It's Friday night, which for Kurt and Blaine means treating themselves to a nice dinner out and complaining about the fact that neither of them have had a real date in ages. Kurt claims that his problem is his inability to get any farther than the awkward first date stage. He can't even remember the last time he'd had a real kiss. Blaine tends to have the opposite problem, in which he jumps into bed too fast and forgets for a brief blissful while what it feels like to be alone. But morning always comes too fast, and then it's a game of jumping into clothes and hailing a cab before he can say yes to coffee.

So Friday night dinners have become a tradition. It's less awkward than Kurt's first dates and slower and more meaningful than Blaine's one-night stands, so it's perfect for them both.

"I don't know what Santana thinks she's doing with that guy, honestly," Blaine says as he shakes his head. Somehow they found themselves on the topic of their other best friends, both surprised that neither one of them had met the other. "I think she's trying to prove a point to her ex, but it's not really working."

Kurt's brow furrowed as he swirled his vodka tonic. "I thought you said she was into girls."

"She is, but she's not afraid to play for both sides should the opportunity arise. Honestly though, I think she's just kidding herself. She falls way harder for women than she does for men."

"Brit's the same way. She definitely experimented a lot when she was in college, from what she's told me, but the last time I ever saw her really happy was when she was with another woman." He sighs for the sake of his friend. When they'd talked on the phone earlier, she had been all excited about a big dinner out with Sam, the married man she was stuck in an affair with. It's going to be a real date, Kurt! He just hoped she was smart enough to protect her own heart.

Blaine chuckles quietly. "Sounds like they'd get along pretty well." He takes another sip of his whiskey and shifts around in his seat. "Yeah, I have to pee."

"Blaine."

Blaine's face is the picture of innocence. "What? I do! I'll be right back."

Kurt rolls his eyes as he bites back a grin and watches Blaine make his way to the back of the restaurant. He's inspecting his menu when he notices movement in the seat again. "Back so soon?" he teases, glancing up. Only it's not Blaine in the seat across from him. It's Brittany.

Brit's eye makeup is smudged and her hair is drooping out of the twist at the top of her head. There's a tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows and her mouth is pressed in a thin line. "He didn't come."

Kurt is still blinking in surprise at her sudden appearance that her words don't sink in right away. "Who?"

Brittany's eyes well up a little with tears. "Sam. I've been sitting in the back corner of this place for an hour and a half, waiting for him to meet me, and he never showed up." Her tiny frame shakes with the effort of holding back her tears.

Kurt feels a pang of sympathy in his chest. He bites his tongue against the I told you so that comes almost automatically. That's a line he can save for later, when she's had a few days to process her heartbreak. "Oh, Brit. I'm so sorry."

A tear slips down her face and Kurt's heart twinges for her. "He's never going to leave her."

Kurt sighs sadly and picks up one of her hands. "Of course he's not, sweetie."

When Blaine reemerges, Brittany has taken the seat next to Kurt and looks a little more put together thanks to Kurt's thirty-second freshen up. Blaine's eyes widen in surprise, but before he can open his mouth to ask, Brittany's sticking out her hand for him.

"I'm Brittany. You must be Kurt's hobbit friend."

Blaine takes the hand he's offered, glancing once at Kurt with his eyebrows raised. Kurt just shakes his head, because there is no way he can fully explain Brittany S. Pierce in one sitting. Blaine just shrugs and chuckles as he sits back down. "Yeah, you'd definitely get along with Santana. Blaine, by the way."

Dinner goes on smoothly, even with Brittany acting as an unexpected factor in their plans. The conversation flows easily, and before the meal is over Blaine is surreptitiously sliding his phone out of his pocket to fire off a quick message under the table.

8:35p Blaine Anderson: I just met someone you really need to meet.

8:37p Santana Lopez: If you're talking about that tall and creamy McQueen wannabe then I'll wait until after you've grown the balls to propose.

8:40p Blaine Anderson: I'm serious, San. Someone for you.

8:43p Santana Lopez: Well color me intrigued, Hobbit.

8:45p Blaine Anderson: Yeah, you're really going to like this one.

Two weeks later, after Blaine has managed to get Kurt on board with his plan, he's walking arm in arm with Santana to the same restaurant where he first met Brittany. Santana has been grumbling the whole way, shooting Blaine dark looks and elbowing him in the side every time he evaded her questions.

"I don't know why you can't just tell me who this person is, Anderson. You know I don't do blind dates." Her heels clack loudly against the sidewalk, effectively punctuating her frustration.

Blaine sighs as they approach the restaurant and pulls on Santana's arm to slow her. "That's because if I told you, you never would have agreed." He cranes his neck around, looking for Kurt. He spots him just up the block, towing Brittany in a similar fashion and speaking insistently in her ear. Brittany, from the looks of it, is about as excited about a blind date as Santana is. Kurt catches his eye and waves.

Santana rips her arm from Blaine's, crossing both of her own tightly across her chest. "As long as we're here, why don't we address the fact that you and Gay Stereotype Number 5 haven't done the deed yet?"

Blaine rolls his eyes. "You know it's not like that."

She smirks. "Yeah, whatever you say, Hobbit."

"Save it, Santana. They're here."

Blaine watches with amusement as Santana looks up to see Kurt approaching with Brittany. Her eyes go comically wide, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Blaine just barely manages to step out of the way as her arm swings wildly toward him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Anderson?" she hisses. Blaine just smiles.

"Blaine!" Kurt stops just in front of them and pulls him into a quick hug. Brittany is staring unabashedly at Santana, half-hidden behind Kurt. "This must be Santana," he says politely, giving her a quick once-over.

Santana just stands there, looking unsure of what to feel. Blaine nudges her gently. "Yeah, Santana Lopez. So you're Kurt?" she asks interestedly.

Kurt nods. "And this is Brittany. Brittany Pierce." He pulls Brittany forward and shoves her lightly toward Santana.

"Nice to meet you," she says quietly.

Blaine and Kurt exchange a furtive glance, neither of them able to keep the sly smiles from their faces.

Once they're inside and seated, it starts getting uncomfortable. Santana takes the seat beside Kurt and Brittany the one beside Blaine, leaving Brittany and Santana diagonal from each other. They all make casual small talk that ends up going nowhere, and as the waiter comes back with their drinks, Kurt looks concernedly at Blaine.

Blaine bites his lip and shrugs. This was his idea, and all three of them are going to hold him responsible if it tanks. So he tries with the small talk again. "Santana, did you know that Brittany's a dancer?"

Santana looks up from where she'd been trying to hide behind her menu. "Yeah?"

Brittany nods shyly. "I have a studio in Brooklyn."

"I grew up in Brooklyn!" Santana's dark eyes light up with her piqued interest. "That place doesn't get enough credit. It's got more culture on one street than all of Manhattan."

Brittany leans forward a little, a small smile brightening her face. "I know! That's part of why I wanted to set up there. There's so much...influence, you know? I read somewhere once that Brooklyn is the perfect example of America's melting pot once you get past all the broken glass."

Santana's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I wrote that."

"No way!"

"Seriously, I did! That's the only article I've ever written in my life. I've never had someone quote it back to me before!" She grinned unabashedly in an expression that she rarely showed anyone.

Brittany grinned just as brightly in return. "You'll have to come see my studio sometime. You can show me what you meant."

As they continued chattering happily, slowly inching forward until both of them were on the edges of their seats, Blaine grinned widely at Kurt over the top of his menu. Kurt shook his head and grinned back. He'd never been very good at playing matchmaker, but leave it to Blaine Anderson to bring two people together like this.

After dinner, the four of them were walking back in the direction of the Subway when Brittany grabbed Kurt by the elbow. "I've been looking for black heels like that!" She yanked him back towards a shop window and waited until Blaine and Santana were out of earshot before pulling him close. "I really like her, Kurt. What now?"

Kurt almost laughed at the way she bit her lip with worry. "Try taking it slow for once, Brit. She seems to really like you. Get her number and call her on Monday."

Brittany nodded happily.

Just a few feet away, Santana was leaning close to Blaine with the same problem.

"She's something else, Anderson. You better not say I told you so."

Blaine smiled smugly. "I told you so." He flinched as Santana socked him in the arm. "Look, just be careful, alright? This could be serious. Take it slow, y'know? Call her and go out for coffee or something next week."

Santana smiled. "I'm only listening because your advice already proved not to suck tonight."

They waited as Brittany and Kurt caught back up to them and walked in silence for a few more seconds.

"It's getting late, I think I'll get a cab," Brittany said suddenly.

Santana perked up. "Great, I'll go with you."

"Great!"

They hailed the first cab they saw, nearly tripping over themselves and each other with their haste to get in. The door had just barely closed when the cab peeled away from the curb, leaving Kurt and Blaine standing speechless.

Blaine shrugged. "I told you they'd get along."

Kurt laughed brightly. "Whatever. Come on, it really is getting late and I'm going to miss my train if we stand here any longer."

Neither of them were surprised when the engagement announcement came a few months later.