Do You Love Me?

This scene takes place in the Spring of 2013, during Frenemies after the performance of Breakaway.

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“I need to ask you a serious question,” Kitty asked her boyfriend Artie as she sat in his lap.

“Okay,” he told her.

“Before you say anything I need you to stop and think for a moment and give me a serious answer. I Don’t want the first thing that comes to your mind.”

“Okay?” His curiosity piqued.

“Do you love me?” She began. “I mean seriously love me. I know you care for me, and are attracted to me. But I need to know if you seriously love me, as in are you in love with me and seeing long term potential with me.”

He took a deep breath, placed his hand on her chin, looked her in the eye and smiled.

“Yes, Katherine Wilde,” he said, measuring his words very carefully, “I am very much in love with you. I’m not ready to propose marriage or anything like that yet, but I am very much in love with you.”

He gave her a passionate kiss

She smiled.

“What brought that on?” He asked.

“Just my own inner fear and insecurities, I guess.  You’re graduating soon, and I was just wondering where you saw this leading. Until you, I had never really felt like I was loved by anyone besides my parents, and even that was doubtful at times.  None of the guys I dated really cared for me. They just wanted to get in my panties, and we broke up when they realized that wasn’t happening.

“But you were different. You accepted and befriended me first, and I know that’s not exactly easy, and little by little you wheeled your way into my heart. I’ve never been so happy as I’ve been the last few months and I’m really scared of what’s going to happen when you’re 589 miles away from me. We both saw what happened to Kurt and Blaine, and Rachel and Finn, and Santana and Brittany -”

Artie put his arms around her and drew her close. “We’re not them.” He kissed her cheek and rubbed her arm and shoulder, laying her head on his shoulder the way he knew she liked.

“I wish I could tell you for sure about what lies in the future, and where our relationship will go. But no one knows that. I’m not sure any couple does.  All I can tell you is that I love you; I trust in our relationship, and the prospect of a breakup hasn’t even crossed my mind.

“But to reiterate my answer to your question directly, yes I can see long term potential with you, for the first time in my life, and that makes me happy.”

She smiled and kissed him passionately. “I’m sorry if I’m letting my insecurities get ahead of me. ”

“I get it. I have insecurities too. Neither one of us has had any luck with love. I’ve been cheated on by every girlfriend I’ve ever had, or had girls ‘settle’ for me until someone better came along. For the first time in my life, I’ve been completely content with a relationship. I know I love you and can see in your eyes that you love me in return.

“I know that the next two years will be hard. But I’ve always been a believer that true love finds a way to work out in the end.”

“Thank you,” she told him and smiled. “You always seem to know what to say and do for me.  I love you so much!”

They kissed again.