warblers. Kurt's knees almost gave out before the first bar was through. He did know this song. Blaine's hand was still holding his, his thumb was pressing into the back of Kurt's hand. He reached for the hand with the rose and held that too. Kurt was speechless.

Blaine started off the verse, "Here we go again, I kinda want to be more than friends. So take it easy on me, I'm afraid you're never satisfied..."

Kurt rolled his eyes and could feel his heartbeat pounding to the intensity in Blaine's gaze, but he took a breath came in exactly on time, "Here we go again, we're sick like animals, we play pretend. You're just a cannibal and I'm afraid I won't get out alive..."

Blaine joined him in harmony for the next line, "No, I won't sleep tonight..."

Kurt lost his composure to a giggle as Blaine whirled him around, breaking formation and tugging him to the middle of the room, taking over the first chorus. So this was why Mercedes had been drilling him for the past week to learn this ridiculous song. He'd thought she'd turned into Rachel when really it was this! ... and here he was singing with Blaine! Every thought he'd had about this evening, every ounce of nervous energy that had been building up to this moment, it all disintegrated.

Just before, "Say goodbye to my heart tonight," Blaine touched Kurt's hip and guided him in close, whirling them both around, hips pressed together, before setting him free in the direction of his friends and rushing back into the heart-shaped formation just as it collapsed and the boys walked forward in a group, off the bleachers, around Blaine, slowly encircling the dance floor. Blaine started up the verse, "Here we are again, I feel the chemicals kicking in. It's getting heavy and I wanna run and hide. I wanna run and hide."

From where he stood by the New Directions, who were swaying and beginning to dance along, Kurt looked directly at Blaine and smiled, easily taking up the lines, "I do it every time. You're killing me now!" he turned to point at Blaine, and Blaine pointed back, chiming in on, "And I won't be denied by you, the animal inside of you..."

The Warblers went in now for the chorus and grabbed partners from the crowd, those with dates went for their girlfriends, but the rest grabbed the ladies of the New Directions, sweeping them into their arms. Trent grabbed Mike Chang. Kurt and Blaine walked toward each other. Kurt's confidence had picked up incredibly, and he joined the chorus as it became a sweeping couple's dance around the room.

Blaine took Kurt's hands and watched his lips as they harmonized, "Hush, hush, the world is quiet. Hush, hush, we both can't fight it. It's us that made this mess. Why can't you understand?"

Kurt wondered if he should lean in. The heaviness in the air between them was intoxicating. He had never felt so hormonal before. Everything was confusing and wonderful and warm and he doubted it would ruin the song terribly if he just went for it and took a kiss.

But the choreography didn't allow it. The Warblers were backing away from their partners, including Blaine, who had taken over the song again and belted out, "Whoa, I won't sleep tonight!"

They quickly fell back into their heart-shaped formation on the bleachers. They'd practiced over the weekend to get the timing right, because as impressive as Blaine wanted to be romantically, showing off how good they were to the New Directions was also on the Warbler's list of Valentine's Day activities. They side-stepped gracefully as a unit through the chorus, much to the cheers of the members of the party.

Kurt had fallen silent. He knew he was swooning, standing there just a few feet from Blaine, directly between the Warblers and the New Directions, in the open space on the dance floor. The pulsing, dull lights were making him dizzy. That, or the throb of Cupid's arrow where it lodged in his heartstrings.

On the very last "Oh, oh, I want some more," Blaine stepped forward and took Kurt's hands again. "What are you waiting for?" he sang, "What are you waiting for?" He let go of one hand and pulled Kurt close again, pressing their hips together. Kurt gasped, for lack of a better reaction, and placed his free hand delicately on Blaine's shoulder. "Say goodbye to my heart tonight..." Blaine finished the song, then he leaned in close to Kurt and whispered just under the die-out, "Can I kiss you?"

Kurt nodded once, and the soft pressure landed on his lips. His cheek was cupped in Blaine's palm and one of his own arms was dangling uselessly at his side. The rose almost slipped from his fingers. It only lasted for a second, but when Blaine pulled back there was cheering in the room, whooping and cat-calls. He waited for his sanity to roll back into place and he took a deep breath to still his heartbeat. In the absence of the pressure, his lips were pulling into a smile.

Blaine was grinning ear to ear and he laughed out a sigh, then smiled even bigger, going red in the face. His eyes were searching wildly for something to focus on, finally they landed back on Kurt and he smiled even broader.

Kurt's mind was racing, but everything he wanted was right there, smiling at him, and when their eyes locked, it came out as though it was part of his normal breathing pattern. "Date me."

Blaine's eyes widened, he bounced on his heels, and he nodded. "Yes. Yes! Yes!" he flung his arms around Kurt, and Kurt returned the embrace, mouth hanging open as though that was the only way he could remember to breath. He could smell that manly cologne that was in Blaine's hair gel, and he could smell the musky, delicious scent of Blaine's skin. He'd just been kissed! And he was hugging... he was hugging his boyfriend! Heart-shaped confetti was falling from the ceiling.

A wave of arms knocked into them, almost toppling them to the ground under the sheer weight that was the group hug. All of his friends were pulling at him, kissing his cheeks, slapping him on the back. Puck pressed their heads together and teased, "You moron!" before letting him go. Somehow he and Blaine were separated and congratulated individually. Kurt clutched the rose tightly, then gave it to Mercedes with a word of extreme gratitude for her part in the plan. Mentally he noted that no proposal would ever surpass this one. His standards would have to forever be lowered or he'd risk constant disappointment.

Over the excitement, the sound system was turned on and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" blasted out. Kurt and Blaine were finally released and turned toward each other. Blaine held out a hand.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

Kurt took the hand gently, as though it was an illusion that could shatter at any moment, "So... boyfriends?" he asked, tentatively while everyone else went to pair up and dance or raid the tables.

Blaine smiled. "Boyfriends," he agreed. Kurt stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck again and buried his face in the boy's shoulder. Blaine's arms wrapped supportively around his back and he could feel Blaine's breath against his neck as they swayed with the music. "Happy Valentine's Day," Blaine whispered.

"You too," Kurt replied, grinning against the lapel of Blaine's blazer. He pulled back, and their lips met a second longer this time, leaning into each other, properly tasting the moment. Those were Blaine's lips against his, Blaine's soft, wonderful lips, whose touch made his body feel like it was simultaneously melting to the floor and becoming weightless and floating away. This is what a kiss should feel like. Kurt smiled despite himself.

Blaine felt Kurt's lips tug against his and opened his eyes to find the boy smiling, a beautiful, unrestrained smile that lit up his face. As the party escalated, then died down into slow-waltz classics, that smile never diminished. Every time Kurt's eyes met Blaine's, they would light up again and every feature would be flung back into a full state of euphoria. Blaine would never get tired of it. He wanted to be Kurt's Valentine forever.