Fic: The Boyfriend 11/12
Title: The Boyfriend
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Puck/Kurt
Genre: Romance/Humour/Angst
Warning: Some swearing throughout fic. Rating will change for very last installment (a bonus missing scene).
Word Count: 5110 (out of around 56,000)
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
A/N: I started this fic back in May but a new job, a bereavement and a million other things got in the way so I've only just finished. Kind of perfect timing as it's set during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Summary: Puck has been working his butt off for the last three years as a PA so when his totally ungrateful boss, Kurt Hummel, offers him his dream on a silver platter he should be happy right? The catch - he has to pretend to be Kurt's boyfriend.
Chapter Eleven
Puck leant over the bed, waving the mug of piping hot coffee close to Kurt’s nose.
“Coffhee?” Kurt mumbled, eyes slowly flickering open.
Chuckling as Kurt shuffled into a sitting position, Puck said “Don’t get too excited, it probably sucks. I wasn’t sure which buttons to press on that fancy machine downstairs.”
Their fingertips brushed against each others for slightly longer than necessary as Puck handed over the mug. He sat down, perching on the edge of the bed, clearing his throat as Kurt took a sip and moaned. After a few mouthfuls Kurt leant back against the pillows, letting out a big sigh then he frowned slightly and pulled his pillow towards his face.
“Noah, why does my pillow smell like you?”
Puck shrugged and shuffled further onto the bed “I slept there.”
Kurt paused mid sip then swallowed heavily “You did what?”
He held his arms up “It wasn’t my idea believe me.”
“I actually asked you to spend the night with me?” Kurt asked, eyes widening. “Tell me we didn’t...”
“No! No of course not Boss. We just slept” Puck replied, frowning at the idea that Kurt thought that he would take advantage of him.
Kurt let out a sigh of relief and looked down at his coffee “So I guess I drank a little too much last night since I can barely remember anything.” He glanced up, a nervous expression flickering across his face “I didn’t say... or.. or do anything stupid did I?”
A smirk spread across Puck’s lips “Nah course not.”
“Oh God, what did I do?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me the truth” Kurt demanded.
“Mmm well you spent quite some time squeezing my biceps, you seemed to like that. Oh and you were incredibly concerned that my junk would fall off.” When Kurt groaned Puck laughed “It’s not that bad dude, we've all been there.”
“Not that bad? How could it be any worse?!”
“You did kiss me” Puck replied.
“What?” Kurt whispered in stunned disbelief.
“Then you threw up... so now I’m kinda doubting my skill.”
Kurt groaned again then looked up at him from under thick lashes "You're an excellent kisser Noah."
Was it weird that he really wanted to lean over and prove just how good he was? Yeah probably.
Clearing his throat again, Puck stood “I ran into Finn downstairs and he was babbling on about a Christmas tree. I think he wanted you to drive him somewhere once you’re dressed.”
As if he had just realised that he was still wearing his dress shirt from the night before, Kurt pulled back the covers and groaned. “I must have been ridiculously drunk to go to bed like this.”
Puck moved out of the way as Kurt climbed out of bed and staggered towards his closet. It was probably a very good thing that he hadn’t even thought about helping Kurt out of his shirt. It was bad enough that he had the memory of undoing the dude’s fly, without spending the night with a mostly naked Kurt in his arms.
After a few minutes Kurt emerged from his closet fully dressed, colour flooding his cheeks as he asked “Did you ummm...” He waved his hand in front of his fly “I think I remember...”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
If possible Kurt turned an even darker shade of red before he nodded awkwardly.
“So Finn?” Puck reminded.
Once downstairs, Finn hurried them through breakfast then shooed them out of the front door into the crisp November air.
“Coming?” Kurt asked, pulling on his ridiculous hat.
Puck nodded and trailed behind the others, shutting the door behind him then jogged a few steps to catch up with Kurt.
“Why exactly are we buying a tree?”
Before Kurt had a chance to reply, Rachel glanced over her shoulder “Finn and I are heading back to New York tonight and Kurt won’t be home until Christmas Eve.”
Kurt glanced both ways as he crossed the street, then shrugged. “It’s a tradition that all of us decorate the tree and Carole likes to have it up for a few weeks.”
Ten minutes later they reached Artie’s house where the Navigator was sitting waiting for them. Puck climbed into the car next to Kurt and buckled his seat belt, reaching forward to turn the heat on.
“You know what we should do?” Finn asked as he climbed into the car. “We should go Bowling!”
Kurt turned in his seat “Bowling?”
Finn nodded enthusiastically in response.
“I thought you hurried us out of the house to find a Christmas tree?” he asked, pulling away from Artie’s house.
“After we get the tree I mean” he replied.
Kurt narrowed his eyes in the rear-view mirror “Why this sudden interest in bowling?”
“He’s been practicing on the Wii” Rachel replied.
“Rachel” Finn hissed, his ears turning red. “It’s our last afternoon and I just fancy Bowling okay?”
Kurt took two lefts then a right and made a humming noise “Maybe.”
They pulled into a parking lot and jumped out, Puck skirting around the car to wrap an arm around a shivering Kurt’s shoulders. Finn grabbed Rachel’s hand and hurried down the walkway between the Douglas ferns, clearly moving far too quickly for her as she ran to keep up.
Once Finn was out of sight, Kurt began to shrug off Puck’s arm so he reluctantly removed it but stayed close enough so that their arms continually brushed against each others.
“We should look for a tree” Kurt mumbled.
“Finn seemed pretty set on finding one himself.”
Kurt snorted “I guarantee that within five minutes they’ll be singing a tree related Christmas song and he’ll have forgotten all about finding the perfect tree.”
The ‘perfect tree’ turned out to be a bushy eight foot thing which Puck had to admit was kind of good looking, you know for a tree. Once Finn had been called over to discuss the merits of said tree, Kurt disappeared to pay for the thing and came back with a dude who worked there.
When the guy had done his thing, he handed over the tree and walked away. Finn grabbed one end then looked up at Puck expectantly.
Puck shook his head and stepped forward, grabbing the other end “Sorry man, was kind of thrown by that dude putting a hairnet on the tree.”
Once the tree was on top of the Navigator, with only a few comments from Kurt of what he would do to them if they scratched the paintwork, they jumped back into the car.
“So bowling?” Finn asked cheerfully.
Kurt paused in buckling his seat belt and shot him an incredulous look over his shoulder “What exactly do you propose to do with the tree if we go bowling?”
“We can swing by the house and dump it in the backyard.”
Kurt shook his head slightly but started the engine and drove towards their parents’ house without further comment. Once there, Puck and Finn hauled the tree off the roof and into the backyard then hurried back to the car.
The bowling alley was much the same as any other small town alley, smelly shoes, average pizza and a group of middle aged dudes taking things far too seriously. Puck grabbed his shoes thinking how much better the new alley in Queens was. Maybe he could take Kurt there next week or even better they could go ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre, Kurt would probably like that. Puck stopped short as he realised that he was making date-like plans with a dude he wasn’t even dating.
Kurt winced as he was handed a pair of particularly shabby looking shoes but sat down and gingerly slipped his feet into them without complaint. As soon as they had typed their names into their lane computer, Finn’s stomach let out a terrifyingly loud rumble which made people two lanes over turn and stare.
“Pizza!” he announced, slipping an arm around Rachel’s waist as he lead her away.
“Shall we start?” Kurt asked.
He moved towards the balls before Puck could reply and peered down at them, apparently debating which colour to choose. Kurt picked up a purple ball and moved towards the edge of the lane then glanced over his shoulder.
“I’m not really sure...”
“Here, I’ll show you” Puck said, stepping close behind him. He wrapped his arms around Kurt and slid his hand slowly down Kurt’s arm to cover his soft hand.
“I...umm...” Kurt stuttered.
“What?”
He shook his head “Nothing.”
Placing his other hand on Kurt’s hip, Puck guided him through the motions “Let go.”
The ball went whizzing down the lane, knocking all of the pins down.
Puck lent forward and inhaled as Kurt lent back against his chest then froze as Kurt turned his head and looked up at him.
“Did you just smell my hair?”
“No” Puck quickly replied.
“Uhuh.”
Kurt moved out of the circle of Puck’s arms as Finn and Rachel approached carrying two large pizza’s and what was presumably a vegan burger. Rachel gave them a knowing look before Finn, totally obliviously, threw himself into a chair and grabbed a slice of pizza.
“Hmmp youhsef.”
Kurt twisted his face as Finn spoke, showing the contents of his mouth to anyone looking his way but reached down and after shooting the pizza a look of disapproval, grabbed a small slice. A few bites later Kurt stepped forward, grabbing a blue ball this time and bowled another strike.
“That was amazing Boss! You’re a natural” Puck exclaimed.
“We used to come here all the time with the Glee club. Between that and the Wii bowling obsession of 2011, it’s no wonder he’s good” Finn mumbled, around a mouthful of pizza.
Kurt knew how to bowl? Puck frowned as he wondered why Kurt had allowed him to make a fool of himself. His train of thought suddenly halted as Kurt reached out and slowly trailed his finger across the edge of Puck’s bottom lip.
“Sauce” Kurt said matter of factly before he brushed past and perched on the edge of a plastic chair.
The rest of the game past fairly uneventfully. Rachel and Puck were both happy with their perfectly respectable scores while Finn grumbled about the game being fixed and Kurt annihilated them all.
They exchanged their shoes and started to make their way out of the alley, stopping when Rachel made a high pitched squealing noise.
“Let’s sing a duet Finn!” Rachel exclaimed, pointing to a tiny stage surrounded by old people.
“Rach its bingo not karaoke today” Finn pleaded, attempting to steer her towards the exit.
“They won’t mind.”
Puck stared in disbelief as Rachel dragged Finn onto a small stage and informed everyone that they were in for a real treat.
“Oh good lord” Kurt murmured under his breath.
“You’re not going to sing as well are you?” Puck asked, glancing around at the put out faces of the unwilling audience.
“Definitely not.”
Puck cringed in second hand embarrassment as a disgruntled pensioner threw a dabber at the stage, missing an oblivious Rachel by inches. Finn looked out into the crowd nervously, as if expecting more missiles then gave Kurt a pathetic look as he mouthed help me.
Kurt winced and shook his head “Let’s get out of here before they realise it’s a seven minute song.”
“You want to ditch them?”
“Let’s just say I’d prefer to wait for them in the car” Kurt replied.
“I can’t believe you abandoned me like that” Finn said a few minutes later as he climbed into the backseat.
Kurt sighed dramatically but couldn’t stop his lip from twitching “Brother dear, I will stick with you through thick and thin but I will not stand near you when pensioners are using felt-tip pens as projectile weapons.
Rachel jumped into the car and slammed the door behind her.
“Ungrateful...rude...” she muttered under her breath.
Back at the house, they swung around to the backyard and moved the Christmas tree indoors then headed towards the living room where they all stood shivering in front of the fire for a few minutes.
“I have something I need to do. No one come into my room” Kurt warned, pointing a finger at Finn.
Puck watched Kurt leave then followed Finn and Rachel to the couch, slouching in the corner against the arm. Time seemed to pass a lot slower once Rachel flicked the TV onto some program about Broadway stars of the past and what they were doing now, as if anyone cared. To add insult to injury, Puck glanced up halfway through the mind numbing show to find Rachel perched on Finn’s lap kissing the hell out of him.
Sighing, he rolled off the couch and jogged up the stairs then paused outside Kurt’s door. The dude had been pretty adamant that no one come into his room and Puck could only interpret that as meaning one thing. He slowly opened the door to the bedroom, only to find Kurt sitting cross legged in the middle of the floor surrounded by presents and wrapping paper.
Kurt looked up and hissed “Quick close the door!” He looked suspiciously towards the hallway even after Puck had kicked the door shut. “Finn wasn’t behind you was he? He always tries to sneak a peek at my gifts before Christmas day.”
Puck shook his head “Just me.”
“Oh good” Kurt breathed, picking up a silk scarf with abstract reindeer painted on it. He folded it carefully then wrapped it in tissue paper followed by cherry red and gold wrapping paper.
Puck frowned as he looked at the small pile of wrapped gifts and the large pile, yet to be wrapped.
“I didn’t buy any of them.”
“Why would you have?” Kurt asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he carefully wrote on a tag then attached it to the gift. “You don’t think I sent you to buy gifts for my family surely?”
“You didn’t?”
Kurt snorted and added the perfectly wrapped package to the small pile “Those were for colleagues and acquaintances. I wouldn’t buy such imagine-less gifts for my family.”
Puck crouched down and picked up a medium sized parcel, shaking it slightly. “So which one’s for me?” he demanded with a cheeky grin.
Kurt was speechless for a moment then rolled his eyes and pushed Puck’s chest so that he fell on his ass. They were both laughing a minute or two later when Burt knocked on the door and stuck his head in the room, a hand covering his eyes.
“I’m not looking! I’m not looking!” he called, presumably before Kurt could tell him off.
“It’s fine dad. I’ve already wrapped your gift.”
Burt’s hand dropped and he glanced down at the scraps of paper all over the floor, then at the pile of beautifully wrapped parcels. “You have?”
“You’re as bad as Finn.”
Burt made a pfft noise before gesturing over his shoulder “I asked him to help me get the decorations out of the attic but he said something about creepy noises and started to put the tree up instead.”
“That’s fine dad, we’ll get the boxes.”
“Are you sure? I can always get them” Burt replied.
“No, no. What’s the point in Noah having all these muscles if he doesn’t get to use them?” Kurt said, eyes flicking over Puck’s shoulders and arms.
Burt left the room with a grunt and a disapproving look, muttering indecipherable things under his breath.
Following Kurt up the steps into the attic, Puck attempted to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not the perky ass that was right above his face. He glanced around as they made their way across the dusty floorboards towards a pile of beaten up boxes in the right hand corner of the room.
“What are you looking for?” Kurt asked as Puck paused halfway.
“The source of Finn’s weird noises. What’s your money on, ghost or giant mice?”
Kurt laughed and grabbed hold of a pipe, rattling it as he began to moan eerily.
“Or perhaps his big brother out for revenge?” Puck said, eyebrow raised.
Kurt walked back towards the decorations “Hey, he’s twice my size. I did what I had to do.”
Puck grinned “Even stand in a dirty attic in the middle of the night?”
“Even that.”
“You know I was kidding right?” Kurt tilted his head in confusion so Puck elaborated “Before... I don’t really expect a gift.”
“Of course” Kurt replied.
“I mean it’s not like we’ll even be seeing each other after we get back.”
“We wont?” he asked quietly.
“Not unless you want to.”
Kurt looked down “No, I suppose we won’t.” He leant down and picked up the largest of several boxes marked ‘Christmas Decorations’.
Puck reached out to steady Kurt as he wobbled a bit “Got it?”
Kurt shifted his weight and smiled “Yes, I’m good.”
Puck grabbed a box and put it on top of another then bent, picking them both up together.
“Two, really?”
“What can I say? I’m a badass”
He smirked as Kurt’s mouth dropped open “Did you actually just say that?”
Grinning to himself, Puck dropped his boxes next to the entrance of the loft, climbed down a few steps then grabbed the boxes again. He handed them to Burt then descended the rest of the steps before waiting for Kurt to pass down the next box. Once Kurt was next to him Puck passed the large box back then took one of the boxes from Burt.
Burt frowned over the box he was holding. “You going to help Kurt with that box?” he asked, nodding towards Kurt who was toeing his way downstairs, unable to see past cardboard.
“No, he’s not a girl.” Puck replied, rolling his eyes.
A few more trips and all the boxes were downstairs surrounding the tree which Finn had managed to erect under Rachel’s supervision.
Kurt opened the largest box to reveal an angel with a china face, its red and green tartan dress slightly faded and crumpled. He smiled softly and smoothed the fabric before carefully setting it on a side table. Beneath the angel were old candy tins, containing the baubles, which Kurt began to open. Puck opened his box to discover yet more containers of decorations while the box that Finn chose seemed to be full of tinsel and lights.
Puck had to admit that most of his assumptions about Kurt had been wrong but if he’d had to put his money on anything he would have bet that Kurt was one of those people who decorated their tree in one colour. It turned out that he couldn’t have been more wrong.
He watched as Finn began to loop small lights around the tree while Kurt chose five or six different colour bowers of tinsel and began fill in the space between branches with them. Kurt then grabbed a tin and began to decorate the tree with baubles of every colour, humming All I Want For Christmas under his breath. Puck watched as Finn and Rachel joined in, both in decorating the tree and singing the song until all three of them were belting out the lyrics and grinning.
Once they had practically yelled the final ‘yoooooooooooou’ of the song Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Puck.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the left.
Puck shook his head and stepped forward “I’ve never really done this before, being Jewish and all.”
“Angel at the top, everything else goes wherever you fancy” Kurt replied smiling.
“Try not to get two baubles of the same colour next to each other or you’ll never hear the end of it” Rachel mock whispered, reaching up to a branch above her head.
“If you can’t match it, clash it!” Kurt and Finn yelled at the same time before they looked at each other and laughed.
Puck picked up a purple bauble and tentatively placed it next to a silver one that Finn had just deposited. The look of approval that Kurt gave him should have made him roll his eyes but instead Puck found himself trying to suppress a grin.
Burt and Carole entered the room, each grabbing a few decorations and began to fill in gaps in the tree. Every so often Burt would turn his back and Kurt would quickly move the baubles he had deposited, putting on an innocent expression as Burt turned around and frowned at the tree.
Just when Puck thought that the tree couldn’t get any gaudier, Kurt opened the last box and took out a medium sized plastic bag full of thin strips of tinsel and began to haphazardly throw it at the tree. He then reverently handed Finn the angel who stretched onto his tiptoes and carefully placed it on the topmost branch. Once Kurt had approved the position, Finn took a large handful of the spritzy tinsel pieces and threw it over the top of the tree.
Kurt stepped back from the tree and surveyed it, critically “Lights Finn.”
Rachel bent over and flicked the on the wall socket just as Finn hurried over to the wall switch so that suddenly the only light source was that of the twinkling lights, making the baubles glisten and gleam.
“Perfect” Kurt sighed, happily clapping his hands.
Puck had to agree. It was pretty damn perfect, a complete gaudy mess but somehow one of the most perfect things he had ever seen.
“It feels like Christmas already but we have so long to wait” Finn moaned, collapsing onto the couch.
Carole patted him on the head affectionately “Never mind. It’ll be here before you know it.”
Ignoring Finn and Kurt’s protests, Burt flicked the main lights back on and dropped into his recliner.
Kurt sat down heavily next to Finn and let out a tired whoosh of breath.
“I’m exhausted” Finn announced.
“You’re exhausted?” Kurt asked. “You didn’t carry a single box.”
“I put up the tree.”
Kurt rolled his eyes and made a disgruntled noise. “Coffee Noah” he demanded, yawning as he held out his hand.
“I’d love one, thanks.”
Puck smirked at Kurt who looked up in shock as he suddenly realised what he had said.
Kurt cleared his throat and mumbled “Of course.”
He returned a minute or two later carrying a tray of coffees and set it down on the table then passed a mug to Puck with an awkward smile.
They all sat sipping their drinks, making plans for the upcoming holidays until Rachel glanced down at her wrist.
“Our cab should be here in ten minutes. Sweetie, will you fetch the luggage please?”
Finn disappeared upstairs and returned a few minutes later laden with bags, dropping them in the hallway just as the cap pulled up.
“It was really good meeting you” Finn said, raising his arm. “Take care of my big brother for me.”
“Will do” Puck replied, patting Finn on the back as they hugged.
“Err dude I was going for a handshake” Finn said, stepping backwards.
Puck just shrugged in response, he was totally a hugger. Rachel laughed and spread her arms wide as she stepped around Finn so Puck gently wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.
“Nice seeing you again Noah.”
“Likewise, see you soon Rachel” he replied, his smile faltering slightly as he realised that he probably wouldn’t see her again. Just like Kurt.
Burt gave Finn a handshake and a fatherly pat on the shoulder then accepted a hug from Rachel before going to stand by Carole who hugged them both repeatedly, fussing over Finn’s unbuttoned coat.
“Promise me you’ll call when you get home safely.”
“I promise mom” Finn said earnestly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Carole sniffed and nodded “Rachel, promise me you’ll call when Finn forgets.”
Rachel gave her a lingering hug “Don’t worry. I’ll text Kurt as soon as we land and I’ll get Finn to call as soon as we’re home.”
Finn nodded then skirted around the hugging women to yank Kurt into a bear hug.
“Is this really necessary Finn? I’ll be seeing you in a few days” Kurt’s muffled voice protested from Finn’s chest.
“I didn’t want you to feel left out or jealous” he said as Kurt wriggled out of his arms.
“Yes I can see how I’d be wild with jealousy” Kurt replied, his eyes crinkling as he tried to suppress a grin.
Rachel and Kurt kissed each other on the cheek and with a “See you later” she dragged Finn towards the waiting cab.
The four of them stood and waved until the car had disappeared from view then Burt and Carole headed towards the kitchen. Kurt closed the door and leant against it for a moment before he looked up and smiled.
“I love them both but sometimes I find them exhausting.”
It was a smile that Puck must have seen a hundred times in the last week but never before. There was something about that smile, for some unknown reason it made his heart beat just a tiny bit faster and his insides quiver in anticipation. Puck took a step closer and watched as the smile slowly left Kurt’s mouth, his tongue nervously darting out across his lips.
“Noah?” Kurt murmured, eyes dropping to Puck’s mouth.
Puck slowly leant forward and pressed their lips together. After a second he pulled back a fraction of an inch and softly brushed a kiss across Kurt’s lips. As Kurt responded, Puck gently nibbled his bottom lip then deepened the kiss, moving languidly as Kurt’s hand reached up and caressed his jaw. Puck lost himself for a few minutes, completely intoxicated by the taste of Kurt mixed with coffee and the sensation of Kurt’s hard body pressed up against his chest and thighs.
A noise in the kitchen crept through his haze, suddenly reminding Puck that he shouldn’t be kissing Kurt, that he shouldn’t want to be kissing Kurt and that Kurt most certainly wouldn’t thank him for it. They had an agreement, this wasn’t supposed to be real and the last thing that he wanted was for Kurt to realise that, for Puck at least, things weren’t so clear anymore.
He pulled back, staring down at Kurt’s swollen lips then up into wide eyes.
“I think I hear someone coming” Puck whispered, grabbing Kurt by the front of his shirt, pulling him into a passionate kiss.
One eye half open, he slipped his tongue into Kurt’s mouth just as Carole walked past carrying a pile of clothes and humming an unidentifiable tune, barely noticing them at all.
“What was that for?” Kurt demanded, extracting himself from Puck’s arms.
Puck shot a glance at Carole’s retreating back and shrugged, “To stop suspicion.”
Kurt looked furious “Yes, well, I don’t think we need to do that again.”
“Why not?” Puck asked in a quiet voice.
“For God’s sake Noah, this was meant to be a mutually beneficial arrangement and this...” Kurt waved his hand between them “this is just too confusing for me.”
Before Puck could ask what exactly was confusing, Burt stepped into view, the look on his face making it apparent that he had heard every word.
“Kurt a word please. Alone.”
Kurt’s startled look was quickly masked with a blank one as he brushed past Puck and followed his dad into the living room, shutting the door behind him.
Puck stared at the door for what seemed like an eternity until the muffled voices behind the door grew louder. He couldn’t make out all of the words but Burt sounded mad as hell. Unable to stand by when Kurt was getting yelled at, Puck opened the door warily looking between father and son.
"Is everything okay Kurt?"
Considering the look that Burt gave him, Puck was kind of shocked that he was still alive. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that Burt was a good guy then looked at Kurt who was glancing nervously between them.
"I think you should leave."
It took him a few seconds to realise that Burt didn't just mean leave the room.
“If Noah goes so do I dad” Kurt growled, crossing his arms.
Puck stared at him in surprise, not only was Kurt defending him, he was damn hot while doing it.
“He’s using you Kurt.”
“No, I’m using him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Burt demanded.
“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my PA. I blackmailed him into pretending to be my boyfriend for this trip” Kurt stated matter of factly.
Burt looked stunned for a moment “Why on earth would you do that?”
“Why do you think?” Kurt asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Noah?” Carole called from the doorway. “Will you help me in the kitchen please?” Puck glanced between the two arguing men and nodded, following her into the kitchen. “It’s best just to let them hash it out. Don’t worry dear, they’ll be fine.”
“You’re not surprised?” Puck asked as he began to stir the sauce on the hob.
Carole thought for a moment then shook her head “No it’s something Kurt would do. For years he tried to protect Burt from things that he thought were his fault.” She leant against the counter “He really needs someone to take care of him for once.”
“I’m just his assistant.”
“I think you’re more than that” Carole murmured just as Kurt entered the room followed by his dad.
Puck stared at Carole not sure how to take what she had just said then glanced at Burt who stopped beside him and held out his hand.
“Kurt’s accepted full responsibility. I’m not happy about the situation or the fact that he felt it was necessary but I apologise for misjudging you.”
Puck shook his hand and mumbled that it was okay before turning back to the oven. He heard Kurt tut loudly and a drawer opening then closing, then something was thrown over his head. Puck glanced over his shoulder as he felt Kurt’s arms slide around his waist.
Kurt tied the strings of the pink apron behind Puck’s back then stepped away “There you go. You know what you’re like.”
Puck snorted and rolled his eyes “Whatever dude.”
“Lizzies’ apron?” Burt murmured under his breath as Kurt scooped a piece of spaghetti out of the pan.
Glancing over his shoulder Puck caught a silent look that passed between Carole and Burt.
“Huh.”
“What was that dad?” Kurt asked, blowing on a string of pasta.
“Nothing son, nothing at all” Burt replied with a small smile.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Puck/Kurt
Genre: Romance/Humour/Angst
Warning: Some swearing throughout fic. Rating will change for very last installment (a bonus missing scene).
Word Count: 5110 (out of around 56,000)
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
A/N: I started this fic back in May but a new job, a bereavement and a million other things got in the way so I've only just finished. Kind of perfect timing as it's set during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Summary: Puck has been working his butt off for the last three years as a PA so when his totally ungrateful boss, Kurt Hummel, offers him his dream on a silver platter he should be happy right? The catch - he has to pretend to be Kurt's boyfriend.
Chapter Eleven
Puck leant over the bed, waving the mug of piping hot coffee close to Kurt’s nose.
“Coffhee?” Kurt mumbled, eyes slowly flickering open.
Chuckling as Kurt shuffled into a sitting position, Puck said “Don’t get too excited, it probably sucks. I wasn’t sure which buttons to press on that fancy machine downstairs.”
Their fingertips brushed against each others for slightly longer than necessary as Puck handed over the mug. He sat down, perching on the edge of the bed, clearing his throat as Kurt took a sip and moaned. After a few mouthfuls Kurt leant back against the pillows, letting out a big sigh then he frowned slightly and pulled his pillow towards his face.
“Noah, why does my pillow smell like you?”
Puck shrugged and shuffled further onto the bed “I slept there.”
Kurt paused mid sip then swallowed heavily “You did what?”
He held his arms up “It wasn’t my idea believe me.”
“I actually asked you to spend the night with me?” Kurt asked, eyes widening. “Tell me we didn’t...”
“No! No of course not Boss. We just slept” Puck replied, frowning at the idea that Kurt thought that he would take advantage of him.
Kurt let out a sigh of relief and looked down at his coffee “So I guess I drank a little too much last night since I can barely remember anything.” He glanced up, a nervous expression flickering across his face “I didn’t say... or.. or do anything stupid did I?”
A smirk spread across Puck’s lips “Nah course not.”
“Oh God, what did I do?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me the truth” Kurt demanded.
“Mmm well you spent quite some time squeezing my biceps, you seemed to like that. Oh and you were incredibly concerned that my junk would fall off.” When Kurt groaned Puck laughed “It’s not that bad dude, we've all been there.”
“Not that bad? How could it be any worse?!”
“You did kiss me” Puck replied.
“What?” Kurt whispered in stunned disbelief.
“Then you threw up... so now I’m kinda doubting my skill.”
Kurt groaned again then looked up at him from under thick lashes "You're an excellent kisser Noah."
Was it weird that he really wanted to lean over and prove just how good he was? Yeah probably.
Clearing his throat again, Puck stood “I ran into Finn downstairs and he was babbling on about a Christmas tree. I think he wanted you to drive him somewhere once you’re dressed.”
As if he had just realised that he was still wearing his dress shirt from the night before, Kurt pulled back the covers and groaned. “I must have been ridiculously drunk to go to bed like this.”
Puck moved out of the way as Kurt climbed out of bed and staggered towards his closet. It was probably a very good thing that he hadn’t even thought about helping Kurt out of his shirt. It was bad enough that he had the memory of undoing the dude’s fly, without spending the night with a mostly naked Kurt in his arms.
After a few minutes Kurt emerged from his closet fully dressed, colour flooding his cheeks as he asked “Did you ummm...” He waved his hand in front of his fly “I think I remember...”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
If possible Kurt turned an even darker shade of red before he nodded awkwardly.
“So Finn?” Puck reminded.
Once downstairs, Finn hurried them through breakfast then shooed them out of the front door into the crisp November air.
“Coming?” Kurt asked, pulling on his ridiculous hat.
Puck nodded and trailed behind the others, shutting the door behind him then jogged a few steps to catch up with Kurt.
“Why exactly are we buying a tree?”
Before Kurt had a chance to reply, Rachel glanced over her shoulder “Finn and I are heading back to New York tonight and Kurt won’t be home until Christmas Eve.”
Kurt glanced both ways as he crossed the street, then shrugged. “It’s a tradition that all of us decorate the tree and Carole likes to have it up for a few weeks.”
Ten minutes later they reached Artie’s house where the Navigator was sitting waiting for them. Puck climbed into the car next to Kurt and buckled his seat belt, reaching forward to turn the heat on.
“You know what we should do?” Finn asked as he climbed into the car. “We should go Bowling!”
Kurt turned in his seat “Bowling?”
Finn nodded enthusiastically in response.
“I thought you hurried us out of the house to find a Christmas tree?” he asked, pulling away from Artie’s house.
“After we get the tree I mean” he replied.
Kurt narrowed his eyes in the rear-view mirror “Why this sudden interest in bowling?”
“He’s been practicing on the Wii” Rachel replied.
“Rachel” Finn hissed, his ears turning red. “It’s our last afternoon and I just fancy Bowling okay?”
Kurt took two lefts then a right and made a humming noise “Maybe.”
They pulled into a parking lot and jumped out, Puck skirting around the car to wrap an arm around a shivering Kurt’s shoulders. Finn grabbed Rachel’s hand and hurried down the walkway between the Douglas ferns, clearly moving far too quickly for her as she ran to keep up.
Once Finn was out of sight, Kurt began to shrug off Puck’s arm so he reluctantly removed it but stayed close enough so that their arms continually brushed against each others.
“We should look for a tree” Kurt mumbled.
“Finn seemed pretty set on finding one himself.”
Kurt snorted “I guarantee that within five minutes they’ll be singing a tree related Christmas song and he’ll have forgotten all about finding the perfect tree.”
The ‘perfect tree’ turned out to be a bushy eight foot thing which Puck had to admit was kind of good looking, you know for a tree. Once Finn had been called over to discuss the merits of said tree, Kurt disappeared to pay for the thing and came back with a dude who worked there.
When the guy had done his thing, he handed over the tree and walked away. Finn grabbed one end then looked up at Puck expectantly.
Puck shook his head and stepped forward, grabbing the other end “Sorry man, was kind of thrown by that dude putting a hairnet on the tree.”
Once the tree was on top of the Navigator, with only a few comments from Kurt of what he would do to them if they scratched the paintwork, they jumped back into the car.
“So bowling?” Finn asked cheerfully.
Kurt paused in buckling his seat belt and shot him an incredulous look over his shoulder “What exactly do you propose to do with the tree if we go bowling?”
“We can swing by the house and dump it in the backyard.”
Kurt shook his head slightly but started the engine and drove towards their parents’ house without further comment. Once there, Puck and Finn hauled the tree off the roof and into the backyard then hurried back to the car.
The bowling alley was much the same as any other small town alley, smelly shoes, average pizza and a group of middle aged dudes taking things far too seriously. Puck grabbed his shoes thinking how much better the new alley in Queens was. Maybe he could take Kurt there next week or even better they could go ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre, Kurt would probably like that. Puck stopped short as he realised that he was making date-like plans with a dude he wasn’t even dating.
Kurt winced as he was handed a pair of particularly shabby looking shoes but sat down and gingerly slipped his feet into them without complaint. As soon as they had typed their names into their lane computer, Finn’s stomach let out a terrifyingly loud rumble which made people two lanes over turn and stare.
“Pizza!” he announced, slipping an arm around Rachel’s waist as he lead her away.
“Shall we start?” Kurt asked.
He moved towards the balls before Puck could reply and peered down at them, apparently debating which colour to choose. Kurt picked up a purple ball and moved towards the edge of the lane then glanced over his shoulder.
“I’m not really sure...”
“Here, I’ll show you” Puck said, stepping close behind him. He wrapped his arms around Kurt and slid his hand slowly down Kurt’s arm to cover his soft hand.
“I...umm...” Kurt stuttered.
“What?”
He shook his head “Nothing.”
Placing his other hand on Kurt’s hip, Puck guided him through the motions “Let go.”
The ball went whizzing down the lane, knocking all of the pins down.
Puck lent forward and inhaled as Kurt lent back against his chest then froze as Kurt turned his head and looked up at him.
“Did you just smell my hair?”
“No” Puck quickly replied.
“Uhuh.”
Kurt moved out of the circle of Puck’s arms as Finn and Rachel approached carrying two large pizza’s and what was presumably a vegan burger. Rachel gave them a knowing look before Finn, totally obliviously, threw himself into a chair and grabbed a slice of pizza.
“Hmmp youhsef.”
Kurt twisted his face as Finn spoke, showing the contents of his mouth to anyone looking his way but reached down and after shooting the pizza a look of disapproval, grabbed a small slice. A few bites later Kurt stepped forward, grabbing a blue ball this time and bowled another strike.
“That was amazing Boss! You’re a natural” Puck exclaimed.
“We used to come here all the time with the Glee club. Between that and the Wii bowling obsession of 2011, it’s no wonder he’s good” Finn mumbled, around a mouthful of pizza.
Kurt knew how to bowl? Puck frowned as he wondered why Kurt had allowed him to make a fool of himself. His train of thought suddenly halted as Kurt reached out and slowly trailed his finger across the edge of Puck’s bottom lip.
“Sauce” Kurt said matter of factly before he brushed past and perched on the edge of a plastic chair.
The rest of the game past fairly uneventfully. Rachel and Puck were both happy with their perfectly respectable scores while Finn grumbled about the game being fixed and Kurt annihilated them all.
They exchanged their shoes and started to make their way out of the alley, stopping when Rachel made a high pitched squealing noise.
“Let’s sing a duet Finn!” Rachel exclaimed, pointing to a tiny stage surrounded by old people.
“Rach its bingo not karaoke today” Finn pleaded, attempting to steer her towards the exit.
“They won’t mind.”
Puck stared in disbelief as Rachel dragged Finn onto a small stage and informed everyone that they were in for a real treat.
“Oh good lord” Kurt murmured under his breath.
“You’re not going to sing as well are you?” Puck asked, glancing around at the put out faces of the unwilling audience.
“Definitely not.”
Puck cringed in second hand embarrassment as a disgruntled pensioner threw a dabber at the stage, missing an oblivious Rachel by inches. Finn looked out into the crowd nervously, as if expecting more missiles then gave Kurt a pathetic look as he mouthed help me.
Kurt winced and shook his head “Let’s get out of here before they realise it’s a seven minute song.”
“You want to ditch them?”
“Let’s just say I’d prefer to wait for them in the car” Kurt replied.
“I can’t believe you abandoned me like that” Finn said a few minutes later as he climbed into the backseat.
Kurt sighed dramatically but couldn’t stop his lip from twitching “Brother dear, I will stick with you through thick and thin but I will not stand near you when pensioners are using felt-tip pens as projectile weapons.
Rachel jumped into the car and slammed the door behind her.
“Ungrateful...rude...” she muttered under her breath.
Back at the house, they swung around to the backyard and moved the Christmas tree indoors then headed towards the living room where they all stood shivering in front of the fire for a few minutes.
“I have something I need to do. No one come into my room” Kurt warned, pointing a finger at Finn.
Puck watched Kurt leave then followed Finn and Rachel to the couch, slouching in the corner against the arm. Time seemed to pass a lot slower once Rachel flicked the TV onto some program about Broadway stars of the past and what they were doing now, as if anyone cared. To add insult to injury, Puck glanced up halfway through the mind numbing show to find Rachel perched on Finn’s lap kissing the hell out of him.
Sighing, he rolled off the couch and jogged up the stairs then paused outside Kurt’s door. The dude had been pretty adamant that no one come into his room and Puck could only interpret that as meaning one thing. He slowly opened the door to the bedroom, only to find Kurt sitting cross legged in the middle of the floor surrounded by presents and wrapping paper.
Kurt looked up and hissed “Quick close the door!” He looked suspiciously towards the hallway even after Puck had kicked the door shut. “Finn wasn’t behind you was he? He always tries to sneak a peek at my gifts before Christmas day.”
Puck shook his head “Just me.”
“Oh good” Kurt breathed, picking up a silk scarf with abstract reindeer painted on it. He folded it carefully then wrapped it in tissue paper followed by cherry red and gold wrapping paper.
Puck frowned as he looked at the small pile of wrapped gifts and the large pile, yet to be wrapped.
“I didn’t buy any of them.”
“Why would you have?” Kurt asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he carefully wrote on a tag then attached it to the gift. “You don’t think I sent you to buy gifts for my family surely?”
“You didn’t?”
Kurt snorted and added the perfectly wrapped package to the small pile “Those were for colleagues and acquaintances. I wouldn’t buy such imagine-less gifts for my family.”
Puck crouched down and picked up a medium sized parcel, shaking it slightly. “So which one’s for me?” he demanded with a cheeky grin.
Kurt was speechless for a moment then rolled his eyes and pushed Puck’s chest so that he fell on his ass. They were both laughing a minute or two later when Burt knocked on the door and stuck his head in the room, a hand covering his eyes.
“I’m not looking! I’m not looking!” he called, presumably before Kurt could tell him off.
“It’s fine dad. I’ve already wrapped your gift.”
Burt’s hand dropped and he glanced down at the scraps of paper all over the floor, then at the pile of beautifully wrapped parcels. “You have?”
“You’re as bad as Finn.”
Burt made a pfft noise before gesturing over his shoulder “I asked him to help me get the decorations out of the attic but he said something about creepy noises and started to put the tree up instead.”
“That’s fine dad, we’ll get the boxes.”
“Are you sure? I can always get them” Burt replied.
“No, no. What’s the point in Noah having all these muscles if he doesn’t get to use them?” Kurt said, eyes flicking over Puck’s shoulders and arms.
Burt left the room with a grunt and a disapproving look, muttering indecipherable things under his breath.
Following Kurt up the steps into the attic, Puck attempted to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not the perky ass that was right above his face. He glanced around as they made their way across the dusty floorboards towards a pile of beaten up boxes in the right hand corner of the room.
“What are you looking for?” Kurt asked as Puck paused halfway.
“The source of Finn’s weird noises. What’s your money on, ghost or giant mice?”
Kurt laughed and grabbed hold of a pipe, rattling it as he began to moan eerily.
“Or perhaps his big brother out for revenge?” Puck said, eyebrow raised.
Kurt walked back towards the decorations “Hey, he’s twice my size. I did what I had to do.”
Puck grinned “Even stand in a dirty attic in the middle of the night?”
“Even that.”
“You know I was kidding right?” Kurt tilted his head in confusion so Puck elaborated “Before... I don’t really expect a gift.”
“Of course” Kurt replied.
“I mean it’s not like we’ll even be seeing each other after we get back.”
“We wont?” he asked quietly.
“Not unless you want to.”
Kurt looked down “No, I suppose we won’t.” He leant down and picked up the largest of several boxes marked ‘Christmas Decorations’.
Puck reached out to steady Kurt as he wobbled a bit “Got it?”
Kurt shifted his weight and smiled “Yes, I’m good.”
Puck grabbed a box and put it on top of another then bent, picking them both up together.
“Two, really?”
“What can I say? I’m a badass”
He smirked as Kurt’s mouth dropped open “Did you actually just say that?”
Grinning to himself, Puck dropped his boxes next to the entrance of the loft, climbed down a few steps then grabbed the boxes again. He handed them to Burt then descended the rest of the steps before waiting for Kurt to pass down the next box. Once Kurt was next to him Puck passed the large box back then took one of the boxes from Burt.
Burt frowned over the box he was holding. “You going to help Kurt with that box?” he asked, nodding towards Kurt who was toeing his way downstairs, unable to see past cardboard.
“No, he’s not a girl.” Puck replied, rolling his eyes.
A few more trips and all the boxes were downstairs surrounding the tree which Finn had managed to erect under Rachel’s supervision.
Kurt opened the largest box to reveal an angel with a china face, its red and green tartan dress slightly faded and crumpled. He smiled softly and smoothed the fabric before carefully setting it on a side table. Beneath the angel were old candy tins, containing the baubles, which Kurt began to open. Puck opened his box to discover yet more containers of decorations while the box that Finn chose seemed to be full of tinsel and lights.
Puck had to admit that most of his assumptions about Kurt had been wrong but if he’d had to put his money on anything he would have bet that Kurt was one of those people who decorated their tree in one colour. It turned out that he couldn’t have been more wrong.
He watched as Finn began to loop small lights around the tree while Kurt chose five or six different colour bowers of tinsel and began fill in the space between branches with them. Kurt then grabbed a tin and began to decorate the tree with baubles of every colour, humming All I Want For Christmas under his breath. Puck watched as Finn and Rachel joined in, both in decorating the tree and singing the song until all three of them were belting out the lyrics and grinning.
Once they had practically yelled the final ‘yoooooooooooou’ of the song Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Puck.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the left.
Puck shook his head and stepped forward “I’ve never really done this before, being Jewish and all.”
“Angel at the top, everything else goes wherever you fancy” Kurt replied smiling.
“Try not to get two baubles of the same colour next to each other or you’ll never hear the end of it” Rachel mock whispered, reaching up to a branch above her head.
“If you can’t match it, clash it!” Kurt and Finn yelled at the same time before they looked at each other and laughed.
Puck picked up a purple bauble and tentatively placed it next to a silver one that Finn had just deposited. The look of approval that Kurt gave him should have made him roll his eyes but instead Puck found himself trying to suppress a grin.
Burt and Carole entered the room, each grabbing a few decorations and began to fill in gaps in the tree. Every so often Burt would turn his back and Kurt would quickly move the baubles he had deposited, putting on an innocent expression as Burt turned around and frowned at the tree.
Just when Puck thought that the tree couldn’t get any gaudier, Kurt opened the last box and took out a medium sized plastic bag full of thin strips of tinsel and began to haphazardly throw it at the tree. He then reverently handed Finn the angel who stretched onto his tiptoes and carefully placed it on the topmost branch. Once Kurt had approved the position, Finn took a large handful of the spritzy tinsel pieces and threw it over the top of the tree.
Kurt stepped back from the tree and surveyed it, critically “Lights Finn.”
Rachel bent over and flicked the on the wall socket just as Finn hurried over to the wall switch so that suddenly the only light source was that of the twinkling lights, making the baubles glisten and gleam.
“Perfect” Kurt sighed, happily clapping his hands.
Puck had to agree. It was pretty damn perfect, a complete gaudy mess but somehow one of the most perfect things he had ever seen.
“It feels like Christmas already but we have so long to wait” Finn moaned, collapsing onto the couch.
Carole patted him on the head affectionately “Never mind. It’ll be here before you know it.”
Ignoring Finn and Kurt’s protests, Burt flicked the main lights back on and dropped into his recliner.
Kurt sat down heavily next to Finn and let out a tired whoosh of breath.
“I’m exhausted” Finn announced.
“You’re exhausted?” Kurt asked. “You didn’t carry a single box.”
“I put up the tree.”
Kurt rolled his eyes and made a disgruntled noise. “Coffee Noah” he demanded, yawning as he held out his hand.
“I’d love one, thanks.”
Puck smirked at Kurt who looked up in shock as he suddenly realised what he had said.
Kurt cleared his throat and mumbled “Of course.”
He returned a minute or two later carrying a tray of coffees and set it down on the table then passed a mug to Puck with an awkward smile.
They all sat sipping their drinks, making plans for the upcoming holidays until Rachel glanced down at her wrist.
“Our cab should be here in ten minutes. Sweetie, will you fetch the luggage please?”
Finn disappeared upstairs and returned a few minutes later laden with bags, dropping them in the hallway just as the cap pulled up.
“It was really good meeting you” Finn said, raising his arm. “Take care of my big brother for me.”
“Will do” Puck replied, patting Finn on the back as they hugged.
“Err dude I was going for a handshake” Finn said, stepping backwards.
Puck just shrugged in response, he was totally a hugger. Rachel laughed and spread her arms wide as she stepped around Finn so Puck gently wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.
“Nice seeing you again Noah.”
“Likewise, see you soon Rachel” he replied, his smile faltering slightly as he realised that he probably wouldn’t see her again. Just like Kurt.
Burt gave Finn a handshake and a fatherly pat on the shoulder then accepted a hug from Rachel before going to stand by Carole who hugged them both repeatedly, fussing over Finn’s unbuttoned coat.
“Promise me you’ll call when you get home safely.”
“I promise mom” Finn said earnestly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Carole sniffed and nodded “Rachel, promise me you’ll call when Finn forgets.”
Rachel gave her a lingering hug “Don’t worry. I’ll text Kurt as soon as we land and I’ll get Finn to call as soon as we’re home.”
Finn nodded then skirted around the hugging women to yank Kurt into a bear hug.
“Is this really necessary Finn? I’ll be seeing you in a few days” Kurt’s muffled voice protested from Finn’s chest.
“I didn’t want you to feel left out or jealous” he said as Kurt wriggled out of his arms.
“Yes I can see how I’d be wild with jealousy” Kurt replied, his eyes crinkling as he tried to suppress a grin.
Rachel and Kurt kissed each other on the cheek and with a “See you later” she dragged Finn towards the waiting cab.
The four of them stood and waved until the car had disappeared from view then Burt and Carole headed towards the kitchen. Kurt closed the door and leant against it for a moment before he looked up and smiled.
“I love them both but sometimes I find them exhausting.”
It was a smile that Puck must have seen a hundred times in the last week but never before. There was something about that smile, for some unknown reason it made his heart beat just a tiny bit faster and his insides quiver in anticipation. Puck took a step closer and watched as the smile slowly left Kurt’s mouth, his tongue nervously darting out across his lips.
“Noah?” Kurt murmured, eyes dropping to Puck’s mouth.
Puck slowly leant forward and pressed their lips together. After a second he pulled back a fraction of an inch and softly brushed a kiss across Kurt’s lips. As Kurt responded, Puck gently nibbled his bottom lip then deepened the kiss, moving languidly as Kurt’s hand reached up and caressed his jaw. Puck lost himself for a few minutes, completely intoxicated by the taste of Kurt mixed with coffee and the sensation of Kurt’s hard body pressed up against his chest and thighs.
A noise in the kitchen crept through his haze, suddenly reminding Puck that he shouldn’t be kissing Kurt, that he shouldn’t want to be kissing Kurt and that Kurt most certainly wouldn’t thank him for it. They had an agreement, this wasn’t supposed to be real and the last thing that he wanted was for Kurt to realise that, for Puck at least, things weren’t so clear anymore.
He pulled back, staring down at Kurt’s swollen lips then up into wide eyes.
“I think I hear someone coming” Puck whispered, grabbing Kurt by the front of his shirt, pulling him into a passionate kiss.
One eye half open, he slipped his tongue into Kurt’s mouth just as Carole walked past carrying a pile of clothes and humming an unidentifiable tune, barely noticing them at all.
“What was that for?” Kurt demanded, extracting himself from Puck’s arms.
Puck shot a glance at Carole’s retreating back and shrugged, “To stop suspicion.”
Kurt looked furious “Yes, well, I don’t think we need to do that again.”
“Why not?” Puck asked in a quiet voice.
“For God’s sake Noah, this was meant to be a mutually beneficial arrangement and this...” Kurt waved his hand between them “this is just too confusing for me.”
Before Puck could ask what exactly was confusing, Burt stepped into view, the look on his face making it apparent that he had heard every word.
“Kurt a word please. Alone.”
Kurt’s startled look was quickly masked with a blank one as he brushed past Puck and followed his dad into the living room, shutting the door behind him.
Puck stared at the door for what seemed like an eternity until the muffled voices behind the door grew louder. He couldn’t make out all of the words but Burt sounded mad as hell. Unable to stand by when Kurt was getting yelled at, Puck opened the door warily looking between father and son.
"Is everything okay Kurt?"
Considering the look that Burt gave him, Puck was kind of shocked that he was still alive. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that Burt was a good guy then looked at Kurt who was glancing nervously between them.
"I think you should leave."
It took him a few seconds to realise that Burt didn't just mean leave the room.
“If Noah goes so do I dad” Kurt growled, crossing his arms.
Puck stared at him in surprise, not only was Kurt defending him, he was damn hot while doing it.
“He’s using you Kurt.”
“No, I’m using him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Burt demanded.
“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my PA. I blackmailed him into pretending to be my boyfriend for this trip” Kurt stated matter of factly.
Burt looked stunned for a moment “Why on earth would you do that?”
“Why do you think?” Kurt asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Noah?” Carole called from the doorway. “Will you help me in the kitchen please?” Puck glanced between the two arguing men and nodded, following her into the kitchen. “It’s best just to let them hash it out. Don’t worry dear, they’ll be fine.”
“You’re not surprised?” Puck asked as he began to stir the sauce on the hob.
Carole thought for a moment then shook her head “No it’s something Kurt would do. For years he tried to protect Burt from things that he thought were his fault.” She leant against the counter “He really needs someone to take care of him for once.”
“I’m just his assistant.”
“I think you’re more than that” Carole murmured just as Kurt entered the room followed by his dad.
Puck stared at Carole not sure how to take what she had just said then glanced at Burt who stopped beside him and held out his hand.
“Kurt’s accepted full responsibility. I’m not happy about the situation or the fact that he felt it was necessary but I apologise for misjudging you.”
Puck shook his hand and mumbled that it was okay before turning back to the oven. He heard Kurt tut loudly and a drawer opening then closing, then something was thrown over his head. Puck glanced over his shoulder as he felt Kurt’s arms slide around his waist.
Kurt tied the strings of the pink apron behind Puck’s back then stepped away “There you go. You know what you’re like.”
Puck snorted and rolled his eyes “Whatever dude.”
“Lizzies’ apron?” Burt murmured under his breath as Kurt scooped a piece of spaghetti out of the pan.
Glancing over his shoulder Puck caught a silent look that passed between Carole and Burt.
“Huh.”
“What was that dad?” Kurt asked, blowing on a string of pasta.
“Nothing son, nothing at all” Burt replied with a small smile.