George agreed to stay with Kurt for the day to be his support and friend and possibly a shoulder to cry on after he had told Blaine. Kurt kept breathing deeply, knowing this was the moment he could face the biggest rejection of his life or Blaine would turn round and say what he longed to hear – that he felt the same and they could live happily ever after, just like they should. Blaine was to meet Kurt that morning for his final suit fitting, Ben having his done somewhere else so they wouldn't be able to see each other's outfits. George said goodbye to Kurt in the store, straightened his shoulders and squeezed him to bolster his confidence. Blaine saw everything and he frowned slightly. Kurt smiled and started walking confidently to Blaine who was being prodded with pins.

"Blaine I have something to tell you," Kurt said, as he stood in front of him.

"You don't like my suit?"

"Actually no but that's not the point," Kurt said brushing the comment aside but Blaine got off the pedestal and fished something out of his jacket pocket that was hanging up.

"Here, guard this with your life," Blaine said, handing a little black box to Kurt who looked surprised.

"What's this?"

"The ring, you're the best man."

"Oh no I can't look after this," Kurt said, feeling suddenly guilty that he was hoping to ruin the wedding so that no ring would be needed.

"You have to," Blaine said smiling. "He'll like it won't he?" Kurt looked inside and his breath hitched. It was beautiful, exactly the kind of ring he would have wanted and he simply nodded in answer to Blaine's question.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Blaine asked. Kurt gulped and looked into Blaine's innocent wide brown eyes wondering why he suddenly felt like he was killing Bambi.

"Well we've known each other for what, twenty years?" Kurt said breaking out of his daydream, "Well no not quite that long but a long time and in that time we've grown – close."

"Yeah," Blaine said smiling.

"Do you know what I mean by close?"

"I think so, yes," Blaine said laughing and Kurt suddenly noticed the tailor still fussing around Blaine's shoulders and he asked if he could excuse them.

"Sometimes people think they know how they feel about each other but they don't, until... until they do," he said, slightly out of breath. Blaine remained looking at Kurt, not quite sure what he was getting at. "I have a point," Kurt continued, "Question is - am I getting to it?" he sounded desperate and Blaine took pity and held his shoulders.

"Why don't you say it? Whatever you have to say can't be that big of a deal."

"Oh Blaine, 'big deal' is such a relative term...." Kurt started fiddling with the sleeve of Blaine's suit jacket and it accidently fell off causing him to look in the direction of George who was sorting out one of the mannequins which accidently fell on him causing him to fall over. When Blaine followed Kurt's eye line he saw George getting up.

"Who's that guy?"

"Er that's George, I've told you about George, he's my editor."

"What's he doing here? Are you working this weekend?"

"Oh no, he's just here for me," Kurt said looking down, "He's a friend, my best friend lately as you've been busy..." Kurt's voice trailed away, suddenly nervous.

Blaine looked a little hurt then looked at George who was madly picking up the mannequin that had fallen over, only for it to fall again.

"Is that what this has all been about? George?" Blaine asked and Kurt could only look up, an idea stirring in his mind and before he had thought it through he was suddenly explaining that George was his boyfriend and that they were engaged. George seemed to sense the change in conversation and looked over, a perplexed expression rising on his face as Blaine started to grin and walk over.

"I'm speechless," Blaine said approaching George and shaking his hand, still smiling.

"Well Kurt can have that effect on people," George said smiling.

"Congratulations," Blaine and George said together, and then looked at each other, confusion growing. George looked to Kurt, who surely had the answers.

"What..."

"I had to tell him puppy," Kurt said, "If we're engaged we can't keep it a secret anymore."

Between all the exchanges and confused expressions, George managed to pull it together and in his confusion he looked vaguely accepting of this new situation he found himself in. It was only as they walked to the car, Blaine going ahead and leaving Kurt and George to talk and hug as they walked, that George could ask what the hell was going on.

"I can't believe this," he exclaimed in a stage whisper, "I came here to help you and suddenly we're engaged. I am straight if you didn't realise."

"Look you can go home later on today just pretend that you like me for one day, please?" They approached the car and slid in next to Blaine as they were driven to the church to go to the rehearsal where they would meet Ben and his family. There was an awkward silence as Kurt tried to curl in to George, only to stare at Blaine who was looking out the window. Blaine looked solemn as he watched Chicago traffic whizz by and Kurt couldn't shake the idea that he had made a terrible mistake pretending that he was engaged.

"Is something wrong?" Kurt asked Blaine as he slowly looked round to face Kurt and George, who was tucked next to him.

"No, I just... well whenever you spoke about George I always thought... I mean you always gave the impression that he was..." Blaine started and amidst the longest pause, George and Kurt searched his face.

"Straight?" George finished for him and Blaine looked relieved that someone had finished his sentence.

"Yes," Blaine said. Kurt laughed, a manic crazy laugh as George joined in. It bought them time but not a lot.

"Yeah I guess a lot of people get that impression," Kurt said, desperately trying to search for a reason, for something to say, when George carried on for him.

"I sometimes pretend to be straight," George said finally.

"Why would you do that?" Blaine asked suddenly interrupting the continued laughter.

"I find it helps me get the guys," George said.

"Yeah," Kurt said, "He got me that way," and they carried on laughing as if it was the funniest thing and Blaine looked between the two of them as if they were crazy.

They soon arrived at the church, Blaine still going ahead, whilst Kurt tried to persuade George that it would be ok and that he should just stay quiet when they approached Blaine's father and George changed into someone else.

The transformation would be quite amusing if anyone actually knew George – straight, serious, affectionate but completely clueless George who all of a sudden turned into the campest man Kurt had ever seen. He approached Blaine's father and slapped him on the shoulder saying he was here for a pre-conjugal visit before the big day. Kurt was mortified.

"You're going to completely humiliate me, aren't you?" Kurt whispered, trying to sink in on himself.

"If I can," George said and continued walking straight ahead with a grin.

Kurt had the quickest moment to warn George of Ben when he was suddenly assaulted by a scream of excitement from a few of the girls and Ben came running towards Kurt and George, an excited grin on his face. In fact Kurt had never seen him so excited.

"Oh it's so exciting!" he exclaimed, jumping, practically hugging George, "It's such great news!" Ben swiftly kissed George in congratulations and then kissed a shocked Kurt, who was swiftly kissed by a camp George.

"Mum!" Ben exclaimed, as Blaine waited patiently in the background, "You have to meet George."

His mum came bounding forward and was promptly introduced.

"You must be Ben's little sister," George said in a slightly high pitched voice, making Kurt cringe as George kissed Ben's mother's hand.

"Kurt and George are getting married," Ben said.

Congratulations were given and excited smiles passed around and George answered the questions that everyone was asking.

"I wanted to tell, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops," he declared by dramatically waving his hand in the air, "But Kurt didn't want to. He said 'No, pumpkin no. This is Ben's day, let's not take the attention away from Ben," and everyone ooed and ahhed, smiling at Kurt warmly as if it was all true and Kurt felt sick. "Sweet, adorable, chocolate-covered Ben," George said sweetly, "Those were his exact words." Everyone believed George, or at least seemed to and Kurt could only smile as if the sweetness was indeed true. He knew Blaine would probably see right through it; he had seen him go shopping on Black Friday after all.

"George it's so sweet of you to come along to our rehearsal, I insist you join us for lunch," Ben's mother said, holding on to his hand as if George was now a dear friend.

"Oh no, no, no, absolutely...." Kurt said.

"Love to," George finished and it was done. "Love the bag, love the shoes, love the whole outfit," he declared, completely ignoring Kurt to pay attention to the mother. He was enjoying his role of gay, camp fiancé a little too much.

"Honey, what about your flight?" Kurt asked oozing with sweetness.

"Cancelled," George said smugly, with a huge grin.

---

The seafood restaurant was heaving as they entered but the table booked, they all were seated swiftly and food ordered. Blaine and Ben sat opposite Kurt and George and Kurt was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. George refused to sit further away, simply loving the close intimate contact with Kurt and always coming too close, his lips near Kurt's ear and his hand on his knee. Kurt kept forgetting not to squirm away and tried to keep his smile plastered to his face.

"I can tell you this now," Ben suddenly said, coming a little closer to Kurt so only the four of them could hear, "But I was very worried about you. Going through all those men, never in a stable relationship. I mean it couldn't be healthy. It must have hurt going through so many men and never finding the right one." Kurt wanted to punch him.

"Hurt?" George said, "He couldn't sit down for seven years until he met me." Blaine looked a little shocked but continued to eat.

"And all the while, the man of your dreams was right in front of you," Ben continued and Kurt looked to Blaine, sitting opposite, the real man of his dreams and he nearly sighed until George reminded him that Ben was referring to George.

"George, how did you and Kurt meet?" Ben's mother asked from the other side of the table.

"George is my editor," Kurt said, interrupting George by placing his hand on his chest to silence him.

"Oh we met way before that pookie," George said, leaning in close to Kurt, who smiled as if he wanted to hit George. "Do you want to tell the story or shall I?"

"No it's private," Kurt said through gritted teeth.

"Not anymore," George said. "I first met Kurt in a mental institute." There was a shocked silence until George carried on, everyone eager to listen. "Kurt was visiting some Broadway star he had sent insane with a bad review and I was there visiting Dionne Warwick."

"Dionne Warwick?"

"Well yes, he thought he was Dionne Warwick, his real name is Jerry. So there I was having a sing song with Jerry when out of the electroshock therapy room comes this beautiful vision in tight pink jeans with zip detail."

"Pink?" Blaine suddenly says, his suspicion aroused, "You don't wear pink." He speaks directly to Kurt though George answers.

"He does," George says then he turns to Kurt who turns to Blaine and confirms it – he does wear pink. Kurt can't believe he is here.

"So I turned to Dionne and asked who is this vision, who is this man with such porcelain skin, and perfectly coiffed hair? In that moment I knew," George said, gesturing with his finger to show how important this information was going to be.

"Ok we don't all need to know what you knew," Kurt interrupted, looking apologetically around the table and holding George's hand to calm him. The table suddenly erupted in their desire to hear more of the story and Kurt could only shake his head as they all insisted.

"I'm very curious," Blaine said, looking directly at Kurt and in a monotone voice. That was all George seemed to need to continue.

"I knew that someday we'd end up like this," George said dramatically, looking around the table as if everyone was perfect and meant to be there. "I said to Dionne, 'I'm in love, could this man love me? Are the gods so kind?'" George started to stroke Kurt's hair lovingly and lean in and Kurt couldn't help his shoulders moving back slightly in the hope that George wouldn't kiss him.

"And Dionne opened her lovely eyes and said...." George paused, the whole table looking at him in eager anticipation of what was to be said.

"The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup..." Kurt cringed, couldn't believe George was doing this. The table erupted in laughter but Kurt looked at Blaine as the song continued and he seemed to hate it all. Kurt always knew that Blaine found being melodramatic difficult and couldn't understand the behaviour in others. He looked stunned as George was doing all the gestures of combing his hair, of picking out a dress from his wardrobe. George couldn't look camper if he tried.

Kurt looked around the room as the whole table erupted into song and suddenly someone appeared at the piano and joined in, helping everyone in the restaurant to start singing too. By the end everyone was dying to meet this famous man that had been whisked off his feet and even the waiters were singing and waving their lobster claws. Kurt smiled pathetically at Blaine who looked a little dazed and confused by it all, Ben just seemed to love it.

George was still humming the infernal tune on the way to the airport a little later as Kurt walked him to his terminal. Blaine had agreed to wait in the car.

"Alright, alright, you've made your point," Kurt said irritated as George tried to hug him goodbye.

"It would never have worked out you know," George said.

"I know, I know."

"Look just tell him you love him," George said, suddenly serious, trying to reach Kurt behind his sunglasses.

Kurt looked at him, pondering what he had said and not giving any answer. After a while George tapped him on the shoulder and walked away. Kurt seemed to wake from his reverie and shouted at George to stop.

"What will he do?" he asked, feeling like a little child, so desperate, so fearful of rejection.

George turned kindly to him and smiled, coming closer.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "He seemed pretty jealous in that restaurant but at the same time he seemed happy with Ben." Kurt looked at his hands, it wasn't the confident answer he was hoping for. "Whichever way it goes you'll stand by him, you'll always be his best friend and it could be the perfect way to say goodbye."

"I can't George," Kurt whispered, afraid his voice would betray him, "I can't say goodbye to him.... He's everything."

"Then tell him you love him," George said finally and Kurt was left to watch him walk away and work out in his head how to tell Blaine he had been foolish and blind for nine years. How do you tell someone that you never knew you loved them until it was almost too late?