Prompt Post #7
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So yeah, Puck’s on a short leash in the Hummel-Hudson house. Burt’s tense when he’s around, and he’s around a lot. Finn and Puck have been best friends their whole lives, Carole said, except that stint where Puck got Finn’s girlfriend pregnant (another great character reference), so it’s way too often that Burt gets home from work and finds Puckerman raiding his fridge or sprawled across his couch.
Puck and Finn’s friendship is unsettling too. Burt finds them, more often than not, playing video games, Puck calling Finn every name in the book and Finn giving back as good as he gets. Carole says that that’s just Puck; that he’s always been that way, and that he doesn’t mean it. Puck has always been there for Finn when it’s important. Burt mentioned the baby thing, and Carole didn’t have much of anything to say to that, except that Noah’s done a lot more good in Finn’s life that bad, and it’s the same in reverse. She says that she had been really worried about Noah when they weren’t speaking, because, from what Burt can read between the lines, his dad split early and his mom’s kind of a joke when it comes to parenting, so Puck’s had to take on a lot of responsibility for his little sister at a young age.
Burt hates that the kid got a raw deal for his home life, really he does, but that doesn’t mean that Saturday evening, when he comes in the door to find Puck laying across his couch, Finn sitting on top of his legs, and Kurt perched in the armchair, all playing Mario, and hears Puck say “Hey Princess Peach, how about a fuckin’ Coke huh?” that he’s going to let it slide. He doesn’t care if Carole loves this kid, he doesn’t care if he’s Finn’s best friend and if Kurt doesn’t seem all that concerned at the Princess Peach comment. He doesn’t care that Kurt’s in the middle of telling Puck that there’s Diet Coke in the fridge, and if he wants one he’s welcome to get off his ass and…
“Puckerman. I want you out of my house.” Burt says walking into the living room.
All three boys freeze. The classic Mario death music plays and they are all staring at him, mouths gaping. Kurt’s face is a picture, he’d been in the middle of speaking . Finn’s is indignant, and Burt can tell there’s a fight coming, but Puck’s is unexpected. It’s resigned.
“Burt - “ Finn starts, at the same time Kurt says “But, dad -“ but Burt doesn’t give either of them a chance.
“No.” He says. “I want that punk out of my house. Kurt, this is your home, and I’m not going to sit here and let him call you names and try to use you as his own personal butler. No. Out. No arguments, Finn. We can talk about this as a family when you’re mother gets home, but now - out. Puckerman, leave.”
Puck’s pushing at Finns legs, trying to free himself, but Finn’s resolute. “No, Puck. You didn’t do anything. Kurt, tell him -“
“Dad he didn’t - “
“Finn, Hummel, fuck.” Puck explodes. “Shut up. Finn get your huge ass off my legs. I’m pretty good at not being what parents want around their kids, and I don’t give a fuck what your new dad thinks of me. Dude, fuckin’ move.”
A little leverage, and Finn’s on the floor, Puck’s grabbing his shoes and he’s out the door without even putting them on, coat forgotten, backpack still lying by the couch. Finn’s glaring up at his stepfather from his spot on the floor and even Kurt looks angry, which was way out of line because Burt was standing up for him and…
“Burt.” And Finn’s voice is unreal. Flat and cold and like nothing Burt had ever heard come out of the kid before. “What the hell, man?”
Before Burt can say so much as “Watch your mouth, Finn.” Kurt joins him.
“What exactly just happened, dad? Because as far as I can see, we were playing Mario, and I think enjoying ourselves?” He looked unsurely at Finn, who nodded and took up the dialogue.
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Finn has a big heart, and Burt knows it. Finn was just trying to form some bridge between his brother and his best friend and it’s not his fault that Puck was an asshole about it.
“Finn, I’m glad you want to involve Kurt in your life. But, almost every day, I come home and hear Puck call you names and watch him eat my food, and listen to him use language that I would ground either of you for in front of your mother. But that’s your mom’s deal. She says that that’s the way your friendship with Puck works, so hey, who am I to judge? But he’s not going to come in here, call my kid Princess Peach, and get away with it. No, Finn. Unacceptable.”
Kurt stands up. “Dad,” he says weakly, gesturing to television screen where Mario, Yoshi, and Princess Peach are ready to start a new round. “Princess Peach is my character. And loser had to go get the winners their next round of drinks. I lost, dad. That’s all - he wasn’t… he was actually being really nice to me all afternoon.”
Finn was still on the floor, because no matter how angry he gets, he’s always been just a little bit cowed by Burt ever since the bedroom scene, but at this he surges to his feet.
“I’ve got to call him.” He says, digging his phone out of his jeans.
“Finn,” Burt says, apologetically, “Listen, I’m sorry. I overreacted. Tell Puckerman he’s unbanned. Tell him I’m sorry that I jumped the gun. You know, when people say things about Kurt, my mind just - I’m sorry, Finn.”
Finn nods, even as he dials Puck’s cell. They all turn as the familiar sounds of Teenage Dirtbag come from Puck’s discarded book bag.
“Shit,” Finn curses softly, before dialing another number. He seems confused at the voice that answers, “Mr. Puckerman?” he questions warily, before listening briefly. “Is, umm... could I speak to Mrs. P? See… I’m her paperboy and I just gotta talk to her about billing.”
Burt and Kurt exchange confused looks. Paperboy? Billing? But Finn’s back to speaking.
“Mrs. P?” he questions, pacing. “It’s Finn. What’s going on? Is everything okay?” he pauses again, “A whole week? Where’s Sarah staying?” he listens again, “and you’re okay?” he asks. “Noah said what? No, Mrs. P, he just left the house, his phone’s here, I don’t know where he…” the voice on the other line increases in volume and Burt and Kurt can vaguely make out a slightly panicked female on the other end. “Don’t worry Mrs. P, Mom’ll be home soon, and we’ll find him. We’ll check the normal spots. You know he won’t go too far from you and Sarah. I’ll drag him back here if I have to, and make him call. Don’t worry. Tell Mr. Puckerman that you’re expecting the paperboy to call back in a few hours, that’s who I told him I was.” Finn listens, closing his eyes briefly. “Be safe, Mrs. P. You know where we are.” He says, and hangs up.
Falling onto the couch Finn covers his face with his hands, rubbing harshly, before dragging his eyes to his watch. Burt sits beside him, and places a hand on his shoulder. Instead of shyly leaning into the comfort like normal, Finn surges to his feet and resumes pacing.
“Okay.” He says, pausing to face them. “Okay. I’ve got to go. Mom’s going to be another hour, and that’s too long. So I’m going to fill you in… on some of it. Puck’s my bro, right? The dude’s my best friend, and has been since forever, so, like, I know him. Okay? I know his shit, and he knows mine and that’s why we work. That’s why he can sit there and call me Finnessa and I don’t care because I know that he braids his sister’s hair in the mornings, and that his mom was gonna call him Norah if he was a girl. It’s how we work.”
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Kurt had joined Burt on the couch and they both stared open mouthed at Finn. They knew this was important, so, for once, they kept quiet and didn’t interrupt.
Finn takes a deep breath, “Puck’s dad’s a complete asshole. Like, a beat on your wife and kid kind of asshole.” Kurt gasps and Burt’s mouth presses into a thin line.
“And his father came back?” Kurt whispers, eyes wide.
Finn deflated, earlier anger gone. “That’s what mom means when she says that me and Puck might do bad shit to each other sometimes, but we do even bigger good stuff. Mom noticed, the first time Puck’s dad came back. When Puck was 11. He kept coming around hurt, with new bruises and shit and mom’s a nurse, right, so she’s trained to recognize this kind of thing. So she calls his mom, and his mom’s kind of a train wreck anyway, but she loves her kids, and Mrs. P, like, loses it. Says that she can’t kick him out ‘cause as long as he’s around he gives her money and she needs it to feed her kids and pay the bills and keep the house and stuff, right?”
Finn has a look on his face that neither Kurt nor Burt had ever seen. He looks pained, and his eyes are suspiciously bright, but through it all, there is a determined set to his jaw. Determined to get this all out, and determined to find his friend, make things right.
“And mom gets that, ‘cause money was always tight when I was little and I grew really fast so my clothes never fit and I could see how bad it stressed her out… so point is, Puck’s baby sister went to stay with their nana and Puck came and lived with me and mom for eight months. Mrs. P gave mom some money to help with food, and he stayed until Mr. Puckerman left again. Same with the second time. And as far as his mom knows, he’s been staying here with me for the last week, but obviously he hasn’t so where the fuck is he?”
Finn sits heavily in the chair Kurt had vacated, head down, as Burt makes his way over. Burt once again places a hand on Finn’s shoulder, “Kid, I kind of feel like a jerk. Your mom told me that Puck’s had a raw deal, but I didn’t know about… how bad, I guess. I see someone attack my kid, and I attack back. It’s reflex.” Burt raised his hand when Finn’s face shoots up defensively. “Look, I know he wasn’t, okay? It’s just how I saw it. But right now, we’re going to worry about your friend and where he is. You said to his mom that you’d check the normal spots? So you and Kurt go do that, and when your mom gets home I’ll explain what’s going on to her and we’ll get looking too.”
Burt handed Finn the keys to his own truck, and Finn nodded. “I should have known.” He whispered, “I should have known when you told him to get out and he jumped to do it… when he didn’t defend himself. Puck doesn’t take the blame even when he does do something wrong, and he definitely doesn’t just take it when he didn’t.”
Walking over to Puck’s backpack, he unzips the large pocket, telling his stepfather that he wants Puck’s phone with them, just in case. Grimly, he pulls out a wadded up blanket and an extra hoodie, a pair of jeans, and other essentials, before finding the phone at the bottom.
Kurt is buckling up his coat, and throws Finn’s to him. “Come on, Finn. Let’s go find him.”
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