Disclaimer: I don't own Glee

A/N: double updating because I finally got a laptop and I'm using every minute I can squeeze into writing :P also, I apologize for not making it clear before but yes this will be a slashy Kinn fic and because I fail at writing bottom!Kurt (I tried, and I basically skimmed over it, IDEK man) this will be bottom!Finn cuz apparently that's my kink and I love top!Kurt (shrug) What's basically happening is I'm brushing over how things would have gone throughout the seasons if ERA existed. I won't cover every little detail (that'd be boring), just the big moments which will end up more as a background thing so if anyone's worried this'll be a Beth!fic, don't worry, it won't last long :)

I hope I didn't scare you guys off with this!

…

Chapter Three

Visits, Waiting, and Sparring

…

Stage 14

France

3 Months into ERA

Walking through a forest knee deep in snow was not Kurt's idea of a fun day, but then, neither was yesterday or the day before that. Tomorrow wouldn't be any better, and he wasn't looking forward to the day after. The point was, he hated Stage 14, and if he ever beat the game, he was going to seriously reconsider any future plans of vacationing in France.

Italy was a better choice. Italy had gelato and delicious Sicilian boys.

Setting his jaw, the solo player gripped his rifle and scanned his surroundings for any other unfortunates like him. For the most part, there was only the brief glimpse of wildlife that chose not to hibernate for the season. He wasn't particularly hungry, and he had enough meal cards to last him a few days.

A bitter wind blew straight through the thick cloth of his uniform, shaking him to the bone. With a tired sigh, he pulled out a pocket watch from his belt and flicked it open. There were easier ways to have a map, but this was at a cheap price and matched perfectly with his clothes. Plus it also contained a detection device for nearby Spoilers, players who killed other players.

In the beta test such players were considered cheaters, or friends just messing around for a laugh. Kurt had even taken part in such shenanigans with the friends he made in the test.

It wasn't like that anymore though. Spoilers were no longer silly gamers. They were murderers.

Kurt had thought with the changed circumstances of the game, people would value their lives in ERA just as they did in reality. For most this was true, but there were others who were just too desperate to leave the game. People who let paranoia lead their decisions, and those who questioned the validity of death in ERA being true in reality. These were the people Kurt had come to be cautious of.

The map in the pocket watch was unlike the automatic maps added to players' menus. This map detected secret bonus prizes, the location of weapons, boss rooms, and the identity and information of every player in ERA. It was really more like an invasion of privacy - a facebook without the privacy settings which Kurt wasn't too fond of, so he used the information only when absolutely necessary. Right now the dots scattered around France told him an impressive number of guilds had reached the country, New Directions included.

Raising his eyebrows at an approaching blue dot, Kurt closed the pocket watch and waited patiently by a nearby tree. Not a minute later a girl in an old fashioned nurse gown passed by and nearly missed him if he hadn't said aloud, "What have I told you about those earrings?"

The girl whipped around in surprise and broke into a brilliant smile, wrapping her arms around his small frame in a tight hug that threatened to break his spine. "Oh my god! Kurt! You're here! You're alive!"

"Yes. I am!" he grunted, peeling himself away from his friend, "all you have to do is check my status, 'Cedes," he grinned broadly, "Now," he reached up to the large ringlet earrings glinting from Mercedes's ears and tapped on the jewels dangling from the bottom like nipples, In a flash they transformed to simple pearl earrings that contrasted beautifully against her dark complexion, "there, much better."

Aghast, Mercedes felt around for her transformed earrings and rolled her eyes. She would never figure out how Kurt was able to do that. "Check your status?" she repeated derisively, "You know how I feel about that."

Kurt gave her an apologetic look. A few weeks ago while on stage thirteen a glitch occurred throughout the entire stage involving the menu's of all players. The occurrence was never explained, but in the twelve hours of which the glitch was happening, the statuses of all players had malfunctioned. Even worse, no one knew about it and believed the statuses to be true. In Kurt's case, everyone thought he was dead when in reality he was in stage twenty four trying to figure out a puzzle in a bonus room. When the statuses rebooted after fixing the glitch, he was bombarded by messages from the New Directions and other players he'd also come to consider friends.

If he ever doubted his significance in the lives of others, the reunion blew it all away.

It was also why he was walking through a wintery forest in search of his friends. He didn't want them to go through another scare like that again. If he were to die in the game, he wanted to at least be with those closest to him as much as possible.

While, of course, burning through the stages on his own as well. It didn't help much for quality time, but it was the best he could do.

"The glitch is gone," Kurt reminded Mercedes, linking their arms and walking through the forest together, "Artie placed backups on our menus so it would reboot faster if another glitch occurred, remember?"

"It's not another glitch I'm worried about, honey," Mercedes said quietly, "it's the fact that the next time it happens it's not a glitch." She held Kurt closer, "but I'm glad you're here. Finn sent me out to look for you, actually."

"Finn?" Kurt immediately blushed as the name fell from his mouth; they broke through the forest into a small campsite that could have easily been mistaken for a village. No one was outside in such bad weather, but there were telltale signs amongst the well built tents of which guild was which. The pair approached a large tent with a symbol over the door flaps. It was a simple design of one line lying horizontal and two lines approaching each other at the center of the first line representing a road. A curve with dots lining the outside represented the sun. It was cheesy; like every other crest in ERA, but it sent the message that it belonged to the New Directions.

"Yeah. Finn," Mercedes grinned, "unlike me, I hear he's been checking your status since day one."

Kurt's eyes widened, he couldn't have turned redder if he wanted to. "Really?"

"Yeah, but don't take my word for it," his friend warned, "I just heard it over an argument he had with Quinn, and you know how crazy paranoid she can get."

Kurt's eyes darkened. He had almost forgotten. They stood in front of the tent, neither the first to go in, "How is she?"

Mercedes summed it up in one word. "Bitchy."

He threw her a dry grin and steeled himself for what he would see on the other side. Giving him a comforting smile, Mercedes pulled back the flap and let him go inside first.

…

The truth of Quinn's condition was revealed a few days after she'd been admitted to the hospital. Her parents weren't pleased, but since she was in a coma with the game, their anger over her irresponsibility paled in comparison to wanting their daughter back. All the same, Carole kept a safe distance from the frustrated parents and found better company with Burt Hummel.

It made for awkward moments, though, when the need to sit by her son struck. Quinn had been moved next to his bed, after all. With Burt by her side, it helped to ignore the accusing glares the Fabray's sent her.

Today for instance. Like everyone else, they'd been religiously watching the footage of their children. They had survived so far, which gave them some hope, but it was the interactions they were worried about. For the past four stages, Carole was able to figure out that Finn and his friends had formed some kind of group with other players. They'd proven to work well together in battle and mini missions, but they were obviously having trouble getting along.

From the body language of Quinn, Carole wasn't too hot on the idea of having her as a daughter in law. Pregnant or not, she wasn't treating her teammates with the respect they deserved. Finn, it seemed, was facing the brunt of her verbal attacks and that didn't give her any points from Carole. Especially since it was obvious that her son was trying to give her as much comfort as possible.

The brunette was making her feel a little nervous as well. She seemed nice, but she recognized that star struck look in her eyes. She had them herself when she was that age. Would Finn cheat on Quinn with her? Carole wondered.

To be honest, she wasn't sure if she was totally against the idea.

The worn out mother let out a sigh and looked away from the screen. Once again Finn and Quinn got in a fight. Like every other time they parted ways. Her to her friends to vent, and he to the solitary confines of his room where he would spend hours tinkering through his menu. Carole never figured out what exactly he was doing, all she could see was footage from a birds' eye view, not a personal view of every little thing Finn experienced.

She took his limp hand and shut her eyes. Only fourteen stages had been cleared. How much more would it take before Finn would wake?

…

"Recognized. Kurt Hummel S 1. Mercedes Jones. G ND – 08."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at the robotic welcoming. A security measure for all dwellings, but most commonly for Houses. Tent's wouldn't need such things, which meant that this wasn't a tent at all.

The interior of the 'tent' was much bigger than the outside gave the impression. On the inside it looked like a regular house built for a large family. Kurt entered the welcoming living room, gazing around the familiar homely decorations and halls that led to other rooms. Out of curiosity, he looked out a nearby window, but was not greeted by the snow covered campsite. Instead he found himself viewing the rustic streets of Italy in the prime of spring. Judging by the iconic canals lining the city, Kurt guessed they were in Venice.

The explanation came to him immediately. "HPT? You guys finally got the money for it?" HPT referred to Home Portal Transportation. It was very expensive and only available to those who owned a house, but it made traveling easier between different stages than using the crowded public portals dotted over every stage. Like every transport though, players could only travel back to previous floors they completed, not jump forward to the next stage they hadn't conquered. Mercedes nodded eagerly at Kurt's question and started plugging in numbers on the security pad next to the door they came from. The next second the view changed to the familiar sunny town of Harvest Land.

"We're a bit short on money," she admitted with a shrug, "but it's worth it, and the mini missions have helped us make up for what we spent."

"That's – " he cut off with a grunt of surprise when he found himself once again in the arms of a friend. A flash of streaked blue hair and he relaxed in Tina's embrace, "hi!" he laughed.

"Hey, Kurt's here!" someone far away shouted. Tina pulled away with a bright smile and walked him to a sofa. Not seconds later there came the rumbling and shouts of joy of more people rushing into the living room. By the time Kurt settled down with his two friends, the rest of the guild was crowding around him, all eager to tell a story or hear one.

It was a reaction Kurt had tried not to get used to. A consequence of the glitch was that whenever he visited, the guild would turn into a bunch of three year olds eager to see their cool older brother. Kurt was never in the spot to be admired or missed so much, and constantly told himself that with time the excitable greeting would wear off and things would go back to normal.

Then again, he had to admit, part of the reason he got such a huge greeting was because some of the members were in the guild because of him. He wasn't sure why, but they looked up to him like some kind of mentor.

Well. Except Rachel. But Rachel was Rachel, so he didn't care.

The group stepped back and settled down around the living room. "So where are you at now?" Artie asked.

"Twenty," Kurt said easily, "It's a little behind the front lines, but I'm getting there."

"Yeah, those guys are at…what stage? Forty?" Santana looked to her best friend Brittany for confirmation, but she was busy playing with her familiar, a chubby tom by the name of Mr. Tubbington 2.0. It was too long of a name, so everyone called him Tubby.

"Thirty, actually," Kurt corrected. "They're plowing through, but casualties are too great…"

"They don't have enough guilds helping out," Mike spoke up from beside Brittany, "have you tried contacting them? If they wait, we could make it to Thirty and help out."

"They're kind of stubborn," Kurt said apologetically. "And it would take too long, most of them are beta's."

"Beta or not, we can still help if they wait for more guilds," Rachel spoke up. Kurt looked up at her. He hadn't seen the group in a few weeks, but they had shown improvement in their skills, and had slowly started to care less of whether they looked good in their attire, and more of what could protect them best. Right now they were home, so they were in their casuals, but Rachel still insisted on dressing up as she did in reality – or at least a close replica of it given that nothing in ERA was very modern, and Kurt never revealed how he got his hands on a pair of jeans those many stages ago. It was both good that she hadn't let the game change who she was, and a bit disconcerting that she spent her money on her tastes rather than safety. Kurt spied no protective jewelry on her.

"Nice to see you, too," he said instead. The brunette arched an eyebrow at him, but eventually smiled.

"Always a pleasure," she grinned cheekily.

"So, since you're here, I'm assuming you're going to help us with the boss?" Artie asked hopefully.

Kurt blinked at the bespectacled boy, "no I came to give you all fashion tips."

"Hey, Kurt!" Brittany suddenly spoke up startling a few of her guild, "have you met any dolphins?"

His brows knitted, "dolphins?" the blonde nodded eagerly, "you do mean the aquatic mammal, right?"

Before Brittany could explain, the last person entered the room. Kurt fought to control the flush creeping up his face at the sight of the tall boy. The others didn't notice his change, being successfully distracted by Artie pulling up a hologram from his handbook to talk about the boss. Kurt pushed past basking in the sight of Finn to notice that he seemed troubled.

Sneaking past the group, Kurt inched over to the other boy. "Hi," he said simply in a low voice so no one would hear.

Finn shook his head from his thoughts, "oh, uh. Hi. Mercedes found you?"

"Yes," Kurt replied, neglecting to add that Finn was the reason she was out in the cold in the first place. "How've you been? Quinn seems to be doing okay."

"I…yeah, I guess," Finn mumbled, looking over to the blonde girl who pointedly kept her back to him. "We kind of had a fight. Or…I don't know…"

"Well, she's pregnant," Kurt shrugged, noting the slight bump on the girl's belly. She was only three months, but she was starting to show. At least to him. To anyone else she just looked like she put on a few pounds. "She's bound to get a bit emotional."

"Yeah but…" Finn frowned, crossing his arms, "never mind."

Kurt eyed him curiously. There seemed to be a lot he wanted to say, but didn't know how to say it. If he went by what Mercedes told him, this wasn't the first fight Finn had with his girlfriend. He wondered if this was normal for a pregnant girl. He tried to picture himself in Quinn's place, scared and alone. Too young to care for a child, much less in a video game where they didn't really have any adults to help them out.

Would the child even exist in the game? He wondered. It existed now because it was a part of Quinn's body, but once she gave birth in reality, that child wouldn't have any of the tech all players needed to be in ERA. No one would know if it survived. Quinn didn't seem to have any attachment to her unborn child, but maybe that was all a lie or an attempt not to get too attached. Maybe she was terrified over the fate of her baby. And of herself.

Labor was an exhausting process. Quinn would be in a coma through it. She could die.

Kurt turned to Finn. He spoke to him before over their questions concerning the cheerleader's fate, they knew there was a slim chance of survival. But while Kurt was giving the possibility of death serious consideration, Finn remained optimistic. As always.

"It's been a while since I've seen you fight," Kurt said conversationally, hoping to distract him, "want to go to Harvest Land?"

At this Finn perked up. "I got a staff from thirteen…"

"Good, then we can have a scrimmage," Kurt smiled, already heading for the door. Finn followed behind, trying not to look too eager.

"A what?" Finn blinked.

"A spar. Practice fight?"

"Oh right," he plugged in the numbers, "I knew that." Kurt waited patiently until Finn realized they were already in Stage One. With a sheepish smile, the tall teen opened the door and they slipped out.

"All right, so we've got five guilds up for the job, some of them are magic user's, and with Brittany at the…" Artie looked up from his hologram to the space Kurt had been standing. The other's looked there as well in bemusement, having not noticed his absence either. Sighing, Artie shook his head, "I swear, he's like Batman when he does that."

"Yep, and he took Superman, too," Mercedes snickered, earning a startled look from Rachel.

…

The fields in Harvest Land were just as they had been when they first arrived in ERA. Looking up at the skies, Finn remembered floating amongst the clouds close to a panic attack. It had been months since then, and to still be in such a convincing virtual reality…it was getting harder to remember that there was another world he truly belonged. That this place was all fake. Sometimes he forgot what his mother looked like, or what clothes he used to wear. Shaking his head, he turned to his sparring partner who was busily looking through his menu for the right weapon.

Four stages had passed since the mishap in Salem and aside from the glitch, no harm had come to Kurt. At least none from other players. Kurt still battled simulated enemies, fought alongside other guilds against bosses, but he was never in a place where his health was critically low. Finn made sure to check on him as much as possible.

Back since stage one it was out of curiosity that he looked him up every now and then. He knew him back home even if in bad terms, and he'd shown to be a great fighter. If it was one thing Harvest Land taught him, it was that Kurt Hummel was not the witty frail boy he'd always known. Out of nowhere, he suddenly became an enigma, and someone Finn knew would be an asset to finishing the game. In Era, Finn was weak, and Kurt was strong. He could admit that – he already admitted that. What bothered him was that Kurt staunchly remained in his solo role, and after getting to know the New Directions the more battles they won; the more Finn feared that maybe that was his own fault.

As far as Finn knew, Kurt had no friends in McKinley. That could be why he didn't trust others in a video game where betrayal was child's play. So it was with curiosity and a sense of brotherly worry for his schoolmate that Finn kept tabs on him. Both to make sure he was alive, and to see what amazing stunt he would pull next.

Salem changed that.

Stage 13 changed that.

Finn checked on Kurt every chance he got. It wasn't just a two second checkup every two days. It was becoming a morning, and nightly ritual. Forget seeing what new legend Kurt would make, Finn just needed to see him alive.

Why?

…He wasn't sure.

But it was the subject that he and Quinn had been arguing about. He hadn't even realized it was becoming a problem until Quinn listed off the many times he neglected her until she lost count.

"Aren't you gonna show off you're shiny new weapon?" Kurt teased lightly, having chosen a metal red and black bo-staff for himself. It was a very modern looking weapon, and probably from a stage the New Directions hadn't reached yet. Not wanting to be intimidated, Finn opened his menu and selected the new weapon he earned in stage thirteen.

The previous world was based on medieval legends of magic. It was sort of like Harvest Land, but with more mystique and darkness. It made Finn think heavily of the Lord of the Rings movies. Artie felt right at home and Brittany found her own kind of strength as a magic user, earning herself Mr. Tubbington 2.0.

After the glitch fiasco and several treasure hunts, Finn acquired a wizard's staff. The magic bit was still a little off for him, but it could still be used for physical combat. A quick trip to the nearest weapons expert and some much needed leveling up also helped him modify the staff for better use. The branch-like length with its clawed tip was refined to a smoothened glossy finish that gave off the appearance of a simple pole much like Kurt's, but with a more ancient tone. Finn had already tricked many enemy simulations with its unassuming look.

Kurt gave it a once over with an impressed smirk. Finn was learning.

Without any warning, the solo player shot forward, the taller boy just barely blocking the attack. For the next few minutes or hours – they couldn't tell – the air was filled with the clanking of weaponry, grunts and the whispering crunch of grass getting worn down. Kurt wound his way around Finn's strikes, using his bo-staff as both leverage to get around and it's intended use for battle. All the while Finn did his best to keep up with his spritely movements. Kurt was like a cat, barely making a sound and moving every which way whenever even the slightest space and timing was offered. Compared to him, Finn was a stumbling giant too slow to keep up with the smaller boy's reflexes.

He was fine with that, he supposed. It had been a long time since he'd been with Kurt like this, and that had been when he was still Penny. He never thought he would be sparring with him again though. Like two regular guys up for a round just for the hell of it.

That Kurt wanted to spar with him, an average player to ERA, made Finn's feel warm all over with something he could only describe as joy. It only heightened more at the spark of excitement in Kurt's eyes.

Now if only he could stop embarrassing himself by tripping over his own feet. He knew for sure that Kurt was holding back, so if he couldn't catch up at this point, he might as well kiss reality goodbye. Setting his jaw, Finn dodged another attack and swung his weapon as fast as he could before Kurt had time to dodge. The connection startled the other boy just a brief second before the mage's staff pushed him sideways and into the ground like a ragdoll.

He was about to roll over and get to his feet, but was soon pinned down by Finn straddling his waist and effectively holding him down with the staff. Kurt stared up at his breathless face, glistening with sweat, and triumph gleaming in his eyes. Kurt thought hard of Rachel strutting around naked, heart hammering in his chest not only for the adrenaline of the fight. He swallowed thickly.

Close. They were too close.

"It's good to see you've learned a lot," he managed to say without cracking his voice.

Finn rolled off of Kurt, crashing down next to him. "I still have a lot to go. You haven't even broken a sweat."

Kurt flushed, staring up at the clouds painted in purple and orange. "At the point you're at, you're doing better than fine."

Finn took the compliment and after a few moments of watching the sky darken and catching his breath he finally spoke up. "How come you never fought back in McKinley?"

The question hung in the air, changing the pleasant mood. Kurt let out a puff of air, unconsciously clutching his weapon. "It's not as easy to level up in reality as in ERA."

"But – "

"Because I was only one person and I am not a Neanderthal."

Nothing else was said for a long while, and Kurt was starting to dose off, feeling his message was understood.

"You could have tried."

He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them.

"You're not weak."

It felt strange to hear it from Finn. His father had always told him he was a strong person, and later on Tina told him the same in admiration. But from Finn it felt like a genuine compliment. He felt a sense of unfamiliar pride to both his character and strength as a fighter. Maybe this was what those jocks felt when people drooled over their muscles…

"Thank you," he said softly, a blush softening his face.

Crickets started chirping. In perhaps an hour or so the sky would be speckled with stars.

Smiling to himself, Kurt returned his bo-staff to his menu and settled comfortably against the grass, not minding one bit of the atrocious stains it would leave on his clothes. "So," he said conversationally, "how's life treating you?"