Fic: Smoldering Ruins - 11/15
Title: Smoldering Ruins - 11/15
Genre: Drama / Angst / Fluff
Rating: R
Word Count: 15508
Pairing: Puck/Kurt
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. Previous chapters found here.
Kurt did not exactly miss Lima, Ohio. For one thing, he had just been back for the holiday and for another, it always seemed to bring back bad memories. It had its good memories too, of course. He had found his family and his closest of friends there; he had learned his personal strengths and of course he had the McKinley High glee club. Still, it also reminded him of slushies to the face, being thrown into dumpsters and his boyfriend being raped.
Kurt really just wanted to go back home. He wanted the man who raped his boyfriend to be put behind bars forever or just killed or something. He wanted peace in his life. He wanted to finally get his degree and give his daughter and future husband the life that they so truly deserved. He wanted some peace. “Beth, what are you doing?” he asked, coming up behind his daughter who seemed to be sulking in the guest room they were staying in.
The little girl turned to Kurt and gave him a huffy sigh. “I miss daddy,” she said. “I want daddy to be here right now already.”
Kurt sighed a little bit. He had to admit that his daughter had it right. He missed Puck too, so much and he was absolutely worried about him. Kurt knew that Puck was smart, but he also knew that his fiancé was reckless and hadn’t been the same since he realized that the demon from his past had returned. He knew very well that Puck could possibly do something stupid and the very thought made him sick to his stomach. “I miss him too baby girl,” he said, reaching his arms out for a hug.
Beth knew that he needed a hug, it seemed, because as grouchy as she was, she hugged him tightly. “This is stupid papa, so stupid.”
He nodded a little bit, hugging the tiny girl close to his chest. Normally he would tell her not to say that, but it was stupid. Here he was sitting around in Lima while Puck was probably doing something utterly asinine.
He looked over Beth’s shoulder and saw his father. He was looking at Kurt and Beth’s tight embrace with deep concern and understanding. “Kurt, are you alright?” the man asked softly, always knowing his son.
Kurt shook his head and let Beth go. “Beth, can you go find grandma for me?” he asked softly.
The little girl rolled her eyes, probably knowing that her daddy was upset, but listened to him obediently anyway. She headed down the hall and he looked at his father. He hated to lay such a burden down on his father but he was so confused and so tired. He didn’t know what to do. “I’m not okay dad,” he whispered. “I’m really worried about Puck. I think he’s going to do something stupid.”
“What do you mean something stupid?” Burt asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Kurt sat next to him and looked down at the floor. He wasn’t even sure what he meant. God, he was probably going crazy.
“I…”
He stopped. That was when he realized that Puck was going to do something incredibly dumb. Kurt had left his home with the sinking feeling that it was the stupidest thing he’d ever done and it undoubtedly was. He knew Noah Puckerman better than he knew anyone else in the whole world and if Puck wanted to get out and come to Ohio he would have. No employer was strong enough to stop him from doing what he wanted.
Oh god, Puck wanted to face Trevor himself.
He was pulled out of his realization by his father, who laid a hand on his shoulder. “Kurt,” he said softly. “You just went paler than a ghost. What’s going on?”
“I have to go home,” Kurt told him quickly, standing up. “Can you and Carole watch Beth for a few days? Oh my god, Dad, I have to get home before Noah does the stupidest thing he could possibly do.”
His father stood up as well and laid a hand on his shoulder. “What are you talking about Kurt?” he asked firmly.
“He’s going to face that…that rapist…oh my god Dad.”
"Wait a minute son," Burt said firmly, steadying Kurt with both hands. Kurt stopped in his hysteria and looked straight into his father's eyes. Burt spoke slowly and clearly, bringing Kurt down a little, but still he knew that his fears were not unfounded. "I know that Noah has made some pretty rash decisions in the past but he's not that boy anymore. He has you, he's going to marry you Kurt, and he has his daughter. He's not going to risk all of that to get some closure with a rapist. He's not that damned stupid. Is he?"
Kurt would have laughed at the hesitance at the end of his father's statement if the situation wasn't so dire. "Dad, this is serious," he said softly. "Yes, I truly believe that he would. Noah is the most wonderful man in the world and he's a good father and I love him so much but you can't even begin to understand what that rape did to him."
"If you really think he'd do something like that and you need to go Kurt, go. I know that you're probably the only one who can talk some sense into that kid."
Kurt nodded. "Thank you Dad," he whispered. "I love you so much."
Kurt rushed right past his father and into the kitchen, where Carole had a tired out looking Beth sitting on her lap. He knelt down in front of them. "Bethie," he said softly. "I need to go back home to bring your daddy to us. Is that going to be okay with you? It'll make daddy come back a lot faster."
Carole looked concerned but did not open her mouth. Beth nodded slowly. "You're gonna bring him back here?" she asked softly, looking up at him with the big eyes that had owned his heart years before.
"Yep," Kurt said softly, his voice as comforting as he could manage. "I am going to bring daddy back here." All in one piece, Kurt added mentally, hoping he could get back home before Puck did anything stupid. "Can you be a very good girl for grandma and grandpa? I'm going to ask them for a full report when daddy and I get back here."
The girl nodded slowly.
"Don't worry about her Kurt," Carole said, her voice comforting. Carole didn't even know what was going on and didn't even ask Kurt. She was just there, a soft, soothing and comforting source. Kurt was so glad that his father had married her when he did. She was completely his mother and the best grandmother that Beth could ever ask for. "She's a good girl and we are going to have so much fun while we wait for you."
Kurt nodded. "Thank you," he whispered.
Kurt was buying a return ticket and out of the door in no time at all. He was praying, even though he never prayed, that Puck didn’t do anything stupid yet. He knew in his heart that was planning to.
I swear to God, Noah, Kurt thought bitterly as his cab made its way into the city to catch the plane. I swear to God if you did anything to get yourself hurt I will kill you.
Genre: Drama / Angst / Fluff
Rating: R
Word Count: 15508
Pairing: Puck/Kurt
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. Previous chapters found here.
Kurt did not exactly miss Lima, Ohio. For one thing, he had just been back for the holiday and for another, it always seemed to bring back bad memories. It had its good memories too, of course. He had found his family and his closest of friends there; he had learned his personal strengths and of course he had the McKinley High glee club. Still, it also reminded him of slushies to the face, being thrown into dumpsters and his boyfriend being raped.
Kurt really just wanted to go back home. He wanted the man who raped his boyfriend to be put behind bars forever or just killed or something. He wanted peace in his life. He wanted to finally get his degree and give his daughter and future husband the life that they so truly deserved. He wanted some peace. “Beth, what are you doing?” he asked, coming up behind his daughter who seemed to be sulking in the guest room they were staying in.
The little girl turned to Kurt and gave him a huffy sigh. “I miss daddy,” she said. “I want daddy to be here right now already.”
Kurt sighed a little bit. He had to admit that his daughter had it right. He missed Puck too, so much and he was absolutely worried about him. Kurt knew that Puck was smart, but he also knew that his fiancé was reckless and hadn’t been the same since he realized that the demon from his past had returned. He knew very well that Puck could possibly do something stupid and the very thought made him sick to his stomach. “I miss him too baby girl,” he said, reaching his arms out for a hug.
Beth knew that he needed a hug, it seemed, because as grouchy as she was, she hugged him tightly. “This is stupid papa, so stupid.”
He nodded a little bit, hugging the tiny girl close to his chest. Normally he would tell her not to say that, but it was stupid. Here he was sitting around in Lima while Puck was probably doing something utterly asinine.
He looked over Beth’s shoulder and saw his father. He was looking at Kurt and Beth’s tight embrace with deep concern and understanding. “Kurt, are you alright?” the man asked softly, always knowing his son.
Kurt shook his head and let Beth go. “Beth, can you go find grandma for me?” he asked softly.
The little girl rolled her eyes, probably knowing that her daddy was upset, but listened to him obediently anyway. She headed down the hall and he looked at his father. He hated to lay such a burden down on his father but he was so confused and so tired. He didn’t know what to do. “I’m not okay dad,” he whispered. “I’m really worried about Puck. I think he’s going to do something stupid.”
“What do you mean something stupid?” Burt asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Kurt sat next to him and looked down at the floor. He wasn’t even sure what he meant. God, he was probably going crazy.
“I…”
He stopped. That was when he realized that Puck was going to do something incredibly dumb. Kurt had left his home with the sinking feeling that it was the stupidest thing he’d ever done and it undoubtedly was. He knew Noah Puckerman better than he knew anyone else in the whole world and if Puck wanted to get out and come to Ohio he would have. No employer was strong enough to stop him from doing what he wanted.
Oh god, Puck wanted to face Trevor himself.
He was pulled out of his realization by his father, who laid a hand on his shoulder. “Kurt,” he said softly. “You just went paler than a ghost. What’s going on?”
“I have to go home,” Kurt told him quickly, standing up. “Can you and Carole watch Beth for a few days? Oh my god, Dad, I have to get home before Noah does the stupidest thing he could possibly do.”
His father stood up as well and laid a hand on his shoulder. “What are you talking about Kurt?” he asked firmly.
“He’s going to face that…that rapist…oh my god Dad.”
"Wait a minute son," Burt said firmly, steadying Kurt with both hands. Kurt stopped in his hysteria and looked straight into his father's eyes. Burt spoke slowly and clearly, bringing Kurt down a little, but still he knew that his fears were not unfounded. "I know that Noah has made some pretty rash decisions in the past but he's not that boy anymore. He has you, he's going to marry you Kurt, and he has his daughter. He's not going to risk all of that to get some closure with a rapist. He's not that damned stupid. Is he?"
Kurt would have laughed at the hesitance at the end of his father's statement if the situation wasn't so dire. "Dad, this is serious," he said softly. "Yes, I truly believe that he would. Noah is the most wonderful man in the world and he's a good father and I love him so much but you can't even begin to understand what that rape did to him."
"If you really think he'd do something like that and you need to go Kurt, go. I know that you're probably the only one who can talk some sense into that kid."
Kurt nodded. "Thank you Dad," he whispered. "I love you so much."
Kurt rushed right past his father and into the kitchen, where Carole had a tired out looking Beth sitting on her lap. He knelt down in front of them. "Bethie," he said softly. "I need to go back home to bring your daddy to us. Is that going to be okay with you? It'll make daddy come back a lot faster."
Carole looked concerned but did not open her mouth. Beth nodded slowly. "You're gonna bring him back here?" she asked softly, looking up at him with the big eyes that had owned his heart years before.
"Yep," Kurt said softly, his voice as comforting as he could manage. "I am going to bring daddy back here." All in one piece, Kurt added mentally, hoping he could get back home before Puck did anything stupid. "Can you be a very good girl for grandma and grandpa? I'm going to ask them for a full report when daddy and I get back here."
The girl nodded slowly.
"Don't worry about her Kurt," Carole said, her voice comforting. Carole didn't even know what was going on and didn't even ask Kurt. She was just there, a soft, soothing and comforting source. Kurt was so glad that his father had married her when he did. She was completely his mother and the best grandmother that Beth could ever ask for. "She's a good girl and we are going to have so much fun while we wait for you."
Kurt nodded. "Thank you," he whispered.
Kurt was buying a return ticket and out of the door in no time at all. He was praying, even though he never prayed, that Puck didn’t do anything stupid yet. He knew in his heart that was planning to.
I swear to God, Noah, Kurt thought bitterly as his cab made its way into the city to catch the plane. I swear to God if you did anything to get yourself hurt I will kill you.