Always Shout Fire - A Glee Fanfic, Chapter 19/?

[ashtakra]

Title: Always Shout Fire
Chapter: 19/?

Author: AshtakRa

Fandom: Glee

Pairing: Kurt/Puck

Warnings: Adult themes (now with smut), some violence and bad language and set in season 2

Spoilers: Spoilers for up to Duets

Summary: Kurt decides further investigation is needed regarding the Puckerman situation.  He is both surprised and shocked to find his former nemesis brought low and how it changes them from team mates, to friends and perhaps...

Previous Chapters:


Chapter 19

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said, turning the corner into Main Street.  “But I had to get you out of there.  The other guys know what they’re doing and you can’t micromanage everything.”

“I wasn’t - well maybe a little.”

“You see!” huffed Kurt.  “That’s the problem, the Puck I know wouldn’t cave so quickly.”

Puck pouted and stared out the window, refusing to get into the argument.  Kurt had been on his case all week, telling him to slow down and to stop stressing about the website.  It was hard not to though, since it had gone beyond just a couple of videos on an obscure website.  News agencies had picked it up and were now keeping track of how many videos and stories were uploaded.  Then those same news shows would turn up at the schools and try to expand on the story.  Given that dozens of schools in the state had been identified by the videos that meant the education board was having hysterics about the whole movement.

They had not been shut down.

Mostly because the site was on a server not connected with the school and Puck and his cohorts could not be directly linked to the site.  While their videos showed the bullies they were careful to blur out the faces of the kids being bullied and ensure the people taking the clips were never identified.  That’s why they did not allow videos to be uploaded directly.  So far it had worked and it was only the bullies being ‘outed’.  He really hoped it stayed that way.  After what happened to Sam they were taken precautions.  Then again Puck knew it was risky no matter what and if they stopped now it would be a terrible defeat.  Also the bullies, and those embroiled in the fallout, would take their revenge on anyone they thought responsible.

As one of the IT team had said, they had to reach the tipping point.  The time when all schools realised zero tolerance was their only option.

“Where are we going?” he finally broke silence.

“We’re there,” announced Kurt, parking the car on the side of Lima’s main park.  He snatched a bag from the back seat and bounded out of the car; Puck was forced to follow or remain like a five year old throwing a tantrum.  Thankfully it was a warm and bright day, for the middle of winter, so he slid out to join his boyfriend.

Kurt had walked out onto one of the many fields and dropped the bag, taking his familiar hand on hip stance until Puck caught up.

“I am not having a picnic out here or whatever stupid idea you got from some chic-flick,” muttered Puck.

Kurt, instead of being angry, smiled.  “That’s more like it,” he said primly.  “Now stop acting like a child and let’s have some fun - you remember how to do that right?”

A soccer ball was tossed at him and it rolled to a stop at his feet.  Puck could only stare dumbly at it as a goofy grin spread across his face.

His boyfriend was awesome!

He tapped the ball then started nudging it from foot to foot.  It had been a couple of years but the skills were still there.  He looked up to see Kurt smiling broadly and he kicked the ball over to him.

“You don’t seriously expect me to play?”  It was as if Puck had asked him to smother his dog, if he had one.

“Come on Hummel, you dragged me here.  Bitching me out all the way and saying we needed to have some fun.”

“You had to have fun, I’m just fine.”

“Fine don’t cut it when you’re with the Puckerone,” said Puck as he side swiped the ball from between Kurt’s legs, almost causing the other boy to fall.  Kurt recovered and deftly snatched the ball back with a feint and then he back spun around and dribbled the ball away at a fast pace.  Puck knew the boy had to have had skills.  He gave chase, his long legs quickly catching up but Kurt was better at changing direction.

“Score!” yelled Kurt, reaching some imaginary goal on the side of the field.  He proceeded to do a little dance and then run around in circles with his shirt over his head.

“Don’t even bother trying to distract me,” muttered Puck, very much eyeing off Kurt’s flat and ever so slightly toned stomach.

“Fine,” huffed Kurt, putting his foot on the ball.  “Best of five then?”

“Wait,” Puck held up his hand.  “First you tell me how you can play like that?  Is this another thing like the motorbike riding?”

“Kind of,” snickered Kurt.  “Our backyard is sizeable and soccer’s one of those games you can practice solo.”

“Uh huh,” Puck raised an eyebrow, he knew there was more to it.”

Kurt scowled but gave an answer.  “Andimayhavehadacrushonsomeplayers.”

“Oh great Moses,” cursed Puck.  “Not Beckham!”

“That is so cliché,” said Kurt but his face did redden as he wandered closer and put a finger through one of Puck’s belt hoops.  “Jealous?”

“Pffft,” Puck leaned in and caught Kurt in a kiss.  “Besides I’ve always had a thing for Cahill.”

“Tim Cahill!” hissed Kurt.  “The Australian?”

“Those lips,” sighed Puck.

“You have an unhealthy obsession with mouths.”

“Don’t see you complaining.”

Instead of answering Kurt tapped the football and trotted off, Puck had no choice but to pursue him.  They zigzagged across the field, alternating possession and at times Puck suspected Kurt let him win a few times.  Before he knew it an hour or more must have passed and he was feeling better than he should be.  Stopping and picking up the ball Puck looked thoughtfully at his boyfriend.

“What?” said Kurt, flicking back his sweat-soaked bangs.

“Was this a spur of the moment idea or something more insidious?”

“Don’t use words you don’t understand Noah, and yes - it was more than just some spontaneous day out.”

“...?”

Kurt sat on the ground, tapping the space next to him.  Puck quickly complied.

“How do you feel?” asked Kurt.

“Good,” shrugged Puck.  “A little sore but strangely energised.”

“Mmmm.”

“What, you my doctor now?”

“No,” said Kurt smugly.  “But your Mom did have a word with me and we’ve all noticed how lethargic you’ve been lately.”

“And this was meant to help?”

“Yup.  Real exercise Noah.  Fresh air and sunlight.  All you’ve done recently is hang around the computer labs, or at home and the gym is your only workout.  You can’t play football anymore so apparently the doctors told your Mom that the lack of proper activity would interfere with your healing.  You can thank me later.”

Puck reached around and pulled Kurt across, leaning over him.  “Think I’ll thank you now princess.”

As their lips touched a polite cough sounded.  Kurt wriggled out of Puck’s grip but not before Puck did manage to kiss him.

“Sorry guys, we just-.”

“What!” snapped Kurt, glaring at the strange boy before them.  “Is a display of affection not allowed in this park or just this type of affection?”

“Kurt,” Puck whispered.  Behind the boy were several others and Puck could tell they weren’t here for trouble - he knew how people looked when they wanted a fight and these guys weren’t it.  If anything they seemed kind of hopeful and a little embarrassed.

“Thought you might like a game,” finished the boy, smirking at Kurt.

“We’d love to,” said Puck instead.

“No,” said Kurt quietly.

“Yes,” muttered Puck.

They did.

PKPKPKPKPK

Sam wriggled uncomfortably in the crisp shirt as the shop assistant measured bits and pieces of him and scribbled things down.  There were so many things he was tempted to say, mostly movie quotes but one look at Quinn and Mercedes kept him quiet.

“I think the plum with magenta lining was better.”

“Yes,” nodded Mercedes.  “But that might clash with the shoes.”

“Uh shoes?  What shoes?  I don’t need new shoes.”

He was ignored as they placed various ties against a forest glen green shirt, and yes he knew that because he had already tried that one on.  The assistant brought over a jacket and helped Sam into it, to which he immediately scowled.  “Its too tight.”

“No… its not,” said Quinn, without even looking.

“Obviously its not,” he said to the assistant, who proceeded to ignore him like the girls.  “Look,” he said, knowing they would hear him - no-one could multitask like Quinn and Mercedes on a shopping trip.  “I appreciate this and all, and I mean its really cool of you considering our recent break-up but Quinn?  I don’t even have a date and very much doubt that -.”

“Okay I’m going to stop you right there Sammy,” said Quinn, giving him the look.  “Firstly, if I let you dress yourself for the ball you will probably turn up in some nasty plaid shirt with pants two sizes too big while wearing purple runners, and while a little part of me would enjoy your embarrassment there are bigger things at play.”

“Like?”

“Like no matter who is seeing who, and who is not seeing who - we are still a team and have got to look like one,” Mercedes replied.  “And I am accustomed to being seen with the most fashionable of boys; there is a standard to maintain.”

Sam frowned but wisely did not argue.  He was quite fashionable, he’d made hoodies popular again at school and his collection of super-hero inspired art print shirts were a hit - he was sure.

“Fine,” he muttered, changing back into one of those very same t-shirts and then ruffling his hair and smoothing it again checking before turning to the girls.  “What?” he asked as Quinn was tilting her head and looking bemused.

“Just wondering how I didn’t pick it sooner.”

He tried his best glare but it had zero effect.

“You said firstly, what’s second… ly?” he tried instead.

“Oh,” she grinned and he was sure he should not be frightened but there was that evil glint in her eye.  “You do have a date.”

“No,” he argued.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Shoes,” Quinn said instead, going back to ignoring him.  “Come along Cedes, Sam’s feet are freakishly large and this may take all afternoon.”

Sam frowned and spread his arms after the departing girls.  “No!”

KPKPKPKPKPKP

The day before the winter ball was a hive of activity, one which Puck was glad to leave to his boyfriend and to the other ladies of the Glee club.  He had a vague memory of being measured and poked around by some guy in a store.  Getting through it had taken a fierce resolve to not run from the store and the ability to hum tunes in his head and think of having awesome, if still somewhat restrained, sex with Kurt.  There was also the organising of vehicles, pre-ball dinner reservations and post-ball party venues.

Strangely enough that was going to be the Berry residence.  Puck did have to take credit for that since her Dads were away and Rachel had needed a little convincing that a party was a right of passage.

His time was also taken up with the on-going controversy of the Rainbow Slushie website, he had compromised to keep Kurt happy and only checked in on things twice a day.  Figgins shut down all computer privileges but the IT geeks just brought their laptops with wireless connection since the website was safely operating from an outside server.  Some of the football players were avoiding him and giving him strange looks so Puck figured word had leaked of his involvement.  That was kind of inevitable but he had been enjoying the cloak and dagger of it all.  The outside exercise had done wonders too, he hadn’t felt this good since before he got sick.  Also the guys they’d met had swapped numbers; they played in a local soccer club and while Puck insisted he couldn’t join they still reckoned he could and should play for fun whenever possible.  If Kurt had not been initially against playing with them Puck would have assumed a plot by his boyfriend.

He still had his suspicions.

“Dude,” croaked a voice beneath him.  “Little help.”

“Sorry,” he helped Sam return the bar to its holder as the blonde sat up and wiped away a layer of sweat.  He may have allowed his eyes to linger on the other’s body; it was only to judge the differences between Sam and his boyfriend.  He could agree that Sam was good looking, quite hot actually but not the same as Kurt.  Sam was all definition and angles, Kurt had muscles but they were less obvious - only really apparent when he exerted himself.  Puck smirked as he pictured Kurt exerting himself.

“Puck, have you even been listening to me?” Sam said, slipping on a singlet as he moved over to the smaller weights.

“Yeah, shopping, suits and shoes - girls not leaving you alone, sounds terrible.”

“Quinn is insistent that I have a date for the ball, but we broke up?  You know her better, was she saying I have to go with her regardless?”

“Um.”

“I mean I would be happy to you know, but its kind of not fair on her.  Finn’s just waiting in the wings to sweep her off her feet but I’m stopping that from happening.  She could be up the most romantic night of her life and she’s stuck with me… a fake blonde geek boy who is too screwed up to make it clear to everyone else that she and me are not together.”

“I don’t think Quinn meant-.”

“I know right, forget Finn because she probably needs time to be herself, she said that before we started going out but I kind of convinced her otherwise so its probably best I do what she needs, even if it means pretending we’re together so she can have that freedom because lets be honest, they’ll dance around for months without anything happening and when they do Finn will run back to Rachel.  So other guys will only hurt her, and she’s had enough of that.”

“Sam, they’re already-.”

“Oh my god!”  Sam paused in his warm-down routine and stared at Puck.  “They!  As in Finn and Rachel are back together, this is going to kill her and its all my fault.  If I hadn’t led Quinn along she would have been free for Finn ages ago, now he’s moved on while she still loves… I mean while she still has feelings for him.”

Puck slapped his hand over Sam’s huge lips and put a finger to his own.  “Dude, shut the hell up.”

Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise but he stopped talking.

“Good.”  Removing his hand Puck sat next to Sam on the bench.  “For starters Finn is not banging Rachel, at least I hope not because Quinn was over last night and let me tell you it is really awkward being in the same room as your best friend makes out with the girl you got pregnant while you make out with your boyfriend who once had a crush on your best friend but is now his brother - adding Rachel into that mix would just explode people’s brains.”

“Wow,” stated Sam.  “If anyone else joins New Directions we’re going to need a white board and a flow chart to bring them up to speed.”

“Right,” said Puck blandly, not mentioning that he had found such a chart, but made of bubbles with connecting lines, on Kurt’s computer.  He had been searching for porn but had only found still shots from musicals and links to fashion stores.  He was almost certain Kurt had porn but was obviously better at hiding it than himself.  “And Sam, the whole date thing may have been arranged by someone else and for someone else who does like you but is definitely not Quinn.”

“What you talkin’ ‘bout Puck?” said Sam as he pouted those lips.

Puck checked that they were alone.  “Kurt may have told Blaine you were coming to the ball flying solo so that Blaine would get a ticket too.”

“Blaine!  But Kurt doesn’t even know I’m g-.”  Sam put his own hand over his mouth.

Puck laughed and made a phone out of his hand and held it to his ear.  “Hi this is the man in the moon, just calling to say that the rainbows shooting out of Sam’s mouth are so obvious, even from up here.”

He stopped laughing as Sam’s expression turned to one of panic and his eyes watered up.

“Dude,” Puck said, putting an arm around the other.  “Its okay, its not like you aren’t in good company.”

“I know,” Sam said hoarsely.  “I’m just not used to people knowing.”

“No-one knows outside of Glee,” explained Puck.  “And Quinn didn’t tell, between Kurt’s ninja like fashion sense and Blaine’s apparent flawless gaydar you never stood a chance.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?”

“I’m a bad-ass, I do brutal honesty, not comforting.”

“Which is why you are hugging me telling me its okay?”

“…”

Sam finally laughed.  “Your secret is safe with me Puckerman.”

Shrugging Puck removed his arm and idly played with a dumbbell.  “Not too much of a secret come tomorrow night.”

“You and Kurt are going as a couple?”

Puck nodded while biting his lip.

“Is that a problem?” asked Sam.

“Not really, I’m just - well kind of like you, not sure about others knowing and no offense, but the Puckosaur coming out may be a little bit more of a shock than the guy who speaks Na’vi.”

“Hey, the Na’vi are warriors, and are brave and shit so that is not-.”

“They’re smurfs all grown up, look like a bunch of gogo dancers and wear leather thongs.”

Sam could only gasp in shock and feigned anger.

“But,” Puck relented.  “Kurt is the most courageous guy I know, and is a warrior in his own way - so if I’m calling the blue guys gay then maybe its because of what you said.”

Instead of answering him Sam was staring into space and rubbing his jaw tenderly.  “Do you think Blaine has seen Avatar?  I could show him the director’s cut, with commentary and if we unlock the-.”

“Dude stop.”  Puck shook his head and held a hand to his temple.  “How did anyone ever think you were straight?”

Sam snorted loudly.  “Right back at ya Puckerman.”

Tbc...