(Put Me Back Together) Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan (11/?)
Title: Put Me Back Together
Part: Chapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt/Puck, Burt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Tina Cohen-Chang, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Brittany, Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford
Author’s Note: The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I know there are tons of spoilers out for the upcoming episodes. Please don’t post them in the comments.
Warning: This takes place directly after “Sectionals.” Everything up to that point is considered fair game. There are spoilers if you haven’t seen the first 13 episodes.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: All it takes is one moment to break Kurt apart. How many will it take to put not only himself but Puck back together?
Put Me Back TogetherChapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
“I’m not watching that show again. You can’t make me.” Kurt stared down at the text on the tiny glowing screen of his cell phone. And as what it said sunk in, Kurt rolled his bleary eyes. It was after midnight, well into the realm of beauty sleep, and he’d been woken up by the insistent buzzing of a text from Puck. While the vast majority of Kurt was irritated at being woken up in the middle of the night for a commentary on his TV watching habits, a tiny part of him was happy to see Puck’s name on his phone. Because that meant the time they’d spent together earlier hadn’t been that bad.
Even if it had been awkward…
Puck had stayed till around eight thirty, leaving only when Burt had come down to check on Kurt. Both father and son had tried to convince Puck that he could stay a little longer (no later than nine though), but he’d left anyway. He hadn’t tried to make up any excuses about homework or his mom. Instead, Puck had just said that it was time for him to get going.
But for the most part, the evening had been… quiet and somewhat tense. Together they’d watched The Vampire Diaries and part of Supernatural. Personally, Kurt didn’t like Supernatural (no matter how cute the Winchesters were), but he’d been too afraid to change the channel. Because Puck had looked as if any small thing would make him bolt. And after finally not only speaking to Puck, but getting him back over to his house, that had been the last thing Kurt had wanted to happen.
As it was, the entire time he had been there, Puck had sat on the far end of the couch, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. And Kurt had sat in the middle of the seat, wishing that he could nonchalantly escape to the other side himself. But unfortunately, that just hadn’t been possible. So he’d tried to act natural and relaxed, but the task had proven almost impossible. But even though the moment had been as fragile as a soap bubble, it had had a certain rightness about it that had made the tension bearable for Kurt.
Typing in a quick response, Kurt thought about how it had felt to just sit with Puck. It hadn’t been comfortable, but it had been nice nonetheless. And in retrospect, Kurt wished that there hadn’t been such a large space between them.
Trying not to think about what that meant, he looked at what he’d just typed. His message, short and to the point, read: “Hey! I like VD!” Kurt stared at the screen feeling as if his text was missing something. And before he could stop himself, he hastily punched in another line. “And who says I want to watch TV with you again anyway?”
Before he could change his mind, Kurt hit send, biting down on his lower lip as he did.
The message, though innocent, was flirtier than he’d intended. It was lighthearted and full of moxie, mocking without insulting. Truth be told, it was the type of text he’d always wanted to send to Finn. And even though his crush wasn’t on the receiving end, Kurt was positively jittery as he waited for a response.
He was so jumpy in fact that when his phone finally did buzz with an incoming message, Kurt practically dropped the tiny device. Trying to recover a little of his dignity, Kurt closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down a bit. When he felt himself relax just a touch, Kurt opened his eyes again. And with bated breath he opened the message, all but giggling in relief as he read it. “Oh, you do. Sunday night. Your house. My choice.”
Unable to bite back the smile that had taken over his face, Kurt willed his hands to quit shaking as he typed in a quick response. Unfortunately though, his wishing for steady hands didn’t work. And he ended up re-doing the message five times because all of his efforts ended up reading as if they were in a foreign language. When Kurt finally got it right, the text read, “Fine. 7:00. Dinner. No pizza.”
This time, the wait for a response was calmer. But he still felt a quick jolt of excitement when his phone buzzed. This time, Puck’s text was much shorter and also had a touch of finality to it. The tiny illuminated screen glowed with just one word. “Chinese.”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The next morning, Kurt woke up with a feeling of bubbling excitement prickling at his senses. He felt light and giddy, almost as if he were waking up to the most amazing thing possible. And at first, he couldn’t quite figure out why that was. But when he rolled over and grabbed his phone to shut off the alarm, it all came rushing back…
Sunday night.
TV.
Chinese food.
It wasn’t a date. It definitley was not a date. After all, Puck wasn’t gay (or even bisexual), and if by some chance he were, Kurt didn’t feel that way about him.. His heart still belonged to Finn.
Even if Kurt was beginning to see a different, not so attractive side of the other boy.
But despite the fact that it wasn’t a date, Kurt knew that it was important. Because even though Puck’s texts had been light and teasing, Kurt knew better. Since Quinn’s miscarriage, Puck had been very down, and even though he’d seemed a little better last night, Puck was far from over what had happened. It was going to take more that a few days for him to truly process and deal with the loss of his child.
And despite all of the times Puck had thrown Kurt in the dumpster or inflicted some other form of torture on him, Kurt found that he wanted to be there for Puck. He wanted to see if he could try and help somehow.
Even if helping meant nothing more than DVD’s and Chinese food.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When Kurt walked into school that morning, he expected to see Puck… not waiting near his locker or anything like that. But Kurt thought he’d atleast see Puck in the halls or maybe coming out of Miss Pillsbury’s office or something like that. After all, that was normal. They passed one another in the halls every day.
However, Kurt didn’t see or run into Puck until lunchtime.
And with each passing period, Kurt became more and more nervous. Why, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like anything had really happened the night before, but he was uptight nonetheless. And nothing he did, deep breaths, staring at Finn, mentally critiquing all of the teachers’ choice of fashion (if you could call it that), etc. had helped. Unfortunatley, it had even gotten to the point where he’d grown so hyperaware of his surroundings and everyone around him that he jumped whenever a shaved head came into view.
But when Kurt walked into the lunch room and saw Puck waiting in line by the slushee machine, he felt all of that drain away.
Because all that mattered was that Puck was there, in front of him.
Kurt didn’t go over to him, didn’t even feel like going over. Because somehow, just knowing that Puck was ok was enough. So he just walked on by, heading towards the lunch line instead.
But when he looked back over his shoulder, Kurt’s heart gave a little jump. Because Puck was staring at him, his eyes warm and soft lips almost smiling. And before Kurt could stop himself, before he could play it cool, he gave a small smile back before he turned and continued towards the lunch line.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
For the rest of the day, Kurt was constantly filled with a feeling of being watched or followed. But oddly enough, it wasn’t unpleasent or creepy, because Kurt was all but positive that it was Puck’s presense he was feeling. Because every once in a while he’d look around in the halls or during the two classes they shared and he’d find that Puck was much closer to him than normal.
When the last bell of the day rang, signaling that school was out until Monday, Kurt gathered his books and headed towards the door to leave. And much to his surprise, Puck walked over to stand next to him in the line to get out of the room.
Puck didn’t speak, but from the way his body was angled towards Kurt, Kurt knew he’d stood there on purpose. And as the crowd began to move forward, Kurt wracked his brain for something to say, because even though Puck’s nearness wasn’t uncomfortable, his silence was.
“So, what do you think will be able to top Damon Salvatore?” It sounded lame, of that Kurt was certain, but it was something nonetheless.
For the first time since Puck walked over, he looked down at Kurt. He still looked upset, but there was also a glint of mischief in his eyes. It was a look that Kurt hadn’t seen on the other boy in quite a while. And it wasn’t until that moment that Kurt realized he’d missed it.
“Think? No, I know that what I’ve got in mind will top anything on that show you watch.” Puck’s voice was flat, but Kurt could still sense a tiny drop of excitement in it.
The next thing he knew, the line had thinned out without Kurt realizing it, and when he looked away from Puck, he was surprised to see that there was no one blocking the door anymore. And Puck seemed to notice this as well, because the next second he was ushering Kurt ahead of himself and out into the hall.
Kurt hesitated at the gesutre, but only for a moment before walking through the door. Instinctively, he headed towards his locker, and suprisingly enough, Puck walked along next to him. And even though the hallway was pretty crowded, no one seemed to care or even notice that they were walking together. Though, Kurt was pretty sure that if Mercedes were to see them together, she’d have something to say about it. And he could only hope that she was busy with something, anything else.
“Well then, what is it?” They’d reached Kurt’s locker (without a Mercedes spotting), and as Puck leaned against the one next to his, Kurt found his curiosity piqued.
Before, he hadn’t really cared what Puck thought would top The Vampire Diaries. Because really, if he were being honest with himself, it wouldn’t take all that much to outdo his show. That was not to say he didn’t love it though, because he did. But when it came down to it, The Vampire Diaries wasn’t much more than soap opera with fangs.
And really, in the grand scheme of things, all that really mattered was that Puck was coming over. But, now… Kurt found that he really was kind of curious to find out what Puck thought was worthy of watching. And as he waited for an answer, Kurt spun the dial on his locker’s padlock.
“Ha.” It wasn’t a laugh but rather a literal pronunciation of the word. “So not telling.” Puck looked over at Kurt and arched his eyebrows before turning back to the kids walking down the hall.
“Not fair!” Kurt responded with mock outrage that caused the corners of Puck’s mouth to twitch. And at the sight, Kurt was overcome with the childish desire to stick out his tongue.
But the moment he saw Finn walking towards his locker, that feeling disappeared. And it was quickly replaced by an uneasy queasiness that seemed to take over his entire body. Next to him, Puck had obviously noticed Finn as well. Because even though Puck hadn’t moved, Kurt could see a tension in his body that hadn’t been there only moments before.
And for the first time since falling for Finn, Kurt wished that he would just go away.
Because a second ago, Kurt had been enjoying himself, had been having fun with Puck. Where as now, Kurt was filled with worry that Puck was going to disappear like he had the other day. And Kurt was pretty sure that if Puck did try to run, a simple hand on the arm wouldn’t be enough to stop him. So Kurt could only hope that Puck would stay put when Finn stepped up next to them.
“Hey, Kurt.” Finn sounded falsely bright, as if he were putting on some sort of show. And Kurt couldn’t help but wonder who the audience was supposed to be - himself or Puck?
“Finn.” Kurt regarded Finn cooly over the edge of his Spanish book. He didn’t know why, but Kurt suddenly felt as if he were on the defensive.
At Kurt’s cool tone, Finn’s eyes flickered over to Puck for just a second. And when he spoke again, Finn sounded even brighter (and faker) than before. “So… Schuester’s assignment. You said you’d help me.”
“Oh, right.” In the wake of everything else, Kurt had totally forgotten about that. Not about the prospect of singing a solo (without the pressure of it being a competition) because he totally had his practiced to perfection. (It was Lady Gaga, of course.) No, Kurt had totally and completely forgotten about helping Finn. But that was only because he’d just had so much else (read: Puck) on his mind.
As Kurt tried to look as if he hadn’t forgotten a thing, Finn was watching Kurt expectantly, and there was a slight trace of irritation on Finn’s face. He’d obviously realized that Kurt hadn’t remembered. And once again, his eyes flickered over to Puck.
“Umh, well, it’s due next Thursday.” Kurt was quickly trying to diffuse what was growing into a tense situation. Because next to him, Puck was relaxing, almost as if he felt more confident than he had before, where as Finn was growing slowly but steadily more agitated. And Kurt did not want to be around when that storm came crashing down. Which, Kurt could tell just by looking at the two of them, it inevitably would. “So how about after school on Tuesday?”
“Yeah, that sounds good. We can practice in the auditorium.” Finn was eyeing Kurt with something akin to disbelief in his eyes. It was almost as if Finn realized that there was something goining on and was searching for some tangible sign of it. But Kurt couldn’t have cared less. Because, for the time being at least, the clouds had parted.
“That sounds good. I’ll meet you there.” Despite the fact that Kurt still felt nervous and edgy, he forced himself to smile. (Or to try to anyway. There was no guarantee that it didn’t look like a grimace.)
“Ok. I’ll see you then.” Finn awkwardly patted Kurt on the shoulder, pointedly ignoring Puck. And when he turned and walked away, Kurt sighed in relief.
Next to him, Puck smiled the same devious little smile that had made Kurt want to stick out his tongue only a few minutes ago. But this time, Puck’s smile was aimed at Finn’s retreating back and the kindness was gone from his eyes.
And as Kurt grabbed another book out of his locker, he wished that he still felt the same way.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Hi, I’d like to place an order, please.” Kurt flipped the Wok Inn’s menu over in his hands, studying the colorful pictures of plates of food. Normally, he hated take-out for dinner, preferring to make something himself. But sometimes he had to resort to ordering in. And as he didn’t know how to make Chinese food, this was one of those times. “Delivery. Hummel. At 1965 Cherry Tree Lane.”
When Puck had declared that he wanted Chinese food, Kurt had thought nothing more of it other than, “My skinny jeans will never forgive me for this.” But when Sunday night rolled around, Kurt realized that they hadn’t discussed who was going to be providing said food.
Kurt had thought about calling Puck and asking, but since they hadn’t even texted since saying goodbye after school on Friday, Kurt decided not to. It just felt too weird.
“I’d like two order of egg rolls and…” Kurt scanned the menu quickly, wishing he knew what Puck liked. For all he knew, Puck kept Kosher. And because of that, he decided that he’d rather err on the side of caution than end up with something Puck couldn’t eat. “Umh, a small chicken fried rice, a small beef chop suey, and a small vegetable lo mein.”
Forty-five minutes later, Kurt had set up his father’s dinner (the beef chop suey and two of the egg rolls) and left it on the counter with the hopes that his dad would take the hint. At that moment, Burt was at Uncle Mike’s house, but he’d be home soon enough. And Kurt hadn’t mentioned Puck coming over to him. Kurt didn’t know why, but he just hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell his dad about the other boy visiting again.
So, as he walked downstairs to set out the food and drinks for himself and Puck, Kurt prayed that his dad would notice the truck out front and and the food waiting for him and realize that Puck was over without having to explain.
Now, he knew that if Puck started coming over more he’d probably have to explain eventually, but Kurt figured that the longer he could put it off, the better. Because really, he just didn’t know what was going on himself. But for tonight… Kurt just hoped that he could keep things to himself.
A few minutes later, the doorbell chimed upstairs, causing Kurt’s stomach to leap. And though he would deny it, Kurt all but ran up the steps to get to the door. But even though he’d raced up there, Kurt took a few deep calming breaths before pulling the door open. As he did, he ran one shaking hand over his perfectly coifed hair before smoothing a few non-existent wrinkles out of his shirt.
When he finally opened the door, Kurt’s mouth fell open at the sight of Puck.
Puck was standing on the porch, a white DVD case stuck under his arm. And in each hand, he held a small brown sack of food. He was looking down at the bags as if he was worried about dropping them, but when he looked up, Puck’s eyes quickly took in Kurt’s appearance. And Kurt couldn’t have been happier that he’d taken the time to pick out the perfect outfit.
Smiling slightly, Kurt motioned for Puck to come inside. And as he stepped in, Puck said, “I hope you like sweet and sour pork and General Tao’s chicken.”
Taking the bags from his arms, Kurt couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I hope you like chicken fried rice, vegetable lo mein, and egg rolls.”
At his words, Puck just looked at him and laughed before heading towards the basement, opening the DVD case as he went. He moved with an ease and familiarity that made Puck look as if he felt at home, and that caused Kurt to smile. And he liked that more than he cared to admit.
“So…” Kurt took the small white cartons out of the brown bags and placed them on the small coffee table he’d placed in front of the couch. Puck had gone straight for the DVD player and popped in a disc. “What are we watching?”
Puck turned around and stared at him, his dark eyes hooded and dangerous. And for just a second, Kurt felt a pang of fear flash through his body. The second Puck parted his lips to speak, Kurt found himself swallowing desperately. But when Puck finally did speak, Kurt realized that it had only been an act. Because all Puck said was… “Dexter.”
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- To all of my readers and reviewers, thank you for your continuing support and amazing faith in this story.
- Quack: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. :duck:
- Reviews are love.
Put Me Back Together
Chapter 1: Kiss Me Goodbye
Chapter 2: Of Soirees and Sarongs
Chapter 3: Not So Subtle
Chapter 4: Late Arrivals
Chapter 5: Breaking Point
Chapter 6: Empty Hallway
Chapter 7: Cleaning up the Mess
Chapter 8: Dirty Laundry
Chapter 9: Gossip Mongers
Chapter 10: Just Breathe
Part: Chapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt/Puck, Burt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Tina Cohen-Chang, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Brittany, Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford
Author’s Note: The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I know there are tons of spoilers out for the upcoming episodes. Please don’t post them in the comments.
Warning: This takes place directly after “Sectionals.” Everything up to that point is considered fair game. There are spoilers if you haven’t seen the first 13 episodes.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: All it takes is one moment to break Kurt apart. How many will it take to put not only himself but Puck back together?
Put Me Back TogetherChapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
“I’m not watching that show again. You can’t make me.” Kurt stared down at the text on the tiny glowing screen of his cell phone. And as what it said sunk in, Kurt rolled his bleary eyes. It was after midnight, well into the realm of beauty sleep, and he’d been woken up by the insistent buzzing of a text from Puck. While the vast majority of Kurt was irritated at being woken up in the middle of the night for a commentary on his TV watching habits, a tiny part of him was happy to see Puck’s name on his phone. Because that meant the time they’d spent together earlier hadn’t been that bad.
Even if it had been awkward…
Puck had stayed till around eight thirty, leaving only when Burt had come down to check on Kurt. Both father and son had tried to convince Puck that he could stay a little longer (no later than nine though), but he’d left anyway. He hadn’t tried to make up any excuses about homework or his mom. Instead, Puck had just said that it was time for him to get going.
But for the most part, the evening had been… quiet and somewhat tense. Together they’d watched The Vampire Diaries and part of Supernatural. Personally, Kurt didn’t like Supernatural (no matter how cute the Winchesters were), but he’d been too afraid to change the channel. Because Puck had looked as if any small thing would make him bolt. And after finally not only speaking to Puck, but getting him back over to his house, that had been the last thing Kurt had wanted to happen.
As it was, the entire time he had been there, Puck had sat on the far end of the couch, his arms crossed protectively over his chest. And Kurt had sat in the middle of the seat, wishing that he could nonchalantly escape to the other side himself. But unfortunately, that just hadn’t been possible. So he’d tried to act natural and relaxed, but the task had proven almost impossible. But even though the moment had been as fragile as a soap bubble, it had had a certain rightness about it that had made the tension bearable for Kurt.
Typing in a quick response, Kurt thought about how it had felt to just sit with Puck. It hadn’t been comfortable, but it had been nice nonetheless. And in retrospect, Kurt wished that there hadn’t been such a large space between them.
Trying not to think about what that meant, he looked at what he’d just typed. His message, short and to the point, read: “Hey! I like VD!” Kurt stared at the screen feeling as if his text was missing something. And before he could stop himself, he hastily punched in another line. “And who says I want to watch TV with you again anyway?”
Before he could change his mind, Kurt hit send, biting down on his lower lip as he did.
The message, though innocent, was flirtier than he’d intended. It was lighthearted and full of moxie, mocking without insulting. Truth be told, it was the type of text he’d always wanted to send to Finn. And even though his crush wasn’t on the receiving end, Kurt was positively jittery as he waited for a response.
He was so jumpy in fact that when his phone finally did buzz with an incoming message, Kurt practically dropped the tiny device. Trying to recover a little of his dignity, Kurt closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down a bit. When he felt himself relax just a touch, Kurt opened his eyes again. And with bated breath he opened the message, all but giggling in relief as he read it. “Oh, you do. Sunday night. Your house. My choice.”
Unable to bite back the smile that had taken over his face, Kurt willed his hands to quit shaking as he typed in a quick response. Unfortunately though, his wishing for steady hands didn’t work. And he ended up re-doing the message five times because all of his efforts ended up reading as if they were in a foreign language. When Kurt finally got it right, the text read, “Fine. 7:00. Dinner. No pizza.”
This time, the wait for a response was calmer. But he still felt a quick jolt of excitement when his phone buzzed. This time, Puck’s text was much shorter and also had a touch of finality to it. The tiny illuminated screen glowed with just one word. “Chinese.”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The next morning, Kurt woke up with a feeling of bubbling excitement prickling at his senses. He felt light and giddy, almost as if he were waking up to the most amazing thing possible. And at first, he couldn’t quite figure out why that was. But when he rolled over and grabbed his phone to shut off the alarm, it all came rushing back…
Sunday night.
TV.
Chinese food.
It wasn’t a date. It definitley was not a date. After all, Puck wasn’t gay (or even bisexual), and if by some chance he were, Kurt didn’t feel that way about him.. His heart still belonged to Finn.
Even if Kurt was beginning to see a different, not so attractive side of the other boy.
But despite the fact that it wasn’t a date, Kurt knew that it was important. Because even though Puck’s texts had been light and teasing, Kurt knew better. Since Quinn’s miscarriage, Puck had been very down, and even though he’d seemed a little better last night, Puck was far from over what had happened. It was going to take more that a few days for him to truly process and deal with the loss of his child.
And despite all of the times Puck had thrown Kurt in the dumpster or inflicted some other form of torture on him, Kurt found that he wanted to be there for Puck. He wanted to see if he could try and help somehow.
Even if helping meant nothing more than DVD’s and Chinese food.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
When Kurt walked into school that morning, he expected to see Puck… not waiting near his locker or anything like that. But Kurt thought he’d atleast see Puck in the halls or maybe coming out of Miss Pillsbury’s office or something like that. After all, that was normal. They passed one another in the halls every day.
However, Kurt didn’t see or run into Puck until lunchtime.
And with each passing period, Kurt became more and more nervous. Why, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like anything had really happened the night before, but he was uptight nonetheless. And nothing he did, deep breaths, staring at Finn, mentally critiquing all of the teachers’ choice of fashion (if you could call it that), etc. had helped. Unfortunatley, it had even gotten to the point where he’d grown so hyperaware of his surroundings and everyone around him that he jumped whenever a shaved head came into view.
But when Kurt walked into the lunch room and saw Puck waiting in line by the slushee machine, he felt all of that drain away.
Because all that mattered was that Puck was there, in front of him.
Kurt didn’t go over to him, didn’t even feel like going over. Because somehow, just knowing that Puck was ok was enough. So he just walked on by, heading towards the lunch line instead.
But when he looked back over his shoulder, Kurt’s heart gave a little jump. Because Puck was staring at him, his eyes warm and soft lips almost smiling. And before Kurt could stop himself, before he could play it cool, he gave a small smile back before he turned and continued towards the lunch line.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
For the rest of the day, Kurt was constantly filled with a feeling of being watched or followed. But oddly enough, it wasn’t unpleasent or creepy, because Kurt was all but positive that it was Puck’s presense he was feeling. Because every once in a while he’d look around in the halls or during the two classes they shared and he’d find that Puck was much closer to him than normal.
When the last bell of the day rang, signaling that school was out until Monday, Kurt gathered his books and headed towards the door to leave. And much to his surprise, Puck walked over to stand next to him in the line to get out of the room.
Puck didn’t speak, but from the way his body was angled towards Kurt, Kurt knew he’d stood there on purpose. And as the crowd began to move forward, Kurt wracked his brain for something to say, because even though Puck’s nearness wasn’t uncomfortable, his silence was.
“So, what do you think will be able to top Damon Salvatore?” It sounded lame, of that Kurt was certain, but it was something nonetheless.
For the first time since Puck walked over, he looked down at Kurt. He still looked upset, but there was also a glint of mischief in his eyes. It was a look that Kurt hadn’t seen on the other boy in quite a while. And it wasn’t until that moment that Kurt realized he’d missed it.
“Think? No, I know that what I’ve got in mind will top anything on that show you watch.” Puck’s voice was flat, but Kurt could still sense a tiny drop of excitement in it.
The next thing he knew, the line had thinned out without Kurt realizing it, and when he looked away from Puck, he was surprised to see that there was no one blocking the door anymore. And Puck seemed to notice this as well, because the next second he was ushering Kurt ahead of himself and out into the hall.
Kurt hesitated at the gesutre, but only for a moment before walking through the door. Instinctively, he headed towards his locker, and suprisingly enough, Puck walked along next to him. And even though the hallway was pretty crowded, no one seemed to care or even notice that they were walking together. Though, Kurt was pretty sure that if Mercedes were to see them together, she’d have something to say about it. And he could only hope that she was busy with something, anything else.
“Well then, what is it?” They’d reached Kurt’s locker (without a Mercedes spotting), and as Puck leaned against the one next to his, Kurt found his curiosity piqued.
Before, he hadn’t really cared what Puck thought would top The Vampire Diaries. Because really, if he were being honest with himself, it wouldn’t take all that much to outdo his show. That was not to say he didn’t love it though, because he did. But when it came down to it, The Vampire Diaries wasn’t much more than soap opera with fangs.
And really, in the grand scheme of things, all that really mattered was that Puck was coming over. But, now… Kurt found that he really was kind of curious to find out what Puck thought was worthy of watching. And as he waited for an answer, Kurt spun the dial on his locker’s padlock.
“Ha.” It wasn’t a laugh but rather a literal pronunciation of the word. “So not telling.” Puck looked over at Kurt and arched his eyebrows before turning back to the kids walking down the hall.
“Not fair!” Kurt responded with mock outrage that caused the corners of Puck’s mouth to twitch. And at the sight, Kurt was overcome with the childish desire to stick out his tongue.
But the moment he saw Finn walking towards his locker, that feeling disappeared. And it was quickly replaced by an uneasy queasiness that seemed to take over his entire body. Next to him, Puck had obviously noticed Finn as well. Because even though Puck hadn’t moved, Kurt could see a tension in his body that hadn’t been there only moments before.
And for the first time since falling for Finn, Kurt wished that he would just go away.
Because a second ago, Kurt had been enjoying himself, had been having fun with Puck. Where as now, Kurt was filled with worry that Puck was going to disappear like he had the other day. And Kurt was pretty sure that if Puck did try to run, a simple hand on the arm wouldn’t be enough to stop him. So Kurt could only hope that Puck would stay put when Finn stepped up next to them.
“Hey, Kurt.” Finn sounded falsely bright, as if he were putting on some sort of show. And Kurt couldn’t help but wonder who the audience was supposed to be - himself or Puck?
“Finn.” Kurt regarded Finn cooly over the edge of his Spanish book. He didn’t know why, but Kurt suddenly felt as if he were on the defensive.
At Kurt’s cool tone, Finn’s eyes flickered over to Puck for just a second. And when he spoke again, Finn sounded even brighter (and faker) than before. “So… Schuester’s assignment. You said you’d help me.”
“Oh, right.” In the wake of everything else, Kurt had totally forgotten about that. Not about the prospect of singing a solo (without the pressure of it being a competition) because he totally had his practiced to perfection. (It was Lady Gaga, of course.) No, Kurt had totally and completely forgotten about helping Finn. But that was only because he’d just had so much else (read: Puck) on his mind.
As Kurt tried to look as if he hadn’t forgotten a thing, Finn was watching Kurt expectantly, and there was a slight trace of irritation on Finn’s face. He’d obviously realized that Kurt hadn’t remembered. And once again, his eyes flickered over to Puck.
“Umh, well, it’s due next Thursday.” Kurt was quickly trying to diffuse what was growing into a tense situation. Because next to him, Puck was relaxing, almost as if he felt more confident than he had before, where as Finn was growing slowly but steadily more agitated. And Kurt did not want to be around when that storm came crashing down. Which, Kurt could tell just by looking at the two of them, it inevitably would. “So how about after school on Tuesday?”
“Yeah, that sounds good. We can practice in the auditorium.” Finn was eyeing Kurt with something akin to disbelief in his eyes. It was almost as if Finn realized that there was something goining on and was searching for some tangible sign of it. But Kurt couldn’t have cared less. Because, for the time being at least, the clouds had parted.
“That sounds good. I’ll meet you there.” Despite the fact that Kurt still felt nervous and edgy, he forced himself to smile. (Or to try to anyway. There was no guarantee that it didn’t look like a grimace.)
“Ok. I’ll see you then.” Finn awkwardly patted Kurt on the shoulder, pointedly ignoring Puck. And when he turned and walked away, Kurt sighed in relief.
Next to him, Puck smiled the same devious little smile that had made Kurt want to stick out his tongue only a few minutes ago. But this time, Puck’s smile was aimed at Finn’s retreating back and the kindness was gone from his eyes.
And as Kurt grabbed another book out of his locker, he wished that he still felt the same way.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Hi, I’d like to place an order, please.” Kurt flipped the Wok Inn’s menu over in his hands, studying the colorful pictures of plates of food. Normally, he hated take-out for dinner, preferring to make something himself. But sometimes he had to resort to ordering in. And as he didn’t know how to make Chinese food, this was one of those times. “Delivery. Hummel. At 1965 Cherry Tree Lane.”
When Puck had declared that he wanted Chinese food, Kurt had thought nothing more of it other than, “My skinny jeans will never forgive me for this.” But when Sunday night rolled around, Kurt realized that they hadn’t discussed who was going to be providing said food.
Kurt had thought about calling Puck and asking, but since they hadn’t even texted since saying goodbye after school on Friday, Kurt decided not to. It just felt too weird.
“I’d like two order of egg rolls and…” Kurt scanned the menu quickly, wishing he knew what Puck liked. For all he knew, Puck kept Kosher. And because of that, he decided that he’d rather err on the side of caution than end up with something Puck couldn’t eat. “Umh, a small chicken fried rice, a small beef chop suey, and a small vegetable lo mein.”
Forty-five minutes later, Kurt had set up his father’s dinner (the beef chop suey and two of the egg rolls) and left it on the counter with the hopes that his dad would take the hint. At that moment, Burt was at Uncle Mike’s house, but he’d be home soon enough. And Kurt hadn’t mentioned Puck coming over to him. Kurt didn’t know why, but he just hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell his dad about the other boy visiting again.
So, as he walked downstairs to set out the food and drinks for himself and Puck, Kurt prayed that his dad would notice the truck out front and and the food waiting for him and realize that Puck was over without having to explain.
Now, he knew that if Puck started coming over more he’d probably have to explain eventually, but Kurt figured that the longer he could put it off, the better. Because really, he just didn’t know what was going on himself. But for tonight… Kurt just hoped that he could keep things to himself.
A few minutes later, the doorbell chimed upstairs, causing Kurt’s stomach to leap. And though he would deny it, Kurt all but ran up the steps to get to the door. But even though he’d raced up there, Kurt took a few deep calming breaths before pulling the door open. As he did, he ran one shaking hand over his perfectly coifed hair before smoothing a few non-existent wrinkles out of his shirt.
When he finally opened the door, Kurt’s mouth fell open at the sight of Puck.
Puck was standing on the porch, a white DVD case stuck under his arm. And in each hand, he held a small brown sack of food. He was looking down at the bags as if he was worried about dropping them, but when he looked up, Puck’s eyes quickly took in Kurt’s appearance. And Kurt couldn’t have been happier that he’d taken the time to pick out the perfect outfit.
Smiling slightly, Kurt motioned for Puck to come inside. And as he stepped in, Puck said, “I hope you like sweet and sour pork and General Tao’s chicken.”
Taking the bags from his arms, Kurt couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I hope you like chicken fried rice, vegetable lo mein, and egg rolls.”
At his words, Puck just looked at him and laughed before heading towards the basement, opening the DVD case as he went. He moved with an ease and familiarity that made Puck look as if he felt at home, and that caused Kurt to smile. And he liked that more than he cared to admit.
“So…” Kurt took the small white cartons out of the brown bags and placed them on the small coffee table he’d placed in front of the couch. Puck had gone straight for the DVD player and popped in a disc. “What are we watching?”
Puck turned around and stared at him, his dark eyes hooded and dangerous. And for just a second, Kurt felt a pang of fear flash through his body. The second Puck parted his lips to speak, Kurt found himself swallowing desperately. But when Puck finally did speak, Kurt realized that it had only been an act. Because all Puck said was… “Dexter.”
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- To all of my readers and reviewers, thank you for your continuing support and amazing faith in this story.
- Quack: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. :duck:
- Reviews are love.
Put Me Back Together
Chapter 1: Kiss Me Goodbye
Chapter 2: Of Soirees and Sarongs
Chapter 3: Not So Subtle
Chapter 4: Late Arrivals
Chapter 5: Breaking Point
Chapter 6: Empty Hallway
Chapter 7: Cleaning up the Mess
Chapter 8: Dirty Laundry
Chapter 9: Gossip Mongers
Chapter 10: Just Breathe