(Put Me Back Together) Nice To Meet You (26/?)
Title: Put Me Back Together
Part: Chapter 26: Nice To Meet You
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 S. Pierce, 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 26: Nice To Meet You
“You’re lucky.” Puck sounded sincere, and Kurt couldn’t help but feel just a little bit guilty. Not about having a great dad, but about having a dad who cared enough to try. Because he understood what the other side of that coin was like. But even though Kurt understood what it was like to have a strained relationship with his father, he didn’t know what it was like to not have him around at all.
“I know.” And he really did. Because thinking back over the past few months, Kurt realized just how much closer he and his dad had become. But it wasn’t just that; it was how much they’d come to rely on one another as well. There’d been so many times over the past few months where Kurt had leaned on his dad in ways he’d never thought possible. And as Burt came to stand with them, Kurt smiled at him softly.
“Hey, guys. How’s it going over here?” Burt looked from Kurt to Puck. But when he caught sight of their somber expressions, he turned back to Kurt, a silent question in his eyes. In response, Kurt gave a miniscule shake of his head. Thankfully, Burt caught on and didn’t ask what was wrong. “Checking out the oil tank?” Burt gestured at the dirty rag and rod in Kurt’s hands.
Kurt looked down at the cloth he was still holding. It was covered in filthy, gloppy oil from the oil gauge. “Yeah. The tank is dirty. A quick oil change and the engine will be purring like a kitten wrapped in cashmere in no time.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Puck and Burt looked at Kurt as if he was crazy. And if he was being honest with himself, Kurt couldn’t blame them. Kittens and cashmere didn’t really combine for the wittiest of comments. But Kurt couldn’t find it in himself to care about his less than stellar wit at that moment. He’d been trying to lighten the mood, and from the looks on his dad and Puck’s faces, he’d done just that.
They both looked slightly confused, but the mood was definitely lighter, and all of a sudden, Kurt was struck by an idea. He wanted to introduce them. He knew that they’d met before. But he felt the sudden desire to introduce them properly.
It was stupid and kind of pointless, but Kurt couldn’t help it. He needed to do it.
“Umh, Dad…” Kurt sounded hesitant all of a sudden, and he cursed himself for it.
In an effort to steady his nerves, Kurt wiped at the oil he’d gotten on his hands. “I’d like to… I mean…” Puck looked at him questioningly. “I’d like to introduce you to…” He wanted to say Noah, but for whatever reason, he chickened out at the last second. Deep down, Kurt knew that it was because things were still so new and shaky between them, but he felt like a coward nonetheless. “Puck.”
Suddenly, Burt’s attention turned to Puck. Next to Kurt, Puck seemed to shift around on his feet a little, as if uncomfortable. And Puck’s sudden unease caused the tips of Kurt’s ears to burn, but he couldn’t back down now. “I know you two already know -”
“No, it’s ok.” Burt interrupted Kurt as he reached over to clap him on the shoulder. After he let go, he extended his hand to Puck.
For a moment, Puck stood there staring at Burt’s outstretched hand in shock. To his credit, Burt just waited, unflinching, for Puck to return the gesture. For a moment though, Kurt didn’t think he would. But before the worry could set it, Puck tentatively stuck out his own hand.
And all but sighing in relief, Kurt swallowed deeply as his father and Puck shook hands. Even though Kurt had seen them together before, it was still surreal to watch them shake hands. He couldn’t help but watch them in amazement.
As Burt let go of Puck’s hand, Kurt had to press his lips together to keep himself from smiling like a fool. And when Puck turned to smile at him, Kurt couldn’t make out the expression on his face. It was a mixture of amusement and triumph that he wanted to examine more. But before he could, his attention was caught by Burt giving Puck an appraising look. It was almost like Burt was seeing Puck in a different light. Because even though Puck had made a positive impression on Burt, Kurt knew he wasn’t about to turn a blind eye on the boy.
Instantly Kurt was glad that his dad didn’t have a shotgun at home.
“So, Puck…” Burt’s tone was light and conversational, but it still put Kurt slightly on edge. From the look on Puck’s face, he wasn’t completely calm either. “You got a real name, son?” Burt smiled a little reassuringly.
“Oh, umh…” Puck stuttered, and Kurt could tell he was taken aback by the question. “Yeah, I mean… Yes. It’s, it’s Noah… sir.”
As Kurt watched Puck, all of the confident swagger and bravado disappeared from Puck’s face. At the moment he looked more like a sixteen-year-old boy than Kurt had even seen him look before; Puck always seemed so much older, so much more self-assured than the rest of the glee club that Kurt could hardly believe it was the same person. As he looked at the other boy, Kurt found himself wanting to reach over and take Puck’s hand in an effort to reassure him. But Kurt didn’t know how Puck (or his dad) would react.
So, he didn’t.
Instead, Kurt just stood there, watching Puck and wishing he could offer some sort of comfort.
“Ok, Noah.” If Burt was nervous or uncomfortable in any way, Kurt couldn’t tell. Burt looked completely in control and as if he knew what he was doing. “How about you come on over for dinner tonight?” Kurt’s eyes widened in shock, and he only just managed to keep his mouth from falling open. “Kurt’s a great cook.”
Kurt felt the tips of his ears begin to burn as Puck and Burt looked over at him expectantly. He wanted to object, to protest, because when it came down to it… he and Puck hadn’t even gone on an official I’m-going-to-pick-you-up-at-seven-with-roses-in-hand type of date. (Not that he wanted roses but still.) So far, they’d watched TV together and hung out in a cornfield. That was it. And even though Kurt loved his dad, he didn’t want him to be there for his first sit-down-at-a-table meal with Puck.
It just wasn’t fair.
“You can cook?” Puck’s voice cut through Kurt’s inner turmoil. He looked surprised and a little impressed.
“I…” Kurt’s grip tightened on the long forgotten rod he was holding in his hands. He really wasn’t comfortable with the idea of a cozy dinner for three yet. But from the look on Puck’s face, he could tell that there was no way around it. “Yes. Some, anyway.”
“Alright then.” Burt was smiling at the both of them, but Kurt could see the slightest trace of worry and unease in his eyes. The sight made Kurt realize that, as uncomfortable as he was with the idea of having Puck over for dinner, his dad was just as anxious. (Even if it was for completely different reasons.) “Seven o’clock. Our house.”
“I’ll be there.” Puck smiled and nodded a little, a touch of mischief in his eyes. The look thrilled Kurt as much as it worried him, and try as Kurt might, he simply could not tell what the other boy was thinking.
“All right then.” Burt looked over at Kurt, his eyes full of business. “When you finish up here, there’s a Honda out front that needs the windshield wipers fixed. Make sure that Terry doesn’t try and take the job from you.”
“Oh, right.” For the past few minutes, Kurt had forgotten that he was supposed to be working. And now that he remembered, he felt self-conscious about his Craftsmen overalls and dirty nails. But there was no way he could hide his hands or jazz up his plain ensemble. “I’ll take care of it.”
Burt nodded and started to walk away. But before taking five steps, he turned back towards them. “Also, this job -” He pointed at Puck’s beat up truck. “Is on the house.” Burt didn’t wait to respond. Instead, he turned back around and walked away.
“Your dad is awesome.” The sincerity of Puck’s tone cut straight to Kurt’s heart. Burt hated giving discounts. Even to Uncle Mike. (But really, Uncle Mike needed his broken down Buick repaired so often that Hummel Tires and Lube would have lost a lot of money by giving him discounts.) So Kurt understood just how strong a gesture it was for him to let Kurt repair Puck’s truck on the house.
When Kurt responded, his voice was low and filled with emotion. “I know.” He didn’t say anything else, but then again, he didn’t need to. Instead, he turned back to the truck and its dirty oil tank.
Puck moved to stand next to him, so close that their hips bumped together softly. The subtle contact caused Kurt’s breath to hitch a little as Puck said, “So, dinner tonight…”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me…” Kurt was frantic as he breathed into the receiver of his cell phone.
“Kurt, what’s going on? What is it?” With each word, Mercedes’ voice got a little louder and a little more worried. “Tell me!” Her voice had gone up a few octaves and was hurting his ear.
Kurt took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. He knew that his best friend was probably pulling her hair out in anticipation, but he couldn’t help that. He needed to calm down, because people were staring to stare at him.
And not in a good way either.
The second he was calm enough, Kurt said, “My dad -”
“Your dad!” Mercedes sounded terrified and a touch hysterical. “Is your dad ok?”
“Yes, he’s fine!” Kurt had to raise his own voice a little so that he could get Mercedes’ attention. The raise in volume caused the woman next to Kurt to shoot him a dirty look as her sleeping toddler stirred. Normally, Kurt would have returned her glare with a dash of disdain, but right now, he was too freaked out to care. “But he invited Puck over for dinner tonight, and I need help.”
Kurt bounced nervously on the balls of his feet as he waited for an answer. However, instead of hearing some perfect solution come from his best friend, Kurt was met with complete silence at the other end of the line. And when it became obvious that Mercedes wasn’t about to say anything, Kurt huffed. “Mercedes?”
“Let me get this straight…” Mercedes spoke slowly, and Kurt could tell that she was beyond miffed. “You are fine. Your dad is fine. Everyone is fine.”
“Yes.” Irritation was quickly beginning to bubble in the pit of Kurt’s stomach. His dad had refused to let him off work early to go grocery shopping so he hadn’t been able to leave until five. It was now five seventeen, and Kurt was running out of time. He needed help, and he needed it now. “But I need -”
“So, even though everyone is fine…” Mercedes was mad, and she wasn’t about to let him get a word in edgewise. “You decide it’s ok to call and give me a heart attack because of dinner plans?”
“I…” When put like that, Kurt couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “I’m sorry. I just really need some help here.”
“Oh… Fine.” She didn’t sound completely mollified, but Mercedes didn’t sound as angry as before. And at that moment, that was good enough for Kurt. “What’s the problem?”
“I’m running out of time, and I don’t know what to serve.” It was ridiculous but true. In between working on trucks and cars, Kurt had tried to come up with a suitable menu. But nothing had seemed right.
It was either too casual (BBQ sandwiches) or too pretentious (lobster bisque). And now he was wandering through the produce section of Wal-Mart, wondering just was he was going to do. Normally, he wouldn’t have set one foot in the store. But given his lack of time and the fact that he passed Wal-Mart on the way home, he’d swallowed his pride and pulled into the parking lot.
“Where are you?” In the background, Kurt could hear the rustle of Mercedes’ car keys. “I’ll come help.”
“I’m at Wal-Mart and don’t bother.” Kurt sounded harsher than he meant to, and he felt terrible about it. “I’m sorry. There’s just… no time.”
“Ok.” Through the phone, Kurt could hear an engine starting, but he didn’t comment. “Well, how about burgers? Puck seems like a burger and fries kind of guy.”
Kurt had considered making burgers but threw the idea out almost instantly for being uncouth. “I am not serving burgers the first time Pu…” Kurt’s voice trailed off. He’d been too afraid to use Puck’s first name earlier, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. At least, not in private anyway. School was another matter altogether. “Noah comes over for dinner.”
“Noah?” The word came through the phone’s receiver full of shock that was accented with a touch of amusement.
“Yes, Noah.” Kurt pressed his lips together in an effort to hold back the smile tugging at his face. “Oh…” Kurt had wandered out of the produce section and was surprised to find himself in the middle of the pasta aisle. It was then that he decided what to make for dinner. Even if it might take a little longer than he had time for.
“Oh? What oh?” Mercedes sounded like she wanted to say more on the subject of “Noah,” but she didn’t.
“I’ll make pasta. I have this wonderful recipe…” Kurt pushed his cart along the aisle, past the Barilla brand pastas and the Wal-Mart brand Great Value choices. Once he got to the small selection of organic and specialty choices, Kurt stopped. Grabbing a package of whole wheat angel hair pasta, Kurt headed back towards the produce section.
“Well… I still think you should make hamburgers.” Mercedes waited for a minute, but Kurt didn’t respond. He was not going to make burgers. “But if you insist on making spaghetti, make sure you go light on the garlic. And don’t get garlic bread at all.”
“Why shouldn’t…” Kurt paused, a plump red tomato in hand as he thought about what Mercedes was saying. “Oh.” He felt his cheeks turn red as he dropped the tomato into a clear plastic bag. “Right.”
On the other end of the line, Mercedes just laughed as her car’s engine roared to life.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Just keep chopping, Kurt.” Mercedes placed a calming hand on Kurt’s shoulder as he continued to slice through a pile of baby portabella mushrooms. “I’ll get the table set.” Kurt kept chopping as he nodded at his best friend.
When he’d pulled up in front of his house, Kurt about cried at the sight of Mercedes’ car. His dad had let her inside while he’d still been at the store, and she’d done her best to help prepare things. When he’d walked into the kitchen, the cutting board had been on the counter, and there had been a pot of boiling on the stovetop. And as she’d began pulling the grocery bags out of his arms, Kurt could not have loved her more.
As soon as she’d walked into the dining room, Kurt had pulled his mother’s cookbook out of the “junk” drawer. The book was nothing more than a spiral bound notebook, but it was filled with recipes. Some were magazine clippings that had been taped to the pages while others were completely handwritten. Kurt had taught himself how to cook from it and had most of the recipes memorized, but he always pulled it out while cooking. If only so he could see his mom’s neat scrawl on the yellowing pages.
His plan for the night was a light marinara sauce that, according to his father, had been a favorite of his mom’s. And though Burt had assured Kurt that he’d had it many times when he had been little, Kurt couldn’t remember how it had tasted. He wished he could, but those memories had faded long ago.
Setting the sliced mushrooms aside, Kurt grabbed an onion and began chopping. The base of the sauce was already simmering, and next to it was a pot of hot water, ready for the pasta noodles. He was so close, but he still had so much to do. And as the pile of chopped onion began to grow, Kurt felt his eyes begin to sting and tear up, but he didn’t stop chopping.
“Kurt! What’s wrong?” Mercedes had come back into the kitchen and looked horrified at the sight of Kurt’s face.
“Nothing…” He paused in his chopping and pressed his forearm to his eyes for a moment. “Just…” Kurt sniffled a bit. “Onions.”
“Oh. I thought…” She eyed the notebook in the counter before looking back at him. “Never mind. What’s next?”
Kurt was beyond relieved that she hadn’t mentioned the cookbook. He didn’t have the time, or the energy, to try and tell her about it right then. “Silverware and glasses.” Back to chopping, Kurt used his foot to point towards the drawer that held the cutlery. Mercedes went straight to it as Kurt carefully slid the onions and mushrooms into the sauce pot.
Together they worked in harmony, Kurt slicing and dicing as Mercedes got the dining room ready. And before he knew it, the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of simmering vegetables and warming bread.
It was only then that Kurt realized that his dad hadn’t set foot in the kitchen once, which was rare. He generally loved to nibble and taste while Kurt was cooking (much to his chagrin). But from what he’d overheard, Burt was in the other room, helping Mercedes with the table.
Kurt wanted to go out and see how it looked, but the pasta needed to be strained. And there was still a bunch of other stuff that needed to be taken care of.
He was holding the pot over the sink when Mercedes burst into the kitchen. “Kurt! You need to go get dressed! Puck’s going to be here in fifteen minutes!”
Still holding the strainer, Kurt craned his neck to look at the clock. It was six forty-six. He didn’t even have fifteen minutes left to get ready. He had fourteen. “No!”
“Here, let me take that…” Burt’s strong hands closed over the warm handles right next to Kurt’s. “Go.”
Kurt let go and stepped away from the sink. For a moment, he stood there looking from his dad to his best friend. They were both watching him expectantly; Mercedes was smiling, and his dad looked strangely serious. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t have the time or the words. So, before either of them said anything else, he took off towards the basement.
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 those of you that are still following this story (despite all of my craziness here lately), thank you. You support (for this fic and for me) means a lot. :)
- Quack: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
- 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
Chapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
Chapter 12: Cloudy - Chance of Tension
Chapter 13: Pocket Squares
Chapter 14: All Apologies
Chapter 15: The “F” Word
Chapter 16: I’ve Come Undone
Chapter 17: Not So Blissfully Numb
Chapter 18: Drunken Lullabies
Chapter 19: Unwanted Visitor
Chapter 20: Please
Chapter 21: Free For All
Chapter 22: Raditude
Chapter 23: Like Father
Chapter 24: What Other Reason
Chapter 25: Hummel Tires and Lube
Part: Chapter 26: Nice To Meet You
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 S. Pierce, 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 26: Nice To Meet You
“You’re lucky.” Puck sounded sincere, and Kurt couldn’t help but feel just a little bit guilty. Not about having a great dad, but about having a dad who cared enough to try. Because he understood what the other side of that coin was like. But even though Kurt understood what it was like to have a strained relationship with his father, he didn’t know what it was like to not have him around at all.
“I know.” And he really did. Because thinking back over the past few months, Kurt realized just how much closer he and his dad had become. But it wasn’t just that; it was how much they’d come to rely on one another as well. There’d been so many times over the past few months where Kurt had leaned on his dad in ways he’d never thought possible. And as Burt came to stand with them, Kurt smiled at him softly.
“Hey, guys. How’s it going over here?” Burt looked from Kurt to Puck. But when he caught sight of their somber expressions, he turned back to Kurt, a silent question in his eyes. In response, Kurt gave a miniscule shake of his head. Thankfully, Burt caught on and didn’t ask what was wrong. “Checking out the oil tank?” Burt gestured at the dirty rag and rod in Kurt’s hands.
Kurt looked down at the cloth he was still holding. It was covered in filthy, gloppy oil from the oil gauge. “Yeah. The tank is dirty. A quick oil change and the engine will be purring like a kitten wrapped in cashmere in no time.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Puck and Burt looked at Kurt as if he was crazy. And if he was being honest with himself, Kurt couldn’t blame them. Kittens and cashmere didn’t really combine for the wittiest of comments. But Kurt couldn’t find it in himself to care about his less than stellar wit at that moment. He’d been trying to lighten the mood, and from the looks on his dad and Puck’s faces, he’d done just that.
They both looked slightly confused, but the mood was definitely lighter, and all of a sudden, Kurt was struck by an idea. He wanted to introduce them. He knew that they’d met before. But he felt the sudden desire to introduce them properly.
It was stupid and kind of pointless, but Kurt couldn’t help it. He needed to do it.
“Umh, Dad…” Kurt sounded hesitant all of a sudden, and he cursed himself for it.
In an effort to steady his nerves, Kurt wiped at the oil he’d gotten on his hands. “I’d like to… I mean…” Puck looked at him questioningly. “I’d like to introduce you to…” He wanted to say Noah, but for whatever reason, he chickened out at the last second. Deep down, Kurt knew that it was because things were still so new and shaky between them, but he felt like a coward nonetheless. “Puck.”
Suddenly, Burt’s attention turned to Puck. Next to Kurt, Puck seemed to shift around on his feet a little, as if uncomfortable. And Puck’s sudden unease caused the tips of Kurt’s ears to burn, but he couldn’t back down now. “I know you two already know -”
“No, it’s ok.” Burt interrupted Kurt as he reached over to clap him on the shoulder. After he let go, he extended his hand to Puck.
For a moment, Puck stood there staring at Burt’s outstretched hand in shock. To his credit, Burt just waited, unflinching, for Puck to return the gesture. For a moment though, Kurt didn’t think he would. But before the worry could set it, Puck tentatively stuck out his own hand.
And all but sighing in relief, Kurt swallowed deeply as his father and Puck shook hands. Even though Kurt had seen them together before, it was still surreal to watch them shake hands. He couldn’t help but watch them in amazement.
As Burt let go of Puck’s hand, Kurt had to press his lips together to keep himself from smiling like a fool. And when Puck turned to smile at him, Kurt couldn’t make out the expression on his face. It was a mixture of amusement and triumph that he wanted to examine more. But before he could, his attention was caught by Burt giving Puck an appraising look. It was almost like Burt was seeing Puck in a different light. Because even though Puck had made a positive impression on Burt, Kurt knew he wasn’t about to turn a blind eye on the boy.
Instantly Kurt was glad that his dad didn’t have a shotgun at home.
“So, Puck…” Burt’s tone was light and conversational, but it still put Kurt slightly on edge. From the look on Puck’s face, he wasn’t completely calm either. “You got a real name, son?” Burt smiled a little reassuringly.
“Oh, umh…” Puck stuttered, and Kurt could tell he was taken aback by the question. “Yeah, I mean… Yes. It’s, it’s Noah… sir.”
As Kurt watched Puck, all of the confident swagger and bravado disappeared from Puck’s face. At the moment he looked more like a sixteen-year-old boy than Kurt had even seen him look before; Puck always seemed so much older, so much more self-assured than the rest of the glee club that Kurt could hardly believe it was the same person. As he looked at the other boy, Kurt found himself wanting to reach over and take Puck’s hand in an effort to reassure him. But Kurt didn’t know how Puck (or his dad) would react.
So, he didn’t.
Instead, Kurt just stood there, watching Puck and wishing he could offer some sort of comfort.
“Ok, Noah.” If Burt was nervous or uncomfortable in any way, Kurt couldn’t tell. Burt looked completely in control and as if he knew what he was doing. “How about you come on over for dinner tonight?” Kurt’s eyes widened in shock, and he only just managed to keep his mouth from falling open. “Kurt’s a great cook.”
Kurt felt the tips of his ears begin to burn as Puck and Burt looked over at him expectantly. He wanted to object, to protest, because when it came down to it… he and Puck hadn’t even gone on an official I’m-going-to-pick-you-up-at-seven-with-roses-in-hand type of date. (Not that he wanted roses but still.) So far, they’d watched TV together and hung out in a cornfield. That was it. And even though Kurt loved his dad, he didn’t want him to be there for his first sit-down-at-a-table meal with Puck.
It just wasn’t fair.
“You can cook?” Puck’s voice cut through Kurt’s inner turmoil. He looked surprised and a little impressed.
“I…” Kurt’s grip tightened on the long forgotten rod he was holding in his hands. He really wasn’t comfortable with the idea of a cozy dinner for three yet. But from the look on Puck’s face, he could tell that there was no way around it. “Yes. Some, anyway.”
“Alright then.” Burt was smiling at the both of them, but Kurt could see the slightest trace of worry and unease in his eyes. The sight made Kurt realize that, as uncomfortable as he was with the idea of having Puck over for dinner, his dad was just as anxious. (Even if it was for completely different reasons.) “Seven o’clock. Our house.”
“I’ll be there.” Puck smiled and nodded a little, a touch of mischief in his eyes. The look thrilled Kurt as much as it worried him, and try as Kurt might, he simply could not tell what the other boy was thinking.
“All right then.” Burt looked over at Kurt, his eyes full of business. “When you finish up here, there’s a Honda out front that needs the windshield wipers fixed. Make sure that Terry doesn’t try and take the job from you.”
“Oh, right.” For the past few minutes, Kurt had forgotten that he was supposed to be working. And now that he remembered, he felt self-conscious about his Craftsmen overalls and dirty nails. But there was no way he could hide his hands or jazz up his plain ensemble. “I’ll take care of it.”
Burt nodded and started to walk away. But before taking five steps, he turned back towards them. “Also, this job -” He pointed at Puck’s beat up truck. “Is on the house.” Burt didn’t wait to respond. Instead, he turned back around and walked away.
“Your dad is awesome.” The sincerity of Puck’s tone cut straight to Kurt’s heart. Burt hated giving discounts. Even to Uncle Mike. (But really, Uncle Mike needed his broken down Buick repaired so often that Hummel Tires and Lube would have lost a lot of money by giving him discounts.) So Kurt understood just how strong a gesture it was for him to let Kurt repair Puck’s truck on the house.
When Kurt responded, his voice was low and filled with emotion. “I know.” He didn’t say anything else, but then again, he didn’t need to. Instead, he turned back to the truck and its dirty oil tank.
Puck moved to stand next to him, so close that their hips bumped together softly. The subtle contact caused Kurt’s breath to hitch a little as Puck said, “So, dinner tonight…”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me…” Kurt was frantic as he breathed into the receiver of his cell phone.
“Kurt, what’s going on? What is it?” With each word, Mercedes’ voice got a little louder and a little more worried. “Tell me!” Her voice had gone up a few octaves and was hurting his ear.
Kurt took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. He knew that his best friend was probably pulling her hair out in anticipation, but he couldn’t help that. He needed to calm down, because people were staring to stare at him.
And not in a good way either.
The second he was calm enough, Kurt said, “My dad -”
“Your dad!” Mercedes sounded terrified and a touch hysterical. “Is your dad ok?”
“Yes, he’s fine!” Kurt had to raise his own voice a little so that he could get Mercedes’ attention. The raise in volume caused the woman next to Kurt to shoot him a dirty look as her sleeping toddler stirred. Normally, Kurt would have returned her glare with a dash of disdain, but right now, he was too freaked out to care. “But he invited Puck over for dinner tonight, and I need help.”
Kurt bounced nervously on the balls of his feet as he waited for an answer. However, instead of hearing some perfect solution come from his best friend, Kurt was met with complete silence at the other end of the line. And when it became obvious that Mercedes wasn’t about to say anything, Kurt huffed. “Mercedes?”
“Let me get this straight…” Mercedes spoke slowly, and Kurt could tell that she was beyond miffed. “You are fine. Your dad is fine. Everyone is fine.”
“Yes.” Irritation was quickly beginning to bubble in the pit of Kurt’s stomach. His dad had refused to let him off work early to go grocery shopping so he hadn’t been able to leave until five. It was now five seventeen, and Kurt was running out of time. He needed help, and he needed it now. “But I need -”
“So, even though everyone is fine…” Mercedes was mad, and she wasn’t about to let him get a word in edgewise. “You decide it’s ok to call and give me a heart attack because of dinner plans?”
“I…” When put like that, Kurt couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. “I’m sorry. I just really need some help here.”
“Oh… Fine.” She didn’t sound completely mollified, but Mercedes didn’t sound as angry as before. And at that moment, that was good enough for Kurt. “What’s the problem?”
“I’m running out of time, and I don’t know what to serve.” It was ridiculous but true. In between working on trucks and cars, Kurt had tried to come up with a suitable menu. But nothing had seemed right.
It was either too casual (BBQ sandwiches) or too pretentious (lobster bisque). And now he was wandering through the produce section of Wal-Mart, wondering just was he was going to do. Normally, he wouldn’t have set one foot in the store. But given his lack of time and the fact that he passed Wal-Mart on the way home, he’d swallowed his pride and pulled into the parking lot.
“Where are you?” In the background, Kurt could hear the rustle of Mercedes’ car keys. “I’ll come help.”
“I’m at Wal-Mart and don’t bother.” Kurt sounded harsher than he meant to, and he felt terrible about it. “I’m sorry. There’s just… no time.”
“Ok.” Through the phone, Kurt could hear an engine starting, but he didn’t comment. “Well, how about burgers? Puck seems like a burger and fries kind of guy.”
Kurt had considered making burgers but threw the idea out almost instantly for being uncouth. “I am not serving burgers the first time Pu…” Kurt’s voice trailed off. He’d been too afraid to use Puck’s first name earlier, and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. At least, not in private anyway. School was another matter altogether. “Noah comes over for dinner.”
“Noah?” The word came through the phone’s receiver full of shock that was accented with a touch of amusement.
“Yes, Noah.” Kurt pressed his lips together in an effort to hold back the smile tugging at his face. “Oh…” Kurt had wandered out of the produce section and was surprised to find himself in the middle of the pasta aisle. It was then that he decided what to make for dinner. Even if it might take a little longer than he had time for.
“Oh? What oh?” Mercedes sounded like she wanted to say more on the subject of “Noah,” but she didn’t.
“I’ll make pasta. I have this wonderful recipe…” Kurt pushed his cart along the aisle, past the Barilla brand pastas and the Wal-Mart brand Great Value choices. Once he got to the small selection of organic and specialty choices, Kurt stopped. Grabbing a package of whole wheat angel hair pasta, Kurt headed back towards the produce section.
“Well… I still think you should make hamburgers.” Mercedes waited for a minute, but Kurt didn’t respond. He was not going to make burgers. “But if you insist on making spaghetti, make sure you go light on the garlic. And don’t get garlic bread at all.”
“Why shouldn’t…” Kurt paused, a plump red tomato in hand as he thought about what Mercedes was saying. “Oh.” He felt his cheeks turn red as he dropped the tomato into a clear plastic bag. “Right.”
On the other end of the line, Mercedes just laughed as her car’s engine roared to life.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Just keep chopping, Kurt.” Mercedes placed a calming hand on Kurt’s shoulder as he continued to slice through a pile of baby portabella mushrooms. “I’ll get the table set.” Kurt kept chopping as he nodded at his best friend.
When he’d pulled up in front of his house, Kurt about cried at the sight of Mercedes’ car. His dad had let her inside while he’d still been at the store, and she’d done her best to help prepare things. When he’d walked into the kitchen, the cutting board had been on the counter, and there had been a pot of boiling on the stovetop. And as she’d began pulling the grocery bags out of his arms, Kurt could not have loved her more.
As soon as she’d walked into the dining room, Kurt had pulled his mother’s cookbook out of the “junk” drawer. The book was nothing more than a spiral bound notebook, but it was filled with recipes. Some were magazine clippings that had been taped to the pages while others were completely handwritten. Kurt had taught himself how to cook from it and had most of the recipes memorized, but he always pulled it out while cooking. If only so he could see his mom’s neat scrawl on the yellowing pages.
His plan for the night was a light marinara sauce that, according to his father, had been a favorite of his mom’s. And though Burt had assured Kurt that he’d had it many times when he had been little, Kurt couldn’t remember how it had tasted. He wished he could, but those memories had faded long ago.
Setting the sliced mushrooms aside, Kurt grabbed an onion and began chopping. The base of the sauce was already simmering, and next to it was a pot of hot water, ready for the pasta noodles. He was so close, but he still had so much to do. And as the pile of chopped onion began to grow, Kurt felt his eyes begin to sting and tear up, but he didn’t stop chopping.
“Kurt! What’s wrong?” Mercedes had come back into the kitchen and looked horrified at the sight of Kurt’s face.
“Nothing…” He paused in his chopping and pressed his forearm to his eyes for a moment. “Just…” Kurt sniffled a bit. “Onions.”
“Oh. I thought…” She eyed the notebook in the counter before looking back at him. “Never mind. What’s next?”
Kurt was beyond relieved that she hadn’t mentioned the cookbook. He didn’t have the time, or the energy, to try and tell her about it right then. “Silverware and glasses.” Back to chopping, Kurt used his foot to point towards the drawer that held the cutlery. Mercedes went straight to it as Kurt carefully slid the onions and mushrooms into the sauce pot.
Together they worked in harmony, Kurt slicing and dicing as Mercedes got the dining room ready. And before he knew it, the kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma of simmering vegetables and warming bread.
It was only then that Kurt realized that his dad hadn’t set foot in the kitchen once, which was rare. He generally loved to nibble and taste while Kurt was cooking (much to his chagrin). But from what he’d overheard, Burt was in the other room, helping Mercedes with the table.
Kurt wanted to go out and see how it looked, but the pasta needed to be strained. And there was still a bunch of other stuff that needed to be taken care of.
He was holding the pot over the sink when Mercedes burst into the kitchen. “Kurt! You need to go get dressed! Puck’s going to be here in fifteen minutes!”
Still holding the strainer, Kurt craned his neck to look at the clock. It was six forty-six. He didn’t even have fifteen minutes left to get ready. He had fourteen. “No!”
“Here, let me take that…” Burt’s strong hands closed over the warm handles right next to Kurt’s. “Go.”
Kurt let go and stepped away from the sink. For a moment, he stood there looking from his dad to his best friend. They were both watching him expectantly; Mercedes was smiling, and his dad looked strangely serious. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t have the time or the words. So, before either of them said anything else, he took off towards the basement.
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 those of you that are still following this story (despite all of my craziness here lately), thank you. You support (for this fic and for me) means a lot. :)
- Quack: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
- 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
Chapter 11: Damon Salvatore vs. Dexter Morgan
Chapter 12: Cloudy - Chance of Tension
Chapter 13: Pocket Squares
Chapter 14: All Apologies
Chapter 15: The “F” Word
Chapter 16: I’ve Come Undone
Chapter 17: Not So Blissfully Numb
Chapter 18: Drunken Lullabies
Chapter 19: Unwanted Visitor
Chapter 20: Please
Chapter 21: Free For All
Chapter 22: Raditude
Chapter 23: Like Father
Chapter 24: What Other Reason
Chapter 25: Hummel Tires and Lube