A/N: Long Note Warning: So, I had this chapter finished a few days ago but opted to wait on posting it. For anyone who hasn't been following the news. Yesterday, July 13th, was the anniversary of Cory Monteith's death. We also found out that Naya Rivera's body was found after a long search for her at a lake in CA, her 4-year-old son was out on that lake with her and had to witness her accidental death. She died using all of her energy to make sure he was okay; it was a horribly tragic situation. Out of respect for the actors of the show as well as Naya's family and friends and all those now mourning two people at one time I decided to wait to post this chapter as well as the new chapter of my fic Amnesia, I thought it would be problematic to post and just ignore what was happening yesterday. I want to remind everyone that Naya was a REAL person. Although we all loved her, she was not Santana… she was Naya. She has a family, friends, co-workers etc. who are in very very very real pain, as well as a son who has just been involved in a serious trauma. Please leave everyone alone to grieve right now, some of the fandom has been really pushy the last few days, harassing cast members and asking for details and statements. Some people were going as far as to create conspiracy theories that Lea Michele had something to do with the death. I also saw some shipping comments on a photo of the cast together holding hands on the shore of the lake after they found out the news… that's disgusting. All this behavior is gross and is WHY we are considered to be a toxic fandom and why we really don't hear from a lot of these actors anymore, it's disgusting and embarrassing. Heather is not Brittney, Chris is not Kurt, Darren is not Blaine; shipping comments right now are an issue and is uncalled for and insensitive, as is comments speculating about the situation and dragging cast members into your conspiracy theories. These are real people mourning the loss of a person close to them, they shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit ever, but especially not right now. And this goes for ALL the actors, none of them are their characters. This is real and it isn't a joke. I will continue to post again starting now. I also opted not to edit out the parts of this chapter that included Santana. Naya was an amazing actor whose character impacted all of us in some way, I think editing out her character in this time of grief would only serve to ignore the amazing piece of art she created and the positive impact she had on all of us. Please enjoy, and remember you can always reach out to me if you feel the need to.

Song: The Good The Bad and The Dirty: Panic!AtTheDisco

Lyrics: I'm gonna keep getting underneath you. Because our friends want us to fall in love." Or it's something like that, not sure of the exact phrasing, but that's close enough lol.

Summary: Kurt and Blaine are meant to be together, and their friends are going to make sure it happens come hell or high water. Also known as the 5 times Klaine's friends tried to force them to get together and the one big secret they managed to keep from everyone in their lives.

Rating: T- just for safety. Some sexual themes. Does mention some cannon events but is pretty much AU.

1. Surprise Meetings

"Do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, we don't even know if he's gay!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she quickly swiped through Kurt's phone trying to find the contact she was looking for. She rolled her eyes at the creative names and had to stifle a giggle at the fact he had Rachel saved as "Barbara Wannabe." With contacts like this is wasn't exactly easy to find the guy who seemed to be the object of their friend's affections. "Is there really not a thread or something?" Tina asked as she kept watch by the door. "I never delete any texts."

"There's nothing!" Mercedes almost threw the phone down in annoyance. "It's like he doesn't even exist!" She kept scrolling, trying hard to remember his actual name. Blake? Bryan? Ben? Blaine! That was it, Blaine, the curly-haired Warbler that Kurt just couldn't seem to shut up about. He had come by a few weeks ago to take their friend to lunch, but Kurt was insistent they weren't more than friends. That was what they were trying to change today. She finally flicked back to the top of the list when the name "Harry Potter" stuck out to her. Clicking on the name, brought up a picture of Blaine and the last text that had been sent "Courage-Blaine."

"Yes!" Rachel all but squealed. "Now just send him a text asking if he'd like to go out sometime!" She was like a giddy school girl. Mercedes laughed and typed out a quick message just as Tina started signaling wildly that Kurt was coming down the hallway.

It would be several hours later that Kurt would link arms with Rachel and Mercedes, dragging them to a secluded corner to tell them that their plan had failed. "Real mature you two," he scolded. "Blaine's just a friend, and it's really nice to have a friend like me around."

"Like you?" Rachel had questioned.

"Gay, Rachel. Yes, he's actually gay. But no amount of sneak messages is going to make him fall in love with me, so you guys need to lay off." Kurt stalked off, leaving the girls both bewildered and impressed.

"I think he really might have more than a little crush on Blaine," Rachel commented easily. "This might be the real deal for him. We need to up our techniques!"

2. Trapped in the Closet

"Let me out!" Blaine banged against the door, trying to catch Wes or David's attention before they rushed off to class. To be fair, he should have seen this coming. When those two and also Niff (a name loving bestowed upon the Warblers first openly gay couple—Jeff and Nick) came together to ask Blaine for a favor, the end result was never in Blaine's favor. This was a fact he should have learned early on as a member of the Warblers, but his trusting and helpful nature always seemed to win out.

Blaine heaved a sigh as he backed up and pushed his shoulder hard into the door, hoping to try and crack the hinges. He may be small, but as a founder of the Dalton fight club, he was pure muscle under the uniform. If he could get enough leverage he might be able to—he fell forward slightly as the door opened again, and another body was pushed into the closet with him. Blaine heard David's unmistakable giggle as the body pressed up against him, before curling in on itself and falling to the floor with a whimper.

"Kurt?" The countertenor looked up, fear in his eyes. When he realized it was just Blaine, he seemed to visibly relax. "Are you okay?" the younger boy sat down next to his new friend, placing a hand gently on his knee.

"I thought they had a policy against hazing or something here…" Kurt mumbled as he pulled his legs closer to his body, his eyes adjusting to the small dark space. Although Blaine's presence had calmed him down considerably, he was still on edge.

Blaine smile slightly. "Yea there is, but it isn't hazing, Kurt. I think it's a prank. They do this all the time, especially Niff."

"Niff?"

Blaine laughed outright at the question, "Nick and Jeff? The blondie and the shorter guy with the God-awful bangs his mom makes him keep?" Kurt just nodded. "That's their couple name. They're our group of Warblers first out and proud gay couple, the group felt it right to celebrate that apparently." He giggled at the memories that popped into his head but was immediately pulled out of them by the tears streaming down Kurt's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's just nice to be in a place where I'm finally accepted, you know? Where I don't have to be scared about pushed into a closet, because it isn't a bullying thing, it's a weird Warblers thing."

Blaine just laughed, remembering how he had first felt when he had come to Dalton. The fear dissipating and giving way to joy was a memory he held dear. He was excited to think that Kurt was already at a point that had taken him months to get to in freshman year. "Yea, they tend to get like this when they think two guys should be together. There's not enough estrogen to make for great dating drama in this school. So, they gotta rely on trying to get gay students together."

"Straight boys, I swear." The two of them giggled again, and easily fell into a rhythm of talking and telling stories, Kurt falling asleep on Blaine's shoulder.

When Wes and David came back 3 hours later, they saw both boys curled up sleeping next to each other, their arms barely even touching. "This is rather…." Wes started.

"Vanilla?" David finished the thought. "I really thought for sure this would push them over the edge, the tension is killing me!"

"It's killing us all! Better go tell Niff that project 'lock Klaine in a closet until they make out' officially didn't work."

3. Family Dinners

Burt glared at Finn, leave it to his step-son to create this awkward atmosphere for what was supposed to be a nice family dinner. It had started innocently enough, asking Burt if it would be okay for him to extend an invitation to Kurt's boy of interest. He hadn't said the two were dating, but with what Finn and Rachel both said, it really seems like they were. So that's how Burt Hummel found himself sandwiched between an angry Kurt, blushing Blaine, and over pleased with themselves Finn and Rachel… while just wanting to finish his fried chicken. It was his first cheat meal in months, couldn't he just enjoy it with some peace?"

"We aren't dating!" Kurt all but screeched when Burt asked how long Blaine had been secretly seeing his son. Blaine had blushed about two shades darker than a tomato and stuttered out some string of words that could have formed a sentence, but had no real structure.

"Then why would he get to come to dinner? Finn has asked, looking pointedly at Burt. "Only family gets to come to these things. Dating is considered family, but we don't just let friends come by on Friday nights."

Burt sighed, "Sorry kiddo, you guys are just super comfortable with each other. I thought this might be your way of trying to tell us all something." Blaine seemed to just blush harder if it was even possible at that point.

"Blaine really doesn't get a lot of family time," Kurt began to explain, shooting dangerous glances to both his step-brother and best friend. "Since dad extended the invitation I thought it'd be nice. We aren't' dating, but he's a good friend. He needs a supportive family just like I do, and I thought he'd really like you guys."

"It's really hard to find someone who understands you in this area." Blaine seemed to find his voice suddenly, feeling the need to explain himself. "Kurt is a really brave guy and I appreciate everything he's done for me while he's been at Dalton. He's helped me as much as I've tried to help him." It was Kurt's turn to blush as he mumbled a quiet thanks. "My parents are doctors and my older brother lives in LA. My mom sees me sometimes and after everything at my old school," Blaine took a breath, he didn't want to share all the details, but he needed them all to understand. "My dad has basically said on more than one occasion that I'm not the son he wanted. So, it's nice to have someone who understands me and is willing to bring me into their life…" He looked down at his plate and smiled. "I couldn't' ask for a better friend." His words seemed to silence the table completely, as Finn exchanged a glance with Burt. Kurt extended his hand slightly under the table cloth, letting his fingers rest against Blaine's, seemingly unworried about how his family may interpret the gesture if they were to see it.

"Dessert anyone?" Carole broke the awkward tension-filled silence with a gorgeous homemade apple pie as she waltzed in from the kitchen.

"Sounds great Mrs. Hudson-Hummel!" Blaine reached over immediately to take a slice, happy to avoid any more conversation about his and Kurt's possible love life. The rest of the Hummel-Hudson clan must have gotten the gist from Blaine's change of demeanor as they all began to pass pie around the table, falling into easy conversation.

"You're always welcome to come back, kid," Burt said later as both Blaine and Kurt were getting ready to head back to Dalton. "If you want to be a part of this family you'll always be welcome."

Blaine, his eyes slowly filling with tears, was too emotionally pained to grasp the double meaning of Burt's words. Kurt mouthed a quiet thank you as he hugged his father. As the two drove down the street and away from his childhood home, Kurt allowed his hand to again fall easily against Blaine's as they began the hour drive back to their dorms at Dalton.

4. Boys on Film

"Remind me again why I agreed to do this?" Blaine questioned as he looked at the set that had been carefully constructed around them. "I swear this isn't appropriate for a public high school to be doing." Kurt just laughed.

"We do it every year. I'm not sure how it started, but Artie likes editing it. It's a fundraiser." Kurt pulled at his tight gold pants. "If you aren't comfortable it's totally okay. They just asked if I still wanted to be a part of it because I was a part of the team last year. You also don't have to show a lot of skin, we like making sure people actually feel comfortable with what they're doing. We don't have weird traditions everyone has to follow." He laughed, if he was honest he did sometimes miss the New Directions. It was a completely different vibe from the Warblers.

"So why am I here?"

"Because you're my best friend, we needed an extra guy… and… I think the girls will really like the 'sexy Santa' thing you've got going on." Kurt winked as he leaned closer to Blaine so he was the only one who could possibly hear the last part of his sentence.

"Uh huh," Blaine smirked as he pulled a hat down over his gelled curls and gave Kurt a little push. "You know you totally owe me, Hummel. I never thought I'd be doing a calendar shoot for a school fundraiser was ever something I'd have to do."

As the two bantered back and forth Artie and Puck stood back bewildered. "I thought making them lose the clothes would get them in the sack faster! Puckerman complained. "I swear, these two are the most oblivious teenagers I've ever seen. Every other guy thinks with his junk, why can't these two?"

Artie rolled his eyes. "You know how Kurt is. He's probably just afraid to make the first move. But, admittedly I did think this idea would help. It just seems to have become a bonding exercise." He forced his attention back to the two Warblers who were now laughing and throwing body paint at each other, having a great time as Artie snapped some pictures. They didn't need to know this wasn't the real calendar shoot, and maybe he could get something good out of it.

5. Rachel Berry Train Wreck Extravaganza

"Let's play spin the bottle!" Rachel screamed into the crowd. In hindsight, this probably wasn't the best idea. A bunch of drunk teenagers sitting in a circle and trying to kiss each other. It was certain to end in a problem.

"You're okay with this?" Blaine shot a glance toward his best friend. "You know you don't have to play if you don't want to. I know this is kind of a tricky situation for you." Kurt just smiled and took another sip of his drink. "I'll be fine." Blaine sat down, being sure to sit a few people down from Kurt, he needed to be cautious around this group. They were relentless about the relationship they believed to two should have.

As the whole group took seats around in a circle of the floor they came to an agreement on the rules. Suddenly the glass bottle was spinning quickly, each teenager spinning it harder than the last. Santana kissed Finn, Rachel kissed Brittany, Sam kissed Rachel. By the time it was Blaine's turn, he held the bottle lightly between his fingers, shooting a concerned glance toward Kurt sitting a few people down from him. The taller boy was talking animatedly to Mercedes about something, his hands flying. He seemed to be enjoying himself, a slight pink blush creeping into his features due to the alcohol in his system. Blaine smiled before being brought back to reality, Rachel yelling at him to "spin the bottle already!" He gave the bottle a slight push and it spun a few times around the circle before lightly landing on Mercedes, or he could have sworn that's where it landed.

When Blaine looked away in embarrassment for a moment, he didn't know if he wanted to actually kiss a girl, he looked back ready to tell the group he just couldn't do it- he wasn't that drunk. But he stopped in his tracks when he noticed that the bottle had mysteriously swung just a tad to its right, its neck pointed directly at Kurt, who seemed to be the one now blushing in embarrassment. Blaine turned to face his best friend and leaned forward, "we don't have to do this," he whispered so only Kurt could hear him. Blaine seemed to be the only one sensitive to Kurt's uneasiness. It wasn't just that he was embarrassed. Kissing was a sensitive subject for the countertenor, and sometimes Blaine forgot he was the only one privy to the experience with Karofsky in the locker room. "I don't want to make you uncomfor—" Blaine didn't get to finish his sentence before soft lips were on his.

It took a brief moment before the shorter boy began to kiss back, his hand somehow finding its way around Kurt's body to hold the back of his head in place, keeping them pushed together in their own little world. The kiss wasn't deep or passionate, but it lasted longer than most of the New Directions seemed to be comfortable with, an awkward cough from Finn at the other end of the circle breaking the two apart. The two looked awkwardly at each other and then their friends for a few moments before Santana took the bottle, announcing the next game she wanted to play. Blaine and Kurt both missed the smirk that Mercedes shot Tina.

The smirk from the party wouldn't last long, however, when the girls cornered Kurt the following morning, wanting to know what happened when he and Blaine had snuck off to their own corner. "Nothing," he had answered them with a shrug. "We're friends, you guys. It was a drunk kiss for a game, it's not like it meant anything." He didn't miss their crestfallen expressions as he walked away, going to wake Finn for a ride so he and Blaine could get back to Dalton before their Saturday afternoon Warblers rehearsal.

The Surprise

"Do you think they noticed we're gone?" Blaine giggled into his boyfriend's neck as he was pushed up against the brick wall of the darkened dressing room.

"Not yet, but we probably only have 5 more minutes before someone gets suspicious. They probably think I'm over with the New Directions—"

"And New Directions think you're with me and the team," Blaine smiled before stealing a kiss. "Clever planning. I knew there was a reason I loved you." He smirked as he pulled away to stare for a moment at the perfect guy he had come to call a partner over the last few months. Kurt's perfectly coifed hair was in disarray, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, and lips properly kiss bruised. It wasn't that they didn't want anyone to know they were together; it was just that the two of them wanted time to process their relationship alone. They had gotten together quickly after the first few meetings at the Lima Bean, the two knew they were perfect for each other. It had been no more than a week before they were calling each other boyfriends, but no one knew. To them, their relationship was private. They didn't want anyone thinking they were moving too fast or falling too deep. This was their special connection, sharing it wasn't something they wanted to do... at least not yet.

"They're going to be mad when they find out." Kurt laughed as he worked on the top few buttons of Blaine's undershirt, their two blazers both tossed aside. Well, Blaine's tossed into a heap on the floor, and Kurt's carefully draped over the back of a chair. "We just tied at Sectionals," he mused. "We're going to Regionals."

"We're going to Regionals," Blaine agreed before turning himself so he could switch positions with his boyfriend, pushing Kurt up against the cold wall. They didn't get much time alone, especially since they didn't want any of their friends to know about their relationship. If having a quick make-out session in a dark dressing room at Sectionals was their only time alone for weeks, Blaine wanted to make good use of the time….

They did not, in fact, get to make good use of their time alone. It was only a few moments after Blaine had successfully worked his boyfriend's dress shirt open, that the lights turned on and the door flew open, giving both the Warblers and New Directions full view of exactly what was happening. Everyone was still and silent for a moment, taking in what they were witnessing. It was when Kurt gave a mortified squeak and dove for his blazer that the room erupted.

"I knew it!"

"How long has this been going on?!"

"Blaine!"

"Why didn't' you tell us!"

"Kurt! I thought I was your best friend!

"Blaine, leaders of the Warblers need to be trusted!"

"omigod!

"Wanky!"

Kurt and Blaine both blushed deeply, and Kurt haphazardly threw his blazer over his bare chest before looking helplessly at his boyfriend, willing him to do the explaining.

Blaine sighed and stepped forward, his gesture causing the commotion to die down slightly. "Kurt and I…" He started and stopped trying to collect himself. He needed to carefully tell this story without outing Kurt's bully and giving both glee clubs more information about their joined personal life than they needed to know. "We met in some weird circumstances."

"We know how you met, hobbit. We just want to know why you're getting you mack on in secret in a dark dressing room." Santana rolled her eyes. "Although I am impressed with you Porcelain," she said turning to Kurt. "Wouldn't have made you out to be the type." She winked and Kurt turned an even deeper shade of scarlet. Blaine giggled; his boyfriend was adorable.

"Anyway," Blaine continued, "We met when Kurt was having a really hard time, we went for coffee just to talk because I understand a lot of what he's been going through. And, one day, friendly coffee turned into a coffee date." HE looked over to Kurt and smiled. "Then, one coffee date turned into a few coffee dates… and well… here we are."

"How long has this been going on?" Finn piped up from the back of the room. Clearly uncomfortable at the position he had just caught his brother in. "Also, does Burt know?"

Kurt, who had just begun to turn back to his normal color just blushed again. "Since before I left McKinley… and no! Dad doesn't know yet, and you can't tell him!"

"What?! Why didn't you tell us?"

"Kurt sighed, before linking hands with his boyfriend. "we just wanted some time, you guys. We wanted time to figure out who we were together before adding everyone into it. You all can be very…"

"Intense." Blaine interrupted. "You guys and the Warblers can be really intense sometimes; we just needed a little while okay?"

This seemed to placate the group. "Get dressed," was all Wes could say as he rolled his eyes and dragged the Warblers out of the room. He continued down the hall being consoled by David as he murmurs about how unprofessional it was to have their lead singer basically undressing their countertenor at a competition. The New Direction followed suit; last lingering glances were thrown Kurt's way before the slid out of the room.

The two boys, finally alone again, collapsed against each other and giggled. "You really should tell your dad though," Blaine murmured into Kurt's hair.

"Shit." This was certainly not the way that Kurt or Blaine wanted to be introduced as boyfriends, especially not to Burt Hummel. "Why can't anything in my life just be normal?"

Blaine laughed and held his boyfriend close. "Because you, Kurt Hummel, are extraordinary. And ordinary things just don't happen to people who are extraordinary. But, at least we know your dad will be okay? After that weird family dinner a few months back?"

All Kurt could do was laugh and pull his boyfriend in for a kiss.

A/N: I hope this was an enjoyable chapter. It was fun t write. If there is anything I can do for anyone in this time of grief, let me know. I know many of us are attached to the actors from this show as they provided something special in our lives. It's okay to be hurt and upset right now. If the situation leaves you feeling hopeless or in need of an ear please PM me, I'm always available to talk.