Fic: Smoldering Ruins - 3/?
Series: The Rebuilding Series
Title: Smoldering Ruins - 3/?
Genre: Drama / Angst / Fluff
Rating: R
Word Count: 4500
Pairing: Puck/Kurt, Rachel/Finn
Summary: The past is a powerful entity, even as the future becomes brighter, better and stronger. Part Three of The Rebuilding Series, Following The System and Disaster.
The police treated Puck like he was paranoid and like the threat was some kind of prank. Kurt was not happy, not happy in the slightest. This was his daughter being put at risk and he was ready to throw a fit. He sat at Puck’s side in the local police department, arms wrapped around his own body, anxious and afraid. Someone had threatened his daughter and the police were treating it like it was nothing. Kurt held his tongue, because he knew that Puck was doing a very good job speaking his case and he wasn’t as cool as Puck was under stress.
“I know that you have reason to suspect this man of threatening you,” the balding police officer said, his voice dripping with condescension. “It was a very traumatizing thing that you endured as a young man.”
“Yes, it was,” Puck said, keeping surprisingly cool. Kurt was proud of him. “It was traumatizing and I will never forget him. I will never forget what he did to me and what he’s capable of and now he’s out and threatening my daughter.”
“We’re going to run an investigation,” the officer said softly, hand on Puck’s shoulder all of a sudden. “We’re going to run an investigation but for right now, the best thing that you can do is go home to your daughter. Nobody is going to hurt her. You can have our assurance on that. We’re going to make sure that your home is one hundred percent safe.”
Despite Puck’s adamant protests, they did go home after that disastrous encounter. Kurt was worried for Beth and wanted to be there with his daughter. He knew that Puck wanted to be at her side to protect her too. Sometimes Kurt felt more certain that home and his fiancé could protect their own, far more than he was certain of the police. They were the ones who were her fathers, after all.
When they arrived home, the blur of a five year old rushed to their side and wrapped her arms around Puck’s leg. Her babysitter Shauna stood behind her, looking just as worried. Shauna was one of Kurt’s classmates and really loved being able to babysit Beth, but she had obviously picked up on the fact that something was wrong.
“I worried ‘bout you daddy,” Beth admitted quietly, sounding far older than five years old in that second.
Kurt turned his head and watched as his beloved’s face changed a little. Puck swept Beth up into his arms and kissed her on the nose. “Don’t worry about me, princess,” he said, softly. “Worrying is your daddies’ job. You never have to worry about us, ok?”
Beth nodded slowly, but it was obvious the child had another question to ask. “Why were you cryin’ daddy?” she finally blurted out shyly.
He hesitated.
“I had a bad memory that made me sad,” he told the child. “Papa kissed it all better though. He’s the best at kissing owies, right?”
She nodded in agreement.
He smiled at her and tickled her side. “I’m still feeling kind of blue, Bethie,” he admitted. “Did you eat dinner?”
She nodded.
“Alright,” Puck said happily. “Why don’t you go get your pajamas on and we’ll all go watch Mulan.”
This brightened up the little girl’s face, as that was her favorite Disney movie. She ran off to go get her pajamas while Puck and Kurt paid Shauna and assured the girl that they’d be alright. When the babysitter left, Puck turned to Kurt. “I really don’t know what to do right now,” he admitted. “So, I think we just need some family time.”
Kurt was proud of his fiancé. He had grown up so much and knew how to handle crisis in such a strong, mature manner. “I’ll go make snacks,” he said. “You make sure that Beth got her pajamas on and everything.”
Kurt went and made them some popcorn. He was really worried. He didn’t know much about the boy who raped Puck, but he was a disturbed young man then and now he was a grown man who had been released from a long prison sentence. He had been close to getting off scott-free for the rape too, when the corruption charges had been laid against the juvenile detention center. He would no doubt blame Puck for the fact that he had been unable to get off.
He shook his thoughts off when the microwave beeped. He put the popcorn into a bowl and went into the bedroom. He found Puck already cuddled up to Beth, who was wearing her pink Disney nightgown. “I brought popcorn!” he declared, putting the bowl on the bed and going to get a towel to lie down so that they didn’t spill crumbs.
“I bet it’s Papa’s icky popcorn,” Puck teased. “The kind that tastes like paper.”
“Papa’s food isn’t icky,” Beth argued.
“I win,” Kurt said, at his daughter’s approval. “She likes organic food. She’s my girl.”
Puck rolled his eyes and curled up close. He hit the play button to start the movie. Beth adored Disney movies, but this one had always been her favorite. It had been one of the first movies that they brought from Kurt’s house to their apartment after Beth had been adopted. Beth had seen it about a million times, but she never stopped staring at it like it was the first time.
Like any other Disney movie night in their household, there was a lot of singing. Beth sang quietly along with the heroine, mumbling her words sleepily and her daddies did their own fantastic rendition of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” one which left the little girl giggling hysterically.
It only took about forty minutes for their sleepy girl to fall asleep. She yawned a couple of times and tried her best to keep her eyes open, but pretty soon she was fast asleep between her fathers.
Kurt watched Puck for awhile, while the movie finished. He could see the horrible thoughts behind his eyes at it hurt. It reminded him far too much of the haunted teenager that Puck had been shortly after the rape. It had taken over his life. It had taken over who he was and it was likely going to be with him forever.
It made Kurt murderously angry. That horrible boy had already taken so much from the man he loved and now he was back, attempting to take even more.
Puck closed his eyes for a moment and Kurt watched as a tiny shudder passed through him. He cried out, very quietly. “What’s wrong baby?” Kurt asked, whispering his words as to not wake the child sleeping in between them.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Puck said and got out of bed delicately.
Kurt sighed very softly. He hoped that this wouldn’t lead to Puck closing himself off again, like he sometimes did when he was distressed. Kurt very carefully got up and then covered Beth up with the blankets. He wanted her to sleep in their bed tonight. He knew that was over attached and normally he wouldn’t approve of such a thing but he wanted to feel like he could protect her tonight.
He went into the bathroom and found Puck staring into the mirror. “Hey,” he whispered. “I covered Beth up. I figure she can sleep in our room tonight. It might make us all feel a little bit better over this madness.”
Puck shrugged and looked at Kurt. “I can’t stop seeing his face again,” he whispered. “Why now, Kurt? It’s been years and I thought I’d let go of that.”
Kurt frowned softly and put his arms around his fiancé, holding tightly. “I don’t think something like that can ever truly leave you, not completely at least,” he admitted.
“He didn’t even care that he destroyed me,” Puck lamented. “I will never forget the way that he showed absolutely no remorse in that court room. I think he could easily try to destroy me again.”
Kurt nodded slowly. “I know you’re scared,” he said, even though Puck still had issues admitting to total fear. “I’m scared too. I think we should call Catherine, so that someone can be here for Beth if you and I need to leave and take action at any time. We can make it through this Noah. What haven’t we faced?”
Title: Smoldering Ruins - 3/?
Genre: Drama / Angst / Fluff
Rating: R
Word Count: 4500
Pairing: Puck/Kurt, Rachel/Finn
Summary: The past is a powerful entity, even as the future becomes brighter, better and stronger. Part Three of The Rebuilding Series, Following The System and Disaster.
The police treated Puck like he was paranoid and like the threat was some kind of prank. Kurt was not happy, not happy in the slightest. This was his daughter being put at risk and he was ready to throw a fit. He sat at Puck’s side in the local police department, arms wrapped around his own body, anxious and afraid. Someone had threatened his daughter and the police were treating it like it was nothing. Kurt held his tongue, because he knew that Puck was doing a very good job speaking his case and he wasn’t as cool as Puck was under stress.
“I know that you have reason to suspect this man of threatening you,” the balding police officer said, his voice dripping with condescension. “It was a very traumatizing thing that you endured as a young man.”
“Yes, it was,” Puck said, keeping surprisingly cool. Kurt was proud of him. “It was traumatizing and I will never forget him. I will never forget what he did to me and what he’s capable of and now he’s out and threatening my daughter.”
“We’re going to run an investigation,” the officer said softly, hand on Puck’s shoulder all of a sudden. “We’re going to run an investigation but for right now, the best thing that you can do is go home to your daughter. Nobody is going to hurt her. You can have our assurance on that. We’re going to make sure that your home is one hundred percent safe.”
Despite Puck’s adamant protests, they did go home after that disastrous encounter. Kurt was worried for Beth and wanted to be there with his daughter. He knew that Puck wanted to be at her side to protect her too. Sometimes Kurt felt more certain that home and his fiancé could protect their own, far more than he was certain of the police. They were the ones who were her fathers, after all.
When they arrived home, the blur of a five year old rushed to their side and wrapped her arms around Puck’s leg. Her babysitter Shauna stood behind her, looking just as worried. Shauna was one of Kurt’s classmates and really loved being able to babysit Beth, but she had obviously picked up on the fact that something was wrong.
“I worried ‘bout you daddy,” Beth admitted quietly, sounding far older than five years old in that second.
Kurt turned his head and watched as his beloved’s face changed a little. Puck swept Beth up into his arms and kissed her on the nose. “Don’t worry about me, princess,” he said, softly. “Worrying is your daddies’ job. You never have to worry about us, ok?”
Beth nodded slowly, but it was obvious the child had another question to ask. “Why were you cryin’ daddy?” she finally blurted out shyly.
He hesitated.
“I had a bad memory that made me sad,” he told the child. “Papa kissed it all better though. He’s the best at kissing owies, right?”
She nodded in agreement.
He smiled at her and tickled her side. “I’m still feeling kind of blue, Bethie,” he admitted. “Did you eat dinner?”
She nodded.
“Alright,” Puck said happily. “Why don’t you go get your pajamas on and we’ll all go watch Mulan.”
This brightened up the little girl’s face, as that was her favorite Disney movie. She ran off to go get her pajamas while Puck and Kurt paid Shauna and assured the girl that they’d be alright. When the babysitter left, Puck turned to Kurt. “I really don’t know what to do right now,” he admitted. “So, I think we just need some family time.”
Kurt was proud of his fiancé. He had grown up so much and knew how to handle crisis in such a strong, mature manner. “I’ll go make snacks,” he said. “You make sure that Beth got her pajamas on and everything.”
Kurt went and made them some popcorn. He was really worried. He didn’t know much about the boy who raped Puck, but he was a disturbed young man then and now he was a grown man who had been released from a long prison sentence. He had been close to getting off scott-free for the rape too, when the corruption charges had been laid against the juvenile detention center. He would no doubt blame Puck for the fact that he had been unable to get off.
He shook his thoughts off when the microwave beeped. He put the popcorn into a bowl and went into the bedroom. He found Puck already cuddled up to Beth, who was wearing her pink Disney nightgown. “I brought popcorn!” he declared, putting the bowl on the bed and going to get a towel to lie down so that they didn’t spill crumbs.
“I bet it’s Papa’s icky popcorn,” Puck teased. “The kind that tastes like paper.”
“Papa’s food isn’t icky,” Beth argued.
“I win,” Kurt said, at his daughter’s approval. “She likes organic food. She’s my girl.”
Puck rolled his eyes and curled up close. He hit the play button to start the movie. Beth adored Disney movies, but this one had always been her favorite. It had been one of the first movies that they brought from Kurt’s house to their apartment after Beth had been adopted. Beth had seen it about a million times, but she never stopped staring at it like it was the first time.
Like any other Disney movie night in their household, there was a lot of singing. Beth sang quietly along with the heroine, mumbling her words sleepily and her daddies did their own fantastic rendition of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” one which left the little girl giggling hysterically.
It only took about forty minutes for their sleepy girl to fall asleep. She yawned a couple of times and tried her best to keep her eyes open, but pretty soon she was fast asleep between her fathers.
Kurt watched Puck for awhile, while the movie finished. He could see the horrible thoughts behind his eyes at it hurt. It reminded him far too much of the haunted teenager that Puck had been shortly after the rape. It had taken over his life. It had taken over who he was and it was likely going to be with him forever.
It made Kurt murderously angry. That horrible boy had already taken so much from the man he loved and now he was back, attempting to take even more.
Puck closed his eyes for a moment and Kurt watched as a tiny shudder passed through him. He cried out, very quietly. “What’s wrong baby?” Kurt asked, whispering his words as to not wake the child sleeping in between them.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” Puck said and got out of bed delicately.
Kurt sighed very softly. He hoped that this wouldn’t lead to Puck closing himself off again, like he sometimes did when he was distressed. Kurt very carefully got up and then covered Beth up with the blankets. He wanted her to sleep in their bed tonight. He knew that was over attached and normally he wouldn’t approve of such a thing but he wanted to feel like he could protect her tonight.
He went into the bathroom and found Puck staring into the mirror. “Hey,” he whispered. “I covered Beth up. I figure she can sleep in our room tonight. It might make us all feel a little bit better over this madness.”
Puck shrugged and looked at Kurt. “I can’t stop seeing his face again,” he whispered. “Why now, Kurt? It’s been years and I thought I’d let go of that.”
Kurt frowned softly and put his arms around his fiancé, holding tightly. “I don’t think something like that can ever truly leave you, not completely at least,” he admitted.
“He didn’t even care that he destroyed me,” Puck lamented. “I will never forget the way that he showed absolutely no remorse in that court room. I think he could easily try to destroy me again.”
Kurt nodded slowly. “I know you’re scared,” he said, even though Puck still had issues admitting to total fear. “I’m scared too. I think we should call Catherine, so that someone can be here for Beth if you and I need to leave and take action at any time. We can make it through this Noah. What haven’t we faced?”