First fic from my new college dorm!

It all happened before Kurt could even blink. One minute he was walking to the little grocery store located a few blocks from his apartment, and the next….

"Someone help!" he yelled as the mugger started aiming blows at him. "Call the police!"

Kurt dodged into an alley and threw some punches of his own, grateful for the bits and pieces of actual combat training he'd learned in his stage combat class, but the other guy was determined and no one else seemed to care enough to stop. Just as the mugger was about to pin Kurt to a wall, though, an unexpected gust of wind distracted them both.

"Nightbird," Kurt said quietly, stunned. The mugger looked as shocked as Kurt felt, but Kurt managed to recover faster and punched the guy squarely in the jaw, sending him staggering back.

"Will you never learn?" Nightbird asked the mugger, coming up behind him and catching him in a chokehold. "I'm pretty sure this is the eighth time I've had to incapacitate you, Johnny."

He released his hold, allowing Johnny the mugger to fall to the ground in a faint.

"You've arrested him before, and he still got surprised when you arrived?" Kurt asked.

"He always forgets which side of town I work on," Nightbird said, shooting a bright, knee-weakening smile at Kurt. "It kind of concerns me, honestly. How's your hand?"

"What? Oh," Kurt said, inspecting the hand he'd hit Johnny with. "A little tender, but I think it's okay."

"Do you mind?" Nightbird asked, gesturing toward Kurt's hand and taking it in his own when Kurt shook his head no. He gently examined it, rubbing gentle circles over each knuckle and making sure Kurt could fully extend each finger. He squeezed Kurt's hand once before letting go again and looking up at him with serious hazel eyes. "Seems perfect."

"I could say the same," Kurt murmured, transfixed by the various colors in Nightbird's gaze.

"Pardon me?"

"I mean, that's not a shame," Kurt said, blushing.

"It was the least I could do after showing up practically too late," Nightbird said. "A couple more minutes, and you would've taken him down yourself."

"I didn't mind having the help," Kurt replied, smiling at Nightbird.

"Still, I want to be useful," Nightbird said earnestly. "I assume this alley wasn't your intended destination. Where were you going? I could get you there safely - at least, as long as you aren't afraid of heights."

"I just wanted to get to the grocery store on the corner, it's not that far," Kurt demurred. He wasn't opposed to spending a few more minutes with Nightbird, but he didn't want to seem like some kind of super-groupie either.

"Let me fly you there?" Nightbird repeated. "I won't be offended if you say no, but - I want to do this for you. Please."

"Okay," Kurt said, soft and sure.

"Okay," Nightbird echoed, smiling sunnily. "Um - how would you like to-"

"What's easiest?" Kurt asked.

"Bridal style is what I was envisioning, but if there's something you'd be more comfortable with-"

"I'm most comfortable with not getting dropped from fifty feet in the air. If bridal style's what will accomplish that, then bridal style it is," Kurt said confidently. He couldn't hide the rapid beating of his heart at the prospect of being held close to this interesting man, though, especially when he got a whiff of Nightbird's cologne as they got into position.

"Up, up, and away!" Nightbird yelled as they took off, making Kurt burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"Please tell me that was tongue-in-cheek," he said once he could take a full breath.

"Yeah, I'm not usually in the habit of announcing my takeoffs," Nightbird said, laughing softly. "I just figured I'd give you the full experience."

"Consider me wowed," Kurt said as they landed on the grocery store's rooftop herb garden. "Thank you, Nightbird."

"Any time-" Nightbird cut off, looking hesitant.

"Kurt."

"Any time, Kurt," Nightbird said, smiling one last devastating smile before taking off in the direction they'd come.

Kurt almost forgot what he was shopping for.

Two weeks later, Kurt was determined. He had a plan, and he was going to stick to it, even if there was a literal chance it could kill him.

"He's always been there before," he muttered to himself, exiting his apartment building. "Every other near-accident you've gotten into in the past couple weeks, he's appeared. Today won't be any different."

All the placating in the world couldn't keep Kurt from being aware of how harebrained his plan was, though. He walked towards the busiest intersection in his neighborhood quietly, caught between reliving his previous encounters with Nightbird - the mugging, the grease fire, the time his cat got stuck on a rusty fire escape - and sending prayers to any deity that could possibly exist in a last-ditch attempt to cover his bases.

This is it, he thought as he approached the crosswalk. Here goes nothing.

He made sure the light said Don't Walk before entering the intersection like he was going to take a leisurely stroll across the street. Two steps later, he felt himself being jerked off the ground into a familiarly black-armored chest.

"Kurt, what the hell?" Nightbird asked, landing them on the nearest rooftop deck and placing himself between Kurt and the edge. "Why would you - do you need to see a counselor? Because I swear, there's no shame in getting help!"

"No, that wasn't - I'm not suicidal, I promise," Kurt said, catching up with Nightbird's train of thought. "I was just...trying to see you again."

"So you walked into traffic?!" Nightbird asked, eyes widening as he fixed Kurt with an incredulous stare.

"I'm sorry, it's not like you gave me some kind of Nightsignal in case I needed you," Kurt retorted. "What was I supposed to do, yell for you while walking around the neighborhood?"

"Yes! Any plan that didn't involve potential maiming or death would've been preferable to this one!" Nightbird said. "You can't-"

"I can't what?" Kurt asked softly when Nightbird didn't continue.

"You can't put yourself at risk for me, Kurt," Nightbird said with a sigh. "I know we don't really have a relationship, but the thought of you doing something reckless in the hopes of getting to me...it's chilling."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Kurt said. "Our relationship. I, um. I wanted to know if you might like to go to dinner with me this weekend. As the man behind the uniform."

Nightbird's jaw dropped, and he gaped silently for a few seconds.

"I understand completely if you don't want me to know you as anyone other than Nightbird!" Kurt said hastily. "You've got to have some boundaries set to keep your personal and professional lives separate, and if that means people can't cross that line-"

"Blaine!" Nightbird said.

"Blaine?" Kurt repeated, thrown by the non sequitur.

"My real name. Blaine," Nightbird said, blushing. "I would love to go on a date with you as Blaine."

"Saturday at eight?" Kurt asked, smiling shyly.

"Fantastic," Blaine said, smiling back. "I can hardly wait."

"I promise I'll do my best not to see you before then," Kurt said with a wink. "No more walking into traffic."

"Not that I've ever been upset at seeing you, but I appreciate it," Blaine said, eyes sparkling behind his mask.

"Until then?"

"Until then."

(It turned out that Blaine was a charming, preppy music major from NYU with an affinity for bow ties. Kurt had to utilize every ounce of his self control to hold off on kissing him until they'd at least requested the check.)