[FanFic] Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (Chapter Nine)
Title: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (Chapter Nine)
Status: WIP in collaboration with cacell
Word Count: 2548
Rating: R (updated for upcoming violence and sexual situations)
Genre: Romance/Adventure/Drama/Angst
Characters/Pairings: Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Quinn, Karofsky; Klaine, Puckleberry, Quick, mentions of Fuinn
Summary: Prince Kurt has found himself falling for Blaine, a mere stablehand. Even without their distinct differences in class, love would be difficult enough--yet it is proving itself nearly impossible.
Warnings: AU taking place during the renaissance era.
Notes: Fic is based on period-crossover drawings by cacell. The accompanying illustration for this chapter is here!
Oh, and I'll just throw it out there that you totally follow my tumblr. (:
Kurt watched listlessly as his brother battled against Karofsky, practicing their moves, swords clanging with occasional sparks. He'd been patiently waiting to speak with Finn, to make the request that was at the forefront of his brain.
He turned slightly as a small figure joined him, curtseying.
"Hello, Rachel," he smiled. "Are you here for Finn, as well?"
"Noah, actually, your highness," she responded.
Kurt raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "I think they're all set to rest, soon. I've been waiting to have a word with Finn for quite a bit, now."
"You're in an awfully kind mood for someone being forced to wait," she commented, and he grinned sheepishly, colour blossoming on his cheeks. Her own smile widened when she saw this. "Is it something you'd care to share?"
"Not just yet," he told her, and she nodded.
"Well, should you decide to share the good news-"
"Damn it, Karofsky!" Finn's voice cut through the air, and the prince and baroness turned, seeing as he approached Karofsky, the commander's head turning away from the two conversing. "You wanted to fight me, and now you can't even be bothered to-Kurt?"
Finn had taken notice Kurt and Rachel at last, tilting his head slightly and walking toward them. "What are you two doing down here?" he asked.
"I need a word with you," Kurt said, "and Rachel is here to see Noah. I-I'll allow you two a moment, and go fetch him."
Rachel watched as Kurt walked away, nearly wishing that he hadn't left her alone with Finn. She knew that this moment might come, but in all painstaking honesty, she had hoped it might not.
"So is it true then?" Finn asked her, and she looked up at him questioningly. "For the last two weeks, Puck's been speaking of nothing but you. I'm not a complete idiot. Is there really something romantic happening between you two?"
"It's possible," Rachel said evasively.
"Why?" Finn asked.
"Why shouldn't there be?" Rachel inquired in turn. "Can you think of an adequate reason I shouldn't?"
"Other than my objection?" Finn offered.
"You have no say in my romantic affairs," Rachel said in an attempt at anger, though it come out in a defeated tone instead.
"Why-"
"You made your choice, Finn," she told him simply, sadly, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"I didn't-"
"Rachel?"
The girl turned her head, her eyes softening as they fell upon Puck, approaching with Kurt.
"Noah," she smiled. He offered her his arm and she graciously took it, pointedly avoiding Finn's gaze as they walked off.
Finn furrowed his brow. "I don't understand-"
"Finn." The taller boy looked at Kurt. "I'd like to quickly remind you that, while you're pining for Rachel, you are courting Quinn." Finn looked down, opening his mouth to speak, though Kurt again cut him off. "Be that as it may," he pressed on, "if you so desire, we can have this conversation later, because I'm in desperate need of a favour."
Finn raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"
"Since your mother has been taking my father's place in a business matter for the past week," he replied, "she requested me to ensure that my father follows instructions so that he might continue to get well. I've been taking care of him and watching him vigilantly, but today..." He trailed off looking hopefully at his brother, was looking at him with the same suspicion.
"Does this have to do with that stablehand?" he asked.
Kurt's cheeks reddened. "I-wh-what?" he spluttered. "What stablehand?"
"I overheard Mercedes and Brittany about some stableboy that you always seem to be speaking with-"
"Quiet!" Kurt said urgently, glancing around nervously. Thankfully the other knights were still practicing, with the exception of Karofsky, who was staring at them with narrowed eyes. Kurt bit his lip, grabbing Finn's elbow and yanking him several meters away, ensuring that they wouldn't be overheard. "Look," Kurt continued in a hushed tone, "I will have this conversation with you later as well, when we're in private. All I'm asking of you now is that you look after my father so that I can have a few hours to myself. Please?"
"Fine," his brother replied exasperatedly. "But what-"
"I'm going riding, Finn," he said, staring at his brother with hard eyes. "We will speak later. I promise, all right?"
"All right," he said with a sigh. "If it'll keep me away from Karofsky, I'm willing to do anything."
"Thank you," Kurt smiled.
***
"I know why you're here," Puck told her, and Rachel stiffened.
"You do?" she asked in a hushed voice.
He nodded. "You're here to end it, aren't you?" he continued. "What's been going on between us, I mean."
"I'm so sorry, Noah," she said in a hushed tone.
"Why?" he asked her.
"It's nothing to do with you," she told him quickly. "You've been so kind to me, and it's more than I could ever ask for, but..."
"But you still love him."
She nodded, not looking him in the eye. "And after speaking with him, I wish more than anything I didn't. But right now, I'm still in love with Finn, and whether or not you admit it, you're still in love with Quinn. It's too painful for both of us. Maybe in a few months or in a year or maybe more... maybe we could be happy together. But... not now."
Puck swept in, pressing his lips to Rachel's. "This isn't goodbye," she mumbled against his mouth.
"For now, at least," he told her in a soft, rough whisper.
"Maybe, if we're lucky," she breathed, "we'll both get our way and be with Finn and Quinn, anyway."
He shrugged. "Maybe," he said, "but I've never been a very hopeful person."
She nodded. "I'm sorry, Noah," she told him, and with a swift kiss and a squeeze of his hand, she was gone.
***
The harsh sunlight beat down on Kurt and Blaine, only magnified by the river before them. They were perched on the rocks, speaking softly and kissing lazily, fingers entangled.
"Can you swim?" Blaine asked at last. "It would be a beautiful day for it."
"No," Kurt admitted. "But I doubt it would be deep enough to really..." He trailed off as Blaine began unbuttoning his shirt. Kurt swallowed hard, staring at the boy before him. He shrugged off the fabric his chest bare, glancing back at Kurt who was still watching breathlessly.
"Is... is this all right?"
Kurt nodded silently, almost convinced that he'd forgotten how to speak altogether. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on Blaine's face, his eyes, his hair-anything but his bare torso. Especially as he slid off the rock and into the water.
"Join me," Blaine said, looking up at Kurt, but the prince shook his head.
"Really, I don't swim."
Blaine smiled. "You were right-it isn't deep," he said. "It hardly meets my waist."
Kurt hummed in response, standing and nervously peering into the water.
"I'm not afraid to use force," Blaine told him seriously.
Kurt smirked. "I dare you."
The moment the words escaped Kurt's lips, he regretted them, Blaine wrapping his arms around the prince's hips and spinning them both around. Blaine laughed as the other boy repeatedly squeaked, "oh god, oh god, oh god," until he was lowered gently.
The moment his feet made contact the slick bottom of the river, however, they slipped from beneath him. His eyes widened as he clasped tightly onto Blaine's wrists, dragging him below the surface with him.
There was a brief moment of struggling and fumbling, as Blaine did his best to return to his feet and pull Kurt back up with him. At last they broke the surface, Kurt spluttering and choking, Blaine himself taking deep gasping breaths.
Immediately Kurt pulled away, stumbling back over to the rocks and pulling himself out of the water, Blaine close behind him.
"You're awful!" Kurt gasped, his hands on his knees.
"I'm sorry," Blaine said breathlessly, his cheeks red and eyes full of concern. "I honestly didn't expect you to slip."
Kurt sighed, settling on the grass. He hugged himself, chilled by the breeze that was now whipping through the trees.
"You're cold," Blaine said gently, sitting beside him.
"I'm soaked," Kurt responded, and Blaine smiled gently at him.
"Here," Blaine said. He reached out, carefully undoing the buttons on the front of the prince's shirt. At last he reached the bottom-most button, and allowed his fingers to gently brush against his chest as he moved to push the fabric off his shoulders. He rested one of his hands at the back of Kurt's neck. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
Hesitantly Kurt reached out, resting his palms against Blaine's naked chest and staring up at the boy's face, his soaked curls dripping into his eyes. The prince watched as a droplet of water slid from the stablehand's hairline and down the slope of his cheek, coming to rest at his slightly parted lips. Kurt's eyes flickered to Blaine's, then back to his lips. He quickly leaned in against the dark-haired boy, kissing him hungrily.
Blaine pulled the prince to him, and Kurt shuddered at the bare contact, feeling so much of the stablehand's skin against his, still cool and wet from the river. Kurt hesitantly pulled back for a moment to breathe before they were kissing again, open-mouthed and eager.
Blaine gently pressed against him, and Kurt rested back against the grass. The stablehand's hand finally left Kurt's neck, trailing down his chest and stomach, stopping at his hipbone. The prince's hands fell to the small of Blaine's back, pulling
him ever closer and causing him to groan into their kiss.
There was a moment when Kurt vaguely registered the sound of movement elsewhere, the sound of someone clearing their throat, but he couldn't bring himself to react, his mind still racing from the contact with the boy on top of him. However, seconds later his heart came to a stop.
"Kurt?"
Blaine quickly pulled himself away from Kurt, panting and staring up at the intruder. Breathless himself, the prince pushed up off the ground into a sitting position, finding himself looking at his step-brother.
"I... I didn't mean to interrupt," Finn said awkwardly, his eyes a little wide as he continued to stare at the couple. "Our father was asking for you, Kurt, and since you said you'd gone out riding... I suppose I should just leave, though..."
He turned and began walking away. At first Kurt watched him go before everything began piecing itself together in his brain and he scrambled to his feet, running after the other boy and grabbing his wrist. "Wait," he gasped out, Finn turning to him. "Look, Finn-this-it-"
"I'm in no position to pass judgment," Finn told him with a slight shrug. "I tried to say earlier that if this is what's made you so cheerful recently, then I have absolutely no problem with it."
Kurt smiled graciously at the boy. "Thank you," he said with relief.
"You're my brother," Finn responded with a grin.
Kurt nodded. "Just..." he paused, biting his lip. "Could you not tell my father?" he asked, and Finn frowned.
"Do you plan on telling him yourself?"
Kurt licked his lips nervously. "Eventually," he said. "But-well, almost nobody knows. I know you can understand my reluctance-it's such a complex matter-"
"I understand," Finn said with a nod. "I mean, I'd like to think that all else isn't of importance when it comes to this sort of thing but... god, who are we kidding? I couldn't even bring myself to believe that Rachel could be accepted as an adequate choice to marry."
Kurt nodded quickly in agreement. "I mean, I love him, but-"
"You love him?"
Kurt froze, finally registering what he'd just admitted. He swallowed, staring breathlessly at his brother.
"You haven't told him that." It was a statement, not a question, and Kurt shook his head. "Why not?"
Kurt swallowed again, his eyes suddenly filled with a sort of sad resignation. "In case this is something I cannot permit myself to continue in the future."
"It's different when you're in love-"
"Didn't you tell me you love Rachel?" Kurt asked, and Finn looked away.
"I love Quinn, too."
"I never said you didn't."
"Well, for not being related by blood, we're certainly alike, aren't we?" Finn responded, and Kurt laughed.
"Brothers who will risk losing love for the sake of their kingdom," Kurt commented bitterly. "Sounds how it should be, actually."
"You think this is normal?" Finn asked with eyebrows raised.
"For us," Kurt sighed. "You love a baroness, and I love a stableboy. It isn't exactly meant to be simple."
***
Puck let out a small shout of frustration, throwing his sword to the ground.
"Everything all right?"
He whipped around at the voice, fining himself face-to-face with Quinn. "What do you want?" he bit out.
"So hostile," she said coolly. "I was looking for Finn."
"I haven't seen him," Puck snapped back, turning away from her and making to leave.
Quinn grabbed his wrist, spinning him around to face her. "What is your problem?" she asked him furiously. "One moment you're sweet and gentle, the next you're treating me like-"
Her words were cut off, however, when the knight grabbed her face roughly, covering her mouth with his. She pushed him back off of her, cheeks red.
"What was that-"she stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath. She leveled her tone as she continued, "I'm with Finn-"
"Finn," Puck breathed. "Prince Finn. Tell me, princess, if you still had your throne, would you be with him?"
She was silent, staring at him with cold, hard eyes.
"I thought as much," he spat.
"You're terrible," she told him vehemently. "You're completely terrible."
"And you're more in love with Finn's position than the man himself," he replied. "And I know that what you want to do more than anything right now," he continued, his voice dangerously soft, so close to her now that it was almost painful, "is kiss me again."
She glared at him, pursing her lips, throwing a glance over her shoulder as though to ensure they were alone. Then, she roughly grasped his shirt, yanking him back down to her level.
"I mean that you're terrible," she whispered, their lips brushing.
"I can live with that," he responded with a smirk, and he closed the space between them.
Status: WIP in collaboration with cacell
Word Count: 2548
Rating: R (updated for upcoming violence and sexual situations)
Genre: Romance/Adventure/Drama/Angst
Characters/Pairings: Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Quinn, Karofsky; Klaine, Puckleberry, Quick, mentions of Fuinn
Summary: Prince Kurt has found himself falling for Blaine, a mere stablehand. Even without their distinct differences in class, love would be difficult enough--yet it is proving itself nearly impossible.
Warnings: AU taking place during the renaissance era.
Notes: Fic is based on period-crossover drawings by cacell. The accompanying illustration for this chapter is here!
Oh, and I'll just throw it out there that you totally follow my tumblr. (:
Kurt watched listlessly as his brother battled against Karofsky, practicing their moves, swords clanging with occasional sparks. He'd been patiently waiting to speak with Finn, to make the request that was at the forefront of his brain.
He turned slightly as a small figure joined him, curtseying.
"Hello, Rachel," he smiled. "Are you here for Finn, as well?"
"Noah, actually, your highness," she responded.
Kurt raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "I think they're all set to rest, soon. I've been waiting to have a word with Finn for quite a bit, now."
"You're in an awfully kind mood for someone being forced to wait," she commented, and he grinned sheepishly, colour blossoming on his cheeks. Her own smile widened when she saw this. "Is it something you'd care to share?"
"Not just yet," he told her, and she nodded.
"Well, should you decide to share the good news-"
"Damn it, Karofsky!" Finn's voice cut through the air, and the prince and baroness turned, seeing as he approached Karofsky, the commander's head turning away from the two conversing. "You wanted to fight me, and now you can't even be bothered to-Kurt?"
Finn had taken notice Kurt and Rachel at last, tilting his head slightly and walking toward them. "What are you two doing down here?" he asked.
"I need a word with you," Kurt said, "and Rachel is here to see Noah. I-I'll allow you two a moment, and go fetch him."
Rachel watched as Kurt walked away, nearly wishing that he hadn't left her alone with Finn. She knew that this moment might come, but in all painstaking honesty, she had hoped it might not.
"So is it true then?" Finn asked her, and she looked up at him questioningly. "For the last two weeks, Puck's been speaking of nothing but you. I'm not a complete idiot. Is there really something romantic happening between you two?"
"It's possible," Rachel said evasively.
"Why?" Finn asked.
"Why shouldn't there be?" Rachel inquired in turn. "Can you think of an adequate reason I shouldn't?"
"Other than my objection?" Finn offered.
"You have no say in my romantic affairs," Rachel said in an attempt at anger, though it come out in a defeated tone instead.
"Why-"
"You made your choice, Finn," she told him simply, sadly, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"I didn't-"
"Rachel?"
The girl turned her head, her eyes softening as they fell upon Puck, approaching with Kurt.
"Noah," she smiled. He offered her his arm and she graciously took it, pointedly avoiding Finn's gaze as they walked off.
Finn furrowed his brow. "I don't understand-"
"Finn." The taller boy looked at Kurt. "I'd like to quickly remind you that, while you're pining for Rachel, you are courting Quinn." Finn looked down, opening his mouth to speak, though Kurt again cut him off. "Be that as it may," he pressed on, "if you so desire, we can have this conversation later, because I'm in desperate need of a favour."
Finn raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?"
"Since your mother has been taking my father's place in a business matter for the past week," he replied, "she requested me to ensure that my father follows instructions so that he might continue to get well. I've been taking care of him and watching him vigilantly, but today..." He trailed off looking hopefully at his brother, was looking at him with the same suspicion.
"Does this have to do with that stablehand?" he asked.
Kurt's cheeks reddened. "I-wh-what?" he spluttered. "What stablehand?"
"I overheard Mercedes and Brittany about some stableboy that you always seem to be speaking with-"
"Quiet!" Kurt said urgently, glancing around nervously. Thankfully the other knights were still practicing, with the exception of Karofsky, who was staring at them with narrowed eyes. Kurt bit his lip, grabbing Finn's elbow and yanking him several meters away, ensuring that they wouldn't be overheard. "Look," Kurt continued in a hushed tone, "I will have this conversation with you later as well, when we're in private. All I'm asking of you now is that you look after my father so that I can have a few hours to myself. Please?"
"Fine," his brother replied exasperatedly. "But what-"
"I'm going riding, Finn," he said, staring at his brother with hard eyes. "We will speak later. I promise, all right?"
"All right," he said with a sigh. "If it'll keep me away from Karofsky, I'm willing to do anything."
"Thank you," Kurt smiled.
***
"I know why you're here," Puck told her, and Rachel stiffened.
"You do?" she asked in a hushed voice.
He nodded. "You're here to end it, aren't you?" he continued. "What's been going on between us, I mean."
"I'm so sorry, Noah," she said in a hushed tone.
"Why?" he asked her.
"It's nothing to do with you," she told him quickly. "You've been so kind to me, and it's more than I could ever ask for, but..."
"But you still love him."
She nodded, not looking him in the eye. "And after speaking with him, I wish more than anything I didn't. But right now, I'm still in love with Finn, and whether or not you admit it, you're still in love with Quinn. It's too painful for both of us. Maybe in a few months or in a year or maybe more... maybe we could be happy together. But... not now."
Puck swept in, pressing his lips to Rachel's. "This isn't goodbye," she mumbled against his mouth.
"For now, at least," he told her in a soft, rough whisper.
"Maybe, if we're lucky," she breathed, "we'll both get our way and be with Finn and Quinn, anyway."
He shrugged. "Maybe," he said, "but I've never been a very hopeful person."
She nodded. "I'm sorry, Noah," she told him, and with a swift kiss and a squeeze of his hand, she was gone.
***
The harsh sunlight beat down on Kurt and Blaine, only magnified by the river before them. They were perched on the rocks, speaking softly and kissing lazily, fingers entangled.
"Can you swim?" Blaine asked at last. "It would be a beautiful day for it."
"No," Kurt admitted. "But I doubt it would be deep enough to really..." He trailed off as Blaine began unbuttoning his shirt. Kurt swallowed hard, staring at the boy before him. He shrugged off the fabric his chest bare, glancing back at Kurt who was still watching breathlessly.
"Is... is this all right?"
Kurt nodded silently, almost convinced that he'd forgotten how to speak altogether. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on Blaine's face, his eyes, his hair-anything but his bare torso. Especially as he slid off the rock and into the water.
"Join me," Blaine said, looking up at Kurt, but the prince shook his head.
"Really, I don't swim."
Blaine smiled. "You were right-it isn't deep," he said. "It hardly meets my waist."
Kurt hummed in response, standing and nervously peering into the water.
"I'm not afraid to use force," Blaine told him seriously.
Kurt smirked. "I dare you."
The moment the words escaped Kurt's lips, he regretted them, Blaine wrapping his arms around the prince's hips and spinning them both around. Blaine laughed as the other boy repeatedly squeaked, "oh god, oh god, oh god," until he was lowered gently.
The moment his feet made contact the slick bottom of the river, however, they slipped from beneath him. His eyes widened as he clasped tightly onto Blaine's wrists, dragging him below the surface with him.
There was a brief moment of struggling and fumbling, as Blaine did his best to return to his feet and pull Kurt back up with him. At last they broke the surface, Kurt spluttering and choking, Blaine himself taking deep gasping breaths.
Immediately Kurt pulled away, stumbling back over to the rocks and pulling himself out of the water, Blaine close behind him.
"You're awful!" Kurt gasped, his hands on his knees.
"I'm sorry," Blaine said breathlessly, his cheeks red and eyes full of concern. "I honestly didn't expect you to slip."
Kurt sighed, settling on the grass. He hugged himself, chilled by the breeze that was now whipping through the trees.
"You're cold," Blaine said gently, sitting beside him.
"I'm soaked," Kurt responded, and Blaine smiled gently at him.
"Here," Blaine said. He reached out, carefully undoing the buttons on the front of the prince's shirt. At last he reached the bottom-most button, and allowed his fingers to gently brush against his chest as he moved to push the fabric off his shoulders. He rested one of his hands at the back of Kurt's neck. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
Hesitantly Kurt reached out, resting his palms against Blaine's naked chest and staring up at the boy's face, his soaked curls dripping into his eyes. The prince watched as a droplet of water slid from the stablehand's hairline and down the slope of his cheek, coming to rest at his slightly parted lips. Kurt's eyes flickered to Blaine's, then back to his lips. He quickly leaned in against the dark-haired boy, kissing him hungrily.
Blaine pulled the prince to him, and Kurt shuddered at the bare contact, feeling so much of the stablehand's skin against his, still cool and wet from the river. Kurt hesitantly pulled back for a moment to breathe before they were kissing again, open-mouthed and eager.
Blaine gently pressed against him, and Kurt rested back against the grass. The stablehand's hand finally left Kurt's neck, trailing down his chest and stomach, stopping at his hipbone. The prince's hands fell to the small of Blaine's back, pulling
him ever closer and causing him to groan into their kiss.
There was a moment when Kurt vaguely registered the sound of movement elsewhere, the sound of someone clearing their throat, but he couldn't bring himself to react, his mind still racing from the contact with the boy on top of him. However, seconds later his heart came to a stop.
"Kurt?"
Blaine quickly pulled himself away from Kurt, panting and staring up at the intruder. Breathless himself, the prince pushed up off the ground into a sitting position, finding himself looking at his step-brother.
"I... I didn't mean to interrupt," Finn said awkwardly, his eyes a little wide as he continued to stare at the couple. "Our father was asking for you, Kurt, and since you said you'd gone out riding... I suppose I should just leave, though..."
He turned and began walking away. At first Kurt watched him go before everything began piecing itself together in his brain and he scrambled to his feet, running after the other boy and grabbing his wrist. "Wait," he gasped out, Finn turning to him. "Look, Finn-this-it-"
"I'm in no position to pass judgment," Finn told him with a slight shrug. "I tried to say earlier that if this is what's made you so cheerful recently, then I have absolutely no problem with it."
Kurt smiled graciously at the boy. "Thank you," he said with relief.
"You're my brother," Finn responded with a grin.
Kurt nodded. "Just..." he paused, biting his lip. "Could you not tell my father?" he asked, and Finn frowned.
"Do you plan on telling him yourself?"
Kurt licked his lips nervously. "Eventually," he said. "But-well, almost nobody knows. I know you can understand my reluctance-it's such a complex matter-"
"I understand," Finn said with a nod. "I mean, I'd like to think that all else isn't of importance when it comes to this sort of thing but... god, who are we kidding? I couldn't even bring myself to believe that Rachel could be accepted as an adequate choice to marry."
Kurt nodded quickly in agreement. "I mean, I love him, but-"
"You love him?"
Kurt froze, finally registering what he'd just admitted. He swallowed, staring breathlessly at his brother.
"You haven't told him that." It was a statement, not a question, and Kurt shook his head. "Why not?"
Kurt swallowed again, his eyes suddenly filled with a sort of sad resignation. "In case this is something I cannot permit myself to continue in the future."
"It's different when you're in love-"
"Didn't you tell me you love Rachel?" Kurt asked, and Finn looked away.
"I love Quinn, too."
"I never said you didn't."
"Well, for not being related by blood, we're certainly alike, aren't we?" Finn responded, and Kurt laughed.
"Brothers who will risk losing love for the sake of their kingdom," Kurt commented bitterly. "Sounds how it should be, actually."
"You think this is normal?" Finn asked with eyebrows raised.
"For us," Kurt sighed. "You love a baroness, and I love a stableboy. It isn't exactly meant to be simple."
***
Puck let out a small shout of frustration, throwing his sword to the ground.
"Everything all right?"
He whipped around at the voice, fining himself face-to-face with Quinn. "What do you want?" he bit out.
"So hostile," she said coolly. "I was looking for Finn."
"I haven't seen him," Puck snapped back, turning away from her and making to leave.
Quinn grabbed his wrist, spinning him around to face her. "What is your problem?" she asked him furiously. "One moment you're sweet and gentle, the next you're treating me like-"
Her words were cut off, however, when the knight grabbed her face roughly, covering her mouth with his. She pushed him back off of her, cheeks red.
"What was that-"she stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath. She leveled her tone as she continued, "I'm with Finn-"
"Finn," Puck breathed. "Prince Finn. Tell me, princess, if you still had your throne, would you be with him?"
She was silent, staring at him with cold, hard eyes.
"I thought as much," he spat.
"You're terrible," she told him vehemently. "You're completely terrible."
"And you're more in love with Finn's position than the man himself," he replied. "And I know that what you want to do more than anything right now," he continued, his voice dangerously soft, so close to her now that it was almost painful, "is kiss me again."
She glared at him, pursing her lips, throwing a glance over her shoulder as though to ensure they were alone. Then, she roughly grasped his shirt, yanking him back down to her level.
"I mean that you're terrible," she whispered, their lips brushing.
"I can live with that," he responded with a smirk, and he closed the space between them.