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The models were taking their final walk along the runway, broad smiles a stark contrast to the composed manner their features were schooled in at the beginning of the night as the audience cheered and clapped loudly. The lights flooded the room dramatically, raising the temperature by a considerable amount, but no one on stage was breaking even a bead of sweat. Their varying outfits flowed dramatically, catching the light and accentuating all the right body parts. The show was a glorious success, evident from the powerful atmosphere within the room.
Shane peered around the curtain, trying to catch a glimpse of Reed from across the stage. Reed’s strawberry curls stuck out from in amongst the backstage crew, one of whom was helping into his burgundy and black jacket and another brushing his pants off in preparation for Reed to take the runway himself. Shane grinned broadly when he saw the sparkle in Reed’s eyes as he was congratulated by some of the make-up artists as they walked by, and ducked back down before Reed saw him.
There were butterflies in his stomach as he checked his reflection for the tenth time in the past five minutes: smoothing the lapels of his suit (which was black where Reed’s was burgundy – designed specifically by Reed for tonight’s event) and fidgeting with his hair some more. Shane puffed out a long breath and rolled his shoulders a little in an attempt to reduce his nerves when he saw Kurt approach him in the mirror, pencil still tucked behind his dear despite the show being over.
“You ready for this?” he asked with a smile, turning Shane around to fix his tie a little.
Shane laughed nervously, “I’ve been ready for this since the day I met him.”
“But are you ready to do it in front of a room full of judgemental supermodels and the worlds cameras?” Kurt said playfully.
“Just means there’ll be plenty people there to document it. Has he gone out yet?”
Kurt reached for his earpiece and nodded along to some instruction Shane couldn’t hear. “He’s just gone out. Now or never, Shane.”
Shane nodded to himself and secured the velvet box in his pocket. “Showtime.”
The final few models were lining up to walk on stage as Shane approached; the applause reaching deafening levels the moment Reed stepped onto the runway. Shane bounced on his feet, itching to get going with his grand scheme and hoping it all went according to plan. Before he knew it, the models were parading toward the flashing lights and out into the cacophony of noise, and Shane went into autopilot.
He held his head high, beamed widely as the audience noticed him added on at the end. His strut was nowhere near runway ready, but he worked the crowd regardless, sending saucy winks to those who recognised him. Blaine caught his eye and mouthed what looked like ‘what are you doing?’ at his brother with a concerned frown. Julian was watching him carefully, studying his every movement, and leaned over to Clark to whisper. Clark looked at Shane with the same analytical expression for a moment, before realisation spread across his face and shortly after he was grinning up at Shane with a soft nod.
Shane risked a glance to the front of the stage – he still had some time. Looking back out to the crowd, he recognised some more familiar faces. The Brightman twins were frantically grabbing at every ex-Dalton student within the vicinity and gesturing wildly as Shane neared the front. Hilde Van Kamp was watching closely, an unreadable expression on her face as the party progressed. Shane looked away quickly before her eyes could talk him out of what he was about to do.
I want this, Shane reminded himself, I’m ready for this…I love him.
Suddenly Shane was at the front, facing Reed and the crowd, and almost forgot what he was there to do.
“Shane? What…what are you doing up here? I thought you were staying backstage?” Reed asked, confusion evident on his brow.
Shane swallowed around the lump in his throat and smiled at Reed. “You look amazing. You are amazing. This whole thing…you did this. You. All these people? They’re cheering for you and your work.” He gestured to the crowd, who had fallen eerily silent.
A blush rose to Reed’s cheeks that Shane suspected wasn’t caused by the temperature in the room as he nervously glanced between Shane and the crowd, “Shane…”
“Just…listen to me.” Shane risked a glance around the room, noticed every set of eyes and every camera directed at him curiously, waiting to see what Shane had to say. He took a long breath to steady his nerves. From the curtains, he saw Kurt and the rest of the backstage crew lining the entrance to watch on. Shane reached out and took Reed’s hands in his own.
“Every day since I met you Reed, you have never failed to amaze me. Every time I think I have you figured out, you blow all expectations out of the water. Tonight is just further proof of that. Every day I watch you succeed and I am incredibly blessed to get to do so. You make me so proud and I am the luckiest guy alive to get to call you mine.” Shane paused for a moment to gaze into Reed’s eyes which were wide with wonder and awe, and looked at Shane as if he were the only person in the room.
“Shane, I don’t understand. What-”
“Just wait. Please.” Shane continued, fearful that Reed would figure it out before he got the chance to say it. “You are the love of my life, Reed Van Kamp. It has been my honour to be your date tonight, as it always has been and, with a bit of luck…always will be.”
A few gasps could be heard around the audience as they realised what was transpiring in front of them, making Shane laugh a little nervously. Realisation was slowly beginning to spread across Reed’s face, the frown lines fading and his jaw slowly falling slack as Shane reached inside his suit pocket.
“So, without keeping out audience waiting any longer…” Shane pulled out a small, black velvet box and dropped to one knee, maintaining eye contact with Reed the entire time. “Reed Van Kamp…our little Doormouse…my sunshine. Will…will you marry me?”
The moment the followed felt like an eternity to Shane. He heard every noise – the gasps, the chuckles, aww’s – and saw the faces of his friends grin and tear up drop open in shock. But mostly, he saw Reed. He saw the way Reed’s big, bright eyes brimmed with tears that didn’t quite fall over his rosy cheeks; the way his lips tried and failed to form any sort of sound; the camera flashes reflecting off of his perfect skin. Shane stared up at Reed for a thousand years, and he would do so for a thousand more if it meant Reed never stopped looking down at him like Shane had just given him the entire world.
“I…Shane.” Reed finally managed to form a reply. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you. Yes yes yes!” he exclaimed happily, smiling so wide that the tears pooled in the corners of his eyes and finally rolled off his chin.
Shane’s brain must have completely stopped momentarily, because the next thing he knew Reed was in his arms and they were toppling over onto the floor together, Reed’s face buried in the crook of his neck to hide his sobs. Shane laughed and held Reed against his chest to stop him rolling onto the floor, surprised to feel tears streaming down his own face.
Reed pulled away just enough to look at Shane. “You are insane, you know that right?” he said with a smile.
“But you love me for it, right?” Shane replied with a matching smile.
“Would I have said yes otherwise?”
Shane craned his neck upwards to capture Reed’s lips – his fiancés lips – in a passionate kiss that was mixed with giggles and tears and blinding camera flashes.
“Put a ring on it!” someone sounding an awful lot like Ethan Brightman yelled from the crowd, interrupting their kiss.
Shane helped Reed to his feet and fetched the ring box from where it had fallen between them. Reed offered Shane his hand and, in a moment that Shane would remember for the rest of his life, slipped the smooth silver band onto Reed’s ring finger. Reed admired it for a long moment as the crowd cheered happily, before the demands and flashes from the photographers became too much to ignore.
“Pose with me for the cameras, husband-to-be?” Reed asked cheekily.
“Only if you let me carry you off this stage bridal style, husband-to-be.” Shane responded with a grin.
The next months’ issue of Vogue featured a ten-page spread dedicated solely to the proposal, and even featured a quote from Julian Larson, claiming he described the event as the ‘best fashion show he’d ever been to (including the one where I hooked up with Francisco Lachowski afterwards).’