The session ended and Kurt excused how silly it felt to tap the bench, the same as everyone else had. He had surprised himself with how much he had enjoyed the session, how easily Darcy had come to him. Of course, flirting with cute boys was always a plus, and he hadnt found that in glee, no matter what suspicions he had about Sam. But above all else, he felt for once as though he had been truly accepted by the group in a way that the glee club didnt quite manage. With glee, everyone had enough personal drama that Kurts life got swept under the rug, and quite frankly, all he wanted to feel like he was wanted again. And here he had found another group, which actually made him feel wanted.

"We just have a couple of notices," Erica started, silencing the group, "this Saturday we have the monthly plotter, and we would really love if you could all be there. Theyre really important to the overall storyline of the roleplay. Besides, theyre really important for establishing relationships, but you can still do that in your own time. And ICC and stuff, yeah?"

"ICC?" Kurt whispered to Marley.

"In Character Chat," Marley replied. Kurt nodded. He was going to need to make a glossary for all of the terms that he had acquired.

"We have some big ideas in store for Dreamweaver, so you all should get excited. Any questions?" the group stayed silent, and so Erica dismissed them.

"So whats going on with Darcy and Nightbird? Tell me!" Marley said excitedly.

"I dont really know," Kurt admitted, "they flirted a bit, but I need to ask Blaine, and-" Kurt looked around at the group, but Blaine was already gone. Apparently, any plotting had to wait. "It doesnt matter right now. If something happens then youll be right there to know about it, right?"

"Right!" Marley agreed.

"Oh, and by the way, Im sorry about what Karofsky said today. You know none of that was true, right?" Karofskys words echoed in his mind- you had to turn to a girl who would suck your dick? The last thing Kurt needed was for Karofsky to scare away his potential new friend, and he wanted Marley around in his life. He could use all the friends he could get.

"Yeah, I know," Marley said, offering a supportive smile, "does that sort of thing happen to you a lot?"

"Yeah, but its alright."

"No, Kurt, it isnt. Does the school know?"

"They dont do anything about it. Ive been taking slushies for a long time, even pre-Glee."

"Thats awful."

"You shouldnt worry about me." Kurt knew she was just concerned about his wellbeing, but he was also hopeful that she meant it when she said was all right. She seemed pretty shaken earlier in the day.

"Hey, Kurt, its okay. At least you have this as a safe space, right?" Marley said. Kurt nodded.

"Are we friendly enough that I can hug you now?" Kurt asked, because honestly, he just needed a hug then.

"Of course." Marley held her arms open and let Kurt hug her, closing her arms around him firmly. "I dont believe in doing hugs by halves," she whispered to him, and all he could do was laugh slightly at the sentiment.

On Friday, Marley tapped Kurts shoulder hesitantly in the hallway. He turned around to expect far more than the shy girl who stood there, but he wasnt disappointed by the surprise. "Hey!" he greeted, "its not any less weird the second time." Marley laughed and tightened her hold on the books she was carrying.

"I know! I was just wondering whether or not you were going to go to the social tonight," Marley said.

"Oh, well, I hadnt really thought about it. I dont want to intrude on the group too much too soon, and isnt there a plotting thing tomorrow?"

"Yeah! So tonight is at Luke and Ericas place, and you can kind of turn up whenever, if youre interested. We usually just watch a movie or something, tease Leo and Ethan about how they arent out doing something with their Friday, you can flirt with Blaine, the usual."

"I cant flirt with him, Marley, I dont know how," Kurt said, "And youre going to be there?"

"Thats the plan. Luke and Erica will be there, obviously, and probably Hadley with them. And Ill be having a sleepover with Unique, if you wanted to come? I mean, you dont have to do anything. But the invitation is always there." Marley smiled, and Kurt returned the smile. He wasnt really sure whether or not it was place to go along, or if he would even be wanted by anyone other than Marley.

"I have a family dinner tonight, but I might come along after," Kurt said, making sure that he made no promises. Marleys phone buzzed in her hand, and she quickly opened the message.

"Oh, look at that! Blaine can actually come this week!" Marley said, "Ill see you later, Kurt." She turned into a classroom as they passed it, and suddenly, Kurt couldnt wait until the social.

"Hey, dad? Im going to go out after dinner, okay?" Kurt said as he flitted around the kitchen, preparing a few things for dinner alongside Carole. Friday night dinners had always been a tradition in the Hummel household, and the arrival of his new stepmother and stepbrother hadnt altered it in the slightest. It gave Kurt some company while he cooked, and he had another person with hands to slap away from the meal he was preparing, but the family had slotted together almost seamlessly.

"Where are you off to?" Burt asked. Kurt sighed before he responded. He had been expecting the question, since Burt had always been a protective father. He knew that Burt only wanted to know where he could find him in an emergency, or whom he had to hunt down in the case that Kurt was hurt, but it could be a little tiresome.

"A friends house."

"Which friend?" Burt asked suspiciously, "Tina? Mercedes?"

"Um, no, theyre new friends. Erica and Luke," Kurt said, "they host a little gathering every Friday night and a bunch of people who I know from outside school are going to be there, and I really want to go."

"Will there be alcohol?"

"Absolutely not, Lukes younger sister will be there and shes like, thirteen. Luke and Erica are engaged and responsible adults, dad," Kurt threw in, hoping that would make him more lenient.

"Be home by eleven," Burt said, returning to his paper. Finn popped into the kitchen at that moment and didnt hesitate to show that he had a problem with Kurt going out.

"Eleven?" Finn said, "Mom, my curfew is only half past ten! That isnt even fair!"

"And where are you going tonight, mister?" Carole asked, putting down her knife and folding her arms across her chest, showing Finn that she was fully attentive.

"Pucks house," Finn answered.

"And will there be alcohol?" Carole waited for a response or an excuse, before Finn shook his head. "You hesitated."

"Mom!"

"Ten thirty for you. Burt and I will have a discussion about this later, but until then, curfews will stay as usual, okay?" Carole picked her knife up again and continued to chop the vegetables.

"No fair," Finn grumbled, "Kurt gets everything."

"The rules will change when Kurt starts behaving more like you do, right?" Carole winked at Kurt, who smiled timidly at his step-mom. He knew what she meant. As it stood, Kurt wasnt one for after school activities, whereas Finn didnt usually come home until half an hour before dinner. If Kurt was out, someone knew where he was, his phone was charged and on him, and he would answer calls from his parents. He wasnt late, and if he even thought he ever would be, he made sure that he texted or called Burt to let him know. Maybe most importantly, he didnt hang out with Puck regularly, and he wasnt dating anyone. Although it shouldnt have had anything to do with curfew, he also suspected that the fact he helped out with cooking and cleaning was in his favour. Finn grumbled some more, but he left the kitchen soon enough to grumble elsewhere.

After dinner, Kurt was quick to leave the house, fuelled with excitement for the evening ahead. Not really wanting to turn up by himself, he had offered a ride to Marley and Unique, who he picked up from Marleys house. They proved useful in directing him to Erica and Lukes house, since they had been there on plenty of other nights. Kurt was quick to pick up that Unique was transgender (and that she had seen plenty of the New Directions videos with Marley and had dubbed herself the love child of he and Mercedes), and that Unique was at Carmel High, where she wouldnt join Vocal Adrenaline for much the same reasoning as Marley not joining the New Directions- she was terrified of Jesse St. James, who had been their lead vocalist up until that year. Kurt sympathised- he had never been a fan of Jesse, and after the way he had acted during his brief time in New Directions his dislike for him had only solidified. Even Kurt had to admit he was talented as a performer though, and definitely intimidating with his stage presence.

Kurt parked in the large carport outside Luke and Ericas house and followed Marley and Unique into the house- they walked right in without knocking- and subsequently to the living room. "Hey guys!" Luke greeted, walking over to talk to them, "you know where everything is, right?" he asked Marley and Unique, who nodded, "and Kurt, this is your first time to Casa de Gautier."

"Gautier-Leathart," Erica corrected from across the room, "we arent married yet, kiddo."

"Like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by my lovely fiancée, this is your first time to Casa De Gautier-Leathart, and you require a grand tour. You know, so you at least know where we keep the sodas and where to find the bathroom." Luke gestured for Kurt to follow him and gave him a full tour of the house, which wasnt huge but was perfectly suitable for the engaged couple. It had a huge garden, but the house itself was tiny for the property size. The couple didnt seem to own a lot of furniture, and the spare bedrooms were almost empty. "I think the idea of the house being small is that we, as the new owners, would renovate and expand, but we have no reason to just yet," Luke explained.

When they got back to the living room Marley and Unique were sitting down, each with a can of soda, and Kurt sat next to them. He finally surveyed the room properly to see who had come along. Aside from Erica, Luke, and Hadley (who, from what Kurt understood, were the staple three members), Unique, Marley and himself, were Leo and Ethan, sharing one of the armchairs, and Jeff, who was sitting on the floor by Erica, engrossed in the conversation. Kurt thought that he seemed a bit lost without Nick.

He didnt have much to contribute to any of the conversations that were going on around him, but he listened in to as many of them as he could. He felt himself getting distracted by his thoughts, which were dragged down by Blaine and his notable absence. He had told Marley he would be there, hadnt he? "Are you alright, Kurt?" Luke asked, startling Kurt from his daydreaming.

"Huh?"

"Can I get you a drink or something? You sort of spaced out there."

"Oh, um, a diet coke, please." Luke nodded and headed off to the kitchen, while Kurt sat up a bit straighter and tried to tune back into Marley and Uniques conversation with Hadley. It had moved on too far from when he had phased out for him to really understand what they were talking about properly.

"You did really well on Wednesday," Luke complimented, handing Kurt the can, "You seemed like a seasoned pro. I wouldnt have guessed that it was your first session."

"Thanks." Kurt forced a smile, despite how uneasy he felt. He was glad to hear that he had done okay. Lukes phone began to ring and he pulled it from his pocket, glancing down at the screen.

"Its Nick, I should take this," Luke said to Kurt, who nodded as Luke swiped at the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. "Nick?" Kurt could hear a voice from the other end, but in nowhere near enough definition to work out what he was saying. "Okay. No, its fine. Should I come and get you? Sure. Yeah, Ill see you soon." Luke hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. "Blaine and Nick arent too far away, they just had a few car problems so theyre going a little slow," he explained to the group. So that explained Blaines absence and he was still going to be there. That was enough to make Kurt stay longer. Luke got up again to do something elsewhere, and that left Kurt by himself once more.

He was startled from his daydream again when Jeff scrambled to his feet and dashed across the room, throwing his arms around one of the new arrivals. "Nicky!" he yelled, hugging Nick tightly. Blaine looked tiny and lonely in comparison to the pair, as he quietly walked around them into the room. He smiled at Kurt, and Kurt felt his heart do somersaults as Blaine walked over to him.

"Hey," Blaine greeted, sitting down on the couch next to him, "how are you?"

"Good," Kurt said, and immediately scolded himself for it being the best he could come up with on the spot.

"I havent properly introduced myself to you, and my parents would be appalled. Im Blaine, and I play Nightbird." He extended his hand, and Kurt shook it.

"Im Kurt. I play Darcy, but Im really new to all that."

"You would never have guessed. Its a little odd that our characters met first, huh?" the way that Blaine grinned at Kurt could make anyone melt, and Kurt did the best he could to physically not disappear into the seat.

"Not to completely change the topic, but who drove over?" Kurt asked.

"Nick did, but its my car," Blaine said, too quickly, as though he was a child trying to impress Kurt with the details of the possession. He wasnt entirely sure that it wasnt the case, but he didnt dare ask.

"Would you mind if I took a look at it?" Blaine nodded, though he was visibly shocked at the question, and led Kurt out to his car. "Sorry," he said, "I fix things when I get nervous. I dont have any costumes to straighten or make up to touch up." Kurt lifted the hood and effortlessly began to check off what the problem likely wasnt, until he reached a final decision. "Im not exactly an expert, but I think that you need to change the oil."

"Look who the hero is now," Blaine said, "thank you, Kurt."

"Youre welcome. My dads a mechanic, so Im kind of used to being around this stuff. Am I interested enough to inherit the shop? No, not at all, but I do know enough to solve the basics." Blaine laughed, much to Kurts delight, and stood close enough to him to bump shoulders as they walked inside.

All too soon they got swept up in different conversations and then it was ten-thirty what felt like only a minute later, and Kurt decided to head home. Burt and Carole were glad to see him home before curfew (especially since Finn hadnt stuck to his and was late), and he went to bed with thoughts of Blaine drifting through his head. Look who the hero is now, Kurt repeated to himself, and he was sure he slept with a smile on his face.

Kurt finally came down from his Blaine induced daydream by lunchtime the next day. His good mood didnt go unnoticed by his family, and Carole was quick to ask what had him in such high spirits as she watched Kurt dart around the kitchen, preparing his meal. "Its nothing," Kurt said, closing the fridge. Carole obviously didnt believe him, but she didnt push the subject any further. He wondered how long it would take her to pester it out of him.

He tried to get some homework done that afternoon before the plotting session that evening, but quickly got distracted by his open Facebook page. He clicked the small red (1) hovering above the friend request icon, and saw enough to send his heart soaring again. Blaine Anderson, four mutual friends. He clicked the accept button without a second thought, but then couldnt get any more work done with his thoughts trained on Blaine.

He didnt expect to have a chat window pop up in the corner of the screen, and had to give himself a moment to compose before he even dared to think of a reply.

Blaine: Hey, Kurt :D

Blaine: Are you going to be at the plotter tonight?

Blaine: I have a couple of things to talk about before then.

Of course, a polite, all business message. He rolled his eyes at how he had so quickly blown the situation out of proportion.

Kurt: Hi :) Yeah, Ill be there.

Kurt: What did you want to say?

Blaine: Its about our characters. I think I have a plot for them.

Blaine: Only if youre comfortable with it, though. I wanted to ask before the plotter so I didnt embarrass you (or myself) tonight

Blaine had been planning a plot for them, that he wasnt sure Kurt would be comfortable with. He was very, very intrigued.

Kurt: Im listening. Do tell.

Blaine: I think that Darcy and Nightbird should be an item.

Kurt: As in, they should date?

Blaine: Exactly.

Kurt grabbed his pillow from his bed and squealed into it, hoping like crazy that he had managed to be quiet enough for the sound not to travel out of his room.

Kurt: That would be great :)

Blaine: I was just thinking that they were kind of flirty on Wednesday, and that was just their first meeting.

Kurt: Yeah, I think it could be really fun to play, too.

Blaine: Definitely!

Blaine: They can ease into it, its probably not so wise for us to turn up on Monday and announce their relationship.

Kurt: They need to figure it out for themselves still ;)

Blaine: hahaha, yes.

Blaine: Im really glad that you joined that group, Kurt.

Kurt: Me too.

Kurt made an effort to sit next to Marley at the plotting session, since she had so easily become one of his best friends. It seemed as though everyone from the roleplay was there, though he couldnt be sure if there were others he simply hadnt met yet. It was the most formally structured meeting Kurt had ever been to, as he found when Hadley passed him a print-out of the agenda. Erica stood at the front of the room fielding questions while Luke sat nearby with a laptop, taking notes.

"Anyone have anything else to add?" Erica asked, crossing back stories from the big list on the whiteboard (which Kurt still couldnt believe they had set up for the meeting). The group remained silent, and she continued. "Great, next item, then. Changes to relationships? Just for the purpose of the larpwriter, so title changes, really. So like, acquaintances to friends, or enemies to friends, or friends to enemies. We dont care about the details." Kurt looked over at Blaine, who smiled gently at him from across the room.

"Nightbird and Darcy from professional relationship to romantically involved," Blaine said. Kurt immediately felt all ten pairs of eyes on him, and willed himself not to blush. Erica smirked, as though to convey that she had seen it coming, but turned to Luke and repeated it anyway.

"I thought you said you couldnt flirt," Marley whispered, nudging Kurt lightly.

"I cant. But as it turns out, Darcys not so bad," he whispered back. Marley nodded knowingly, and didnt mind when Kurt dropped the topic in favour of listening to what Erica was saying.

The plotter didnt take as long as Kurt expected it to, and he couldnt wait to talk to Blaine after it ended- but it seemed as though as soon as Kurt worked up the nerve to approach him, he scanned the room, and Blaine was gone.

Erica walked over to him and greeted him by saying, "so Darcy and Nightbird are getting it on, huh?"

"They arent even dating yet. They flirted once, and then Blaine and I decided that its a plot worth playing out," Kurt said, trying to sound detached from the situation.

"No correlation to anything happening out of character, then?" Erica asked, raising an eyebrow, "you ought to get cosier to make it obvious for us all. Be more like Leo and Ethan!" she gestured to the couple, who were standing almost literally joined at the hip as they talked to Marley.

"Theres nothing to make obvious. Ive barely even talked to Blaine. He just runs off so quickly."

"Yeah, he has some family stuff going on, I think. And hes way shyer than he lets on. Like, he is such a performer, he definitely loves the limelight, but then you take him off a stage and he just falls apart at the seams as soon as you try to ask him any serious questions. Hes a master of small talk, though. He just has... high walls. He wont let anyone in too quickly."

"So he doesnt usually hang around for any of this social stuff?" Kurt clarified.

"Yeah, last night was the first time he had been to a social in months. And you know theres only one thing thats changed in the group since last week." Erica winked at him, watching as the information settled with him. "Ill see you later, Kurt."

If Blaine had been mysterious before, he was an enigma now- a puzzle that Kurt hoped he could solve. He was falling for him fast as it was, and it both terrified and excited him just how much harder he could crash if Blaine would let him in.