Kurt was too stunned to speak, think, or feel. He was working purely on muscle memory, racing to his car and climbing inside, locking the doors around him and choking back a sob. Things had never been good with Karofsky, but this was so much worse. Kurt had no idea what had overcome him when he thought it had been a good idea to stand up to him, but now he was left with a whole new set of emotions.

Karofsky had taken away his first real kiss. Was he even gay? It certainly seemed that way, and the way that he was constantly picking on Kurt- every single insult being about his sexuality- it suddenly made sense for Karofsky to just be that deep in the closet.

He made it home in one piece, barely even registering that he had driven home, and stumbled into his bedroom before collapsing on the bed. He couldn't cry. He just didn't have it in him. He was just stunned beyond words, and his thoughts wouldn't shut up, replaying every moment of the awful kiss. He had made out with Brittany that one time, and had chosen not to count it, on the grounds that she wasn't a boy and he was gay. He didn't have the same excuse with Karofsky.

Kurt wanted his safe space. He wanted it to be five o'clock so he could go to Marley's house and slip on Darcy and leave Kurt and his problems behind.

He opened his laptop, and he began to write.

When Darcy was seventeen he was kissed by his high school bully, he started, and began to vent everything, changing the details enough to make it perfectly fictional. Then, he sent it to Luke so he could add the story to Darcy's profile. It might not have been the nicest or the best written back story, but it added some depth that the character so clearly needed.

Kurt's phone buzzed on the desk next to him within a matter of minutes.

Luke G. Kurt, I just read your Darcy back story. Everything okay?

Kurt H. I think so. It will be, anyway.

Luke G. Cool! Hey, I don't want to assume anything, but are you as not-straight as Darcy is?

Kurt H. I'm gay, yes. And so is Darcy.

Luke G. Openly so?

Kurt H. Both of us.

Luke G. Darcy is the second openly gay and fourth overall gay character. Just so you know.

Kurt H. And out of character?

Luke G. You're the fourth there too, but they don't line up perfectly with the characters.

Kurt H. Ah, okay. Thank you.

Luke G. No worries. I just want you to know that you're perfectly accepted in our roleplay, sexuality or not. Dreamweaver has enough crazy stuff going on that two guys dating is barely a weird thing.

Kurt H. And I'm glad it works that way :)

Monday's session at Marley's house had been exactly what Kurt needed to get his upset over the Karofsky ordeal out of his head. Darcy manned the bar for the whole session and gossiped with the various civilian characters that he encountered, and the highlight of his night was when Nightbird swung by the bar to officially ask Darcy on a date.

On Wednesday they were back at the park, and Kurt focussed on keeping Darcy entertained until his big first date. "Carlton, don't you think you spend too much time here? Shouldn't you, I don't know, be on duty or something?" Kurt said to Ethan. He found that the most recent times he had been with the roleplay he had found it easier to slip into Darcy's life and mannerisms, and he consciously knew where it was that Darcy stopped and Kurt began. He was beginning to see that Darcy was a character, living in an entirely fictitious town, but that he still differed from Kurt in enough ways to almost be his own, full person.

"Hey, I just have a lot of time off at that moment. The heroes handle the big stuff, and that leaves me to run around after petty crimes, and that damn blond Hughes kid who is always getting himself into trouble," Ethan replied. Kurt had found that Darcy did indeed spend a lot of time with Constable Carlton, and as everyone had assured him that he would, he loved roleplaying with Ethan, because he was a genuinely lovely person out of character and wonderful at what he did when he was in Carlton's head.

"Braxton?" Kurt said, raising an eyebrow, "he's a good kid. Just a little bit attention seeking."

"You know him?" Kurt nodded.

"Family friend. Our mothers are really close. Hasn't stopped him from coming in here three times in the last week, though." Jeff has been the one to suggest the relationship between their characters. Enough to give them reason to interact, but not so much that it wasn't plausible. Kurt knew he would never have thought of it and was glad he had the more experienced people around him making decisions.

"His friend- the one with the brown hair who has too much enthusiasm- seems to keep him out of trouble. But lately that one's been a bit quieter, and I think he has a girlfriend or something."

"Girlfriend?" Kurt asked, knowing that there were only a handful of girls who were actively played in the roleplay, and none of them were interested in dating a high school aged character.

"Yeah, I think. He certainly seemed to blush a lot when I heard Braxton talking loudly to him about his 'special friend'."

"Have you thought that maybe... it's a not a girl?" Kurt said, "It's quite a gender neutral term. Maybe he has a boyfriend? Or maybe they just aren't ready to make it official?"

"Maybe. It doesn't bother me that much."

"I suppose it wouldn't." Kurt looked over to see that Blaine was walking over to them and smiled to himself, "hey, Carlton, not to drive you out, but we're closing up a little early tonight, okay?"

"Hey, it's fine. You're expecting company, aren't you?" Ethan winked at Kurt and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll get out of your hair." Ethan scurried off towards Jeff, Nick and Leo before Blaine could even get close.

"Evening, Darcy," Blaine said as he approached the imaginary bar, "I believe we have a date tonight." Kurt could feel his heart doing somersaults. He immediately made sure to reality check himself- this was a date between Darcy and Nightbird, and he couldn't let any of his own feelings get in the way of what Darcy was going to get out of it.

"Indeed we do." Kurt pretended to walk around the bar that wasn't there and stepped towards Blaine. "What did you have in mind for this date?"

"I don't have a lot of time, so I was thinking that maybe we could just take a walk around the park. I just want to get to know you better."

"Will you fly me home at the end of the night?" Kurt said teasingly. Blaine pouted at him, folding his arms.

"I'm wounded. If you had asked nicely I might have considered it."

"Oh sweetie, I didn't know you were so self conscious about your flying abilities. I thought White Wings had raised you better than that," Kurt continued to tease.

"You're lucky you're cute." Blaine extended a hand to Kurt. He didn't hesitate for a moment before he took it, immediately captivated by how soft and strong Blaine's hand felt. He knew he had a huge crush on Blaine- he was never denying that- but he could have sworn that their hands fitted together almost too perfectly. "Besides, I'm an old fashioned kind of guy. I don't fly boys home until the third date, no matter how cute."

Kurt laughed. "Oh, fine then. So, Mister Nightbird, tell me more about you. How did you get into heroism?"

"Actually, it's kind of a long story. How close to the end should I start?"

"Start with how you began working with White Wings," Kurt suggested.

"Well, I was actually picked by JetCat for villainy, originally."

Kurt gasped dramatically. "What? No."

"Yes! I didn't work with her for very long. I only went on a couple of missions. She just wanted someone there to take the blame, which meant I spent a lot of time talking to White Wings. He told me that if I became his apprentice I wouldn't have to go to prison for it, since I apparently didn't actually look like a villain."

"Too much hair gel."

"Hey, no fair. Anyway, that's why I'm Nightbird. She's Jet, as in jet black, and I needed an equally clever darkness. But by then the name had stuck, and the bird imagery fitted with White's anyway. So, what brings you to Dreamweaver, Darcy?"

"My family- I grew up north of elsewhere, moved across the country for university and studied in France for a year. While I was tripping around my family decided to move here and open the bar, or, as my dad says, The Peterson Family Tavern. I'm living at home until the lease for my new apartment comes through, and as soon as I can get my journalism break that's what I plan to do."

"But if you fall into just journalism you won't have a bar to defend anymore," Blaine said with a pout, "and I won't be able to flirt with you on the job. I doubt your parents are as much fun to do that with."

"Please don't hit on my parents." Blaine laughed.

"You think I'm just hitting on you because I hit on everyone?"

"Should I think that?"

"Not at all. This is a proper date, okay? I really like you, and I want to get to know you better so I can keep liking you a lot."

"Good," Kurt said, "I like you a lot, too." Blaine smiled at him infectiously, and he just had to smile back.

"Do you know many people from around town yet?"

"Let's see... I know you. I've met Glameow," Blaine nodded as though to say met, huh? "Unique Hutchsworth, who I'm told is very famous, and Yvonne Tigressa, who I'm told is also very famous, come by a lot and we gossip so they're the closest I have to friends. Constable Carlton spends quite a bit of time in here too, so we've talked a lot. And there's this kid, I don't know if you would know him, called Braxton Hughes. He's the blond one that's always getting into trouble, and he's a family friend. And that's everyone."

"You haven't even talked to White?" Blaine asked with mock surprise, "That couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that I've begged to take all the missions concerning you now, has it?"

"You do that?"

"Maybe. But now you've agreed to go out with me and I know you're just holding out for that third date when I'll fly you home, he can deal with the bigger stuff again."

"Well aren't you confident, mister. Who said the date was going so well that I wanted to commit to another two?" Kurt teased.

"You know, if you count the break in and the time I formally asked you to go with me, we've already had two dates and this is the third," Blaine said.

"So you want to fly me home now?"

"See! I knew you were just waiting for me to fly you somewhere." By the end of Darcy and Nightbird's date, Kurt was feeling a lot better than he had before he had come to the session. He had laughed a lot, and the banter was nice. He couldn't care less whether or not it had all been fictional. They stayed hand in hand as they walked over to the bench when they saw that the others were slowly migrating towards it, and just as they were getting there Blaine turned to Kurt. "I really hope that there will be another date, Darcy," he said.

Kurt nodded. "Absolutely." Blaine looked around quickly, before he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Kurt's cheek. He immediately tapped the bench twice, and Kurt followed promptly. He could have sworn Blaine hesitated for a moment before dropping his hand.

The next date for Darcy and Nightbird came sooner than Kurt expected. Blaine messaged him and informed him that he was going to be at the social on Friday, and asked if Kurt was going to be there not. Regardless of his plans (or lack thereof), Kurt was quick to decide that he was indeed going to be there.

When he arrived, he walked right into the house the same way all the others did the week before, and was greeted by everyone when he entered the living room. He even went as far as to help himself to a diet coke from the fridge before he sat down next to Leo and Ethan. Though he and Ethan had talked a lot in character, they had barely even spoken to each other out of character, and he wasn't sure he had so much as said hi to Leo. They were quick to fall into comfortable conversation, and Kurt realised how nice it was to have proper gay friends- because as much as Rachel Berry aspired to be one, she just didn't quite fit the criteria.

Erica popped over to their little group after a while and said, "We're going to have a social LARP tonight, if enough people are interested. Just like, half an hour, and soon."

"Yeah, that would be good," Ethan said, "but you will probably need to get off me, Leo." Leo shrugged and didn't go anywhere. Kurt was the first to take the cue to move.

"Uh, Erica," she turned to him, "what do we use to signify going out of character without the bench? When we're here?" He knew the drill for everywhere else. At Marley's house it was the TV, at Leo's it was the kitchen table, at Hadley's it was the bookcase, at Unique's it was walking back inside after spending the session in her garden away from her parents.

"Good point. We don't actually have a protocol in the same way for social LARPs, but unofficially I think it's the fridge. People tend to go and get another drink once they're ready to stop." Kurt didn't bother asking for any further direction. As soon as the session started, Blaine gravitated towards him, and almost wordlessly they found themselves sitting on the porch swing outside.

"Why are you doing it?" Kurt asked, "Being a hero, I mean."

"I have a lot of goals with it," Blaine replied.

"Do tell."

"I want to help people, obviously. I like to feel wanted- needed, even. And I want to be that first golden ticket superhero, the one who can proudly be the first openly gay superhero and empower a whole lot of kids along with it. I know it doesn't seem a lot in a town like Dreamweaver, but what if the message manages to spread across to another town or two? Then I'll really be making a mark."

"That's a nice goal."

"I feel like there's a story to go along with that sentiment," Blaine said. Kurt shook his head.

"Oh, it's nothing. But when I was back in high school, I really could have used a hero, and now I've finally got one." Blaine took his hand, running his thumb over the back of it soothingly.

"You have a whole team of Defenders, Ku-Darcy. There's nothing to be scared of here." Kurt pretended not to notice his slip.

"But what if one day I leave the town, for some reason? Then I've got all that stuff to face still."

"We can do it together, okay?" Blaine said. "Look at me. I'm here for you. It doesn't matter what's going on outside of Dreamweaver while you're living here, because the world- or at least the town- is your oyster. And if you ever feel like leaving, the town will do it can to make you stay. I'm not even kidding; they can pull some pretty big strings."

"Together, huh?" Kurt teased, "That sounds like a plan for the future."

"There are some awful people in the world, and I never want you to have to be caught up in any of that. If that means you're stuck with me forever, so be it."

"You don't sound too upset about that."

"I know this is a second date, Darcy, but I feel really good about it- about us."

"Me too, I-" Kurt started, before a figure jumped around the corner, startling him.

"Nightbird," Erica said, "pleasure as always." She walked slowly closer with a certain sway in her hips that Kurt didn't think he had seen from her before. He hadn't had a chance to observe Erica as so thoroughly JetCat before, since the week she had had her cast removed was the week Kurt had chosen to join in with the roleplay. His focus had been elsewhere ever since.

Blaine stood up, dropping Kurt's hand in the process. "What do you want, Jet?" he said with a sigh, sounding bored above anything else. "I'm off duty. Take it up with White."

"Oh, sweetie. We used to be such good friends. What happened to the adorable, villainous boy I groomed all those years ago? You're not even polite enough to introduce me to your friend here." She smiled sickly sweetly, and Blaine's hands twitched at his sides.

"You don't get to meet the people who are important to me! I know you have people to do your research for you, and I'm not going to make their job easier."

"But what if I wanted information about you? From him?" Erica stepped closer to the swing, closer to Kurt, and Blaine was quick to step between them.

"You're not going anywhere near him."

"Nightbird?" Kurt said quietly. Blaine turned to him and offered him a hand, so Kurt took it and stood up. Blaine took his hand again and looked him deep in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for messing up our date," Blaine said, "but I need you to go, Darcy."

"But... it was going so well..." Kurt said. He knew exactly what Blaine meant, but Darcy was completely cut up about it. Darcy couldn't believe that they were just talking about how well their relationship was going, and now Nightbird was asking him to leave. Blaine opened his mouth to say something, but Kurt cut in. "No, it's fine. You need to be someone else's hero. I'll get used to sharing." And then he left, heading back inside to wait for the session to end. It wasn't that he didn't want to play anymore, it was that he knew Darcy was standing squarely in a plot that he didn't need to be in that night. He wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or terrified to see how it would all develop on Monday.

Blaine found him in the kitchen after doing whatever it was with Erica, and Kurt smiled at him. "Kurt," Blaine said firmly, stopping him from running from the situation, "you were just being a convincing Darcy, right? You're not actually mad at me for telling you to leave? Because I didn't, I swear, it was just Nightbird. I still want to continue with our plot, if it's okay with you."

"Oh, yeah, I want to keep going with it too," Kurt said, "Darcy might be a bit upset, though."

"Speaking of which, I think I should give you some heads up, since Darcy won't get it- Erica has plans in the works for a full plot involving everyone. Tonight was just the first little piece of that. Jet's starting at Darcy, and slowly working to bring down the Defenders- which won't work, clearly- but there's a lot resting on the shoulders of the civilians. Great plot idea, except you... may find yourself kidnapped."

"Oh. Well, Darcy will get over that date, then. He might be a bit heartbroken come Monday, but once they click again he'll be fine."

"Right! That's good. I really like dat- roleplaying. I like roleplaying with you." Blaine blushed, and Kurt figured that was about his slip. He couldn't even bring himself to imagine how that could have finished, I really like dating you being the most obvious one on his mind. Things with Blaine just weren't like that, no matter how much flirted in character.

"Me too," Kurt said, offering Blaine a small smile.

When Kurt got home he avoided his parents and instead went straight to his bedroom. He threw himself face down on his bed and grinned into his pillow, because Blaine was adorable. It was a new feeling for him, certainly. Never before had he had such a sudden and strong reaction to another person. He wasn't in love with Blaine; he would never let himself jump immediately to that point. But he could definitely see himself being in love with him in the future. He lay on his bed for a long time, mustering up the courage to formulate a plan about when and how he would win Blaine over. He was silly to think that Blaine would ever like him, but he was so, so hopeful- and some days, when Blaine acted the way he had earlier, offering him support and flirting in character and blushing around him out of character... he could imagine the feeling being mutual.