Answers
Author: emocezi
Title: Answers. A sequel to Questions
Word Count: 6207
Rating: R, because once again, High School boys love to swear.
Pairing: Very slowly getting to Puckurt. Veeeeeery slowly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor do I make profit from this work of fiction.
A/N: I feel the need to apologize for making everyone cry for the last chapter, but I also feel compelled to warn you to keep your tissues close at hand. Because this one may cause ters as well, especially then end.
I'd also like to thank <>lj user="citrine_shadow"> and lovelycudy for pointing out that Mr. Hummel's name is Bert, which will help me in the next chapter...alot. :D
Kurt stayed home for two days, a compromise consisting of two new jackets and agreeing to talk to the police. He refused to press charges, knowing enough about law that it wouldn't make any difference. There was an intent to harm, but they couldn't prove anything.
The gleek showed up to school on a Thursday, it was overcast and threatening to rain but only spitting out a few tiny drops. Puck wasn't sure how it had happened, but someone must have seen or heard the jocks chasing Kurt, and it was all over the school.
The entire Glee Club was waiting for him as he pulled into the parking lot. Kurt got out of his car, ignoring the glances and whispers the way he'd been ignoring them his entire life. It was easy when you know how.
“Are you alright?” Artie asked, pushing up his glasses and holding out a hand for Kurt to bump.
“I'm fine. I don't know what all the excitement was about.” Kurt rolled his eyes, making a show on nonchalance for the jocks who were lurking just inside the school.
“I'm not leaving your side today.” Mercedes spoke, having been to Kurts house the day before when he'd called her. She laced her fingers with Kurts and squeezed his hand.
“I can't believe those morons. Who do they think they are anyway? They should have been expelled for that stunt. If that had been me I would have-”
“G-give it a rest Rachel. We've all b-been hearing for the past two days a-about what you would have d-done.” Tina rolled her eyes and Kurt cocked his head to the side, eyeing the Jewish Diva who flushed and looked off to the side.
“Yes well. I'm glad your safe.” She mumbled.
“Yeah. So am I.” There was a faint sneer in Kurt's voice that he knew she heard. He wasn't quite ready to forgive her over the 'Defying Gravity' incident, even if he had been the one to throw the competition.
“Hey Kurt. How are ya buddy?” Finn rounded the corner, Quinn in tow. A large hand settling on Kurts shoulder and squeezing. He grinned at the group, shooting Rachel a shy glance before wandering inside the school.
“The next person to ask if I'm fine is getting their face clawed off.” Kurt hissed under his breath.
“Hey Kurt, how are you feeling?” Mr. Schuester clapped him on the shoulder. “It's been quiet in Glee without you.”
“I doubt that, Rachel's been there hasn't she?” Kurt's smile and voice were pleasant despite his blistering sarcasm. Mr. Schuester's face fell for a moment, before he started smiling again.
“I'll see you in class Kurt.”
“What did you mean Kurt?” Rachel's face crumpled up like someone had just kicked her puppy.
“Nothing Rachel. Sorry.” The pale gleek headed into school, wanting to get to his locker without running into anyone else who felt the need to question his well being.
XxX XxX
Class had been normal, aside from the entire room going silent when he walked in behind Mercedes, letting him know they had all been talking about him. A couple of the jocks sneered at him, Blaque going so far as to make a slitting motion across his throat.
Kurt made a show of picking out his usual spot, settling into it and tuning out the room to talk to Mercedes. A hand slapped on his desk making him jump and setting the entire class to nervous titters as Puck sauntered by, leaving a small paper hexagon that on closer inspection turned out to be an origami rose.
Kurt blinked at it, poking it with his pencil, then shifting it closer while trying to make it look like he was just batting it around his desk.
“Let me see that.” Mercedes reached across the aisle and grabbed the rose, shooting Kurt a sly look and tucking it into her binder for discussion at a later, safer location.
XxX XxX
Lunch couldn't come soon enough, Kurt had had enough of suffering through everyones well wishes and hugs. He wasn't a touchy person to begin with, and the memory of terror at the hands of people he knew made him want human contact even less.
“Lets go to the mall.” Kurt sighed, pulling Mercedes along with him. “Lets ditch this afternoon, go see a movie.”
“Sounds good to me.” The brunette slipped her arm through Kurt's, the two heading for the parking lot.
“Running away again Hummel?”
“He's leaving with his mommy. Aintcha Hummel?”
“Too scared to stay the rest of the day.”
“Would you guys shut the hell up?” Kurt stopped in his tracks at the last comment, sharing a glance with Mercedes as Puck sauntered past again.
“What's it to ya Puck?” Blaque called out.
“Protecting your girlfriend?”
“Gentlemen...you have detention for the rest of the month, starting immediately.” Mr. Figgens' voice rang out, stopping the jocks mid taunt.
“What? You can't give us detention.” Matthews complained loudly.
“You should be so lucky that's all I'm giving you. Go with Ms. Sylvester, she'll be monitoring you.” Kurt and Mercedes stared as the three boys huffed and complained their way to detention. The Cheerios coach making rude remarks the entire way about certain human beings being complete wastes of air.
“Wow. I guess you won't have to worry about them waiting for you after school now.” Mercedes commented, narrowing her eyes at Puck who shot a smirk over his shoulder. She was positive he'd been the one to alert the principal to the taunting. She wasn't about to forgive him for messing with her boy, but it was a start in the right direction.
XxX XxX
The two gleek's shopped for a few hours, picking out the two jackets Kurt was promised, and high tailing it back to school for Glee club. Kurt had already missed two days, he hated missing a second of the club and refused to miss anymore.
He'd opened the origami rose in the food court, Mercedes looking over his shoulder at the doodles on the inside. Silly little caricatures of Kurt messing with his hair. It was obvious from the small notations on the side that Puck had been in Spanish class.
“Wow. That boy's got it bad Kurt.”
“Huh?”
“This...you don't do something like this because you're bored in Spanish Kurt. He missed you, this is just his way of saying it.”
“Don't be stupid.”
“Kurt, you can't expect Puck to behave like a normal and decent human being. He's a jock, they express they're emotions differently.”
“That's if they have emotions Sadie.”
“I don't know why you won't just accept the fact that I'm right.” Mercedes sniffed, trying to refold the rose before giving up and tucking it into Kurt's binder. “We'd better get back to school or we'll miss Glee.” Stupid white boy, making everything harder then it had to be.
It wasn't as if Mercedes wanted anything to happen between the two, but Puck seemed like he was changing, becoming something vaguely human. Maybe it could be a good thing, for both of them.
XxX XxX
Glee was nothing exciting, everyone was ignored in favor of Finn and Rachel getting the leads...like no one saw that coming.
“ANTM is on tonight.” Kurt whispered to Mercedes as Mr. Schuester handed out assignments, it was a duet this week. And the specifications were a little odd; you had to pair up with someone you normally wouldn't.
“I hope that skinny blonde bitch hoofs it tonight.” The brunette whispered back, the two stopping as Puck and Matt approached them. They had purposefully sat nearest to the door so avoid something like this.
“So, Hummel.” Puck grabbed a spare seat and slouched into it. “Wanna be my partner?”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, ignoring the finger digging into his ribs even as Matt questioned Mercedes if she would consider working with him.
“I suppose no one else will work with you.”
“Such a humanitarian Hummel.”
“Such large words Noah, be careful you don't short circuit your brain.” Puck snickered but didn't leave his new spot until the bell rang.
XxX XxX
“I told you he liked you. When will you wrap your puny brain around my powers of deduction?”
“As soon as you lose that hideous jacket.”
“Hey, this jacket isn't hideous.”
“Please, even Hades has deserted you.”
“That's because he's eating.”
“That's a secondary concern, it was really to get away from that thing.” Kurt snickered, then shrieked as he got thwacked squarely in the chest with one of his down pillows.
“You did not just insult my favorite jacket.”
“You did not just start a pillow fight.” The sight of Kurt, skinny white boy making the same head moves and finger snaps as her sent Mercedes into giggle fits.
“So, working on a duet with Puck.”
“I know, what has the world come to?”
“Oh, be nice. He wouldn't stop talking to me during Glee yesterday once he found out I'd been to your house. I thought he was about to start asking if you were eating enough.” Mercedes rolled her eyes, subtly was underrated in high school, and overrated in the real world.
XxX XxX
Nothing exciting about the next day of school except for the fact that Puck sat next to him in every class they shared. Kurt had never taken count before, but only it was only Bio and Math that they didn't share.
It felt odd, like Hades had become human. Kurt swore on his mother's grave that Puck had growled at a couple of hockey players that had passed by him with slushies on the trek from English to Glee that afternoon.
“Alright guys, I want you to split up with your partners and pick a duet that fits both of your voices. We'll be presenting at the end of the week, I wanna see some creative choreography as well. You can't just be sitting around.” Mr. Schuester remarked as everyone settled in.
Mercedes smirked at Kurt as Puck pulled up a chair next to him, slouching around in a way that made Kurt's back ache in sympathy.
“You're going to get scoliosis if you keep sitting like that.”
“You can't get scoliosis from bad posture Hummel.” The boys sneered at each other before Kurt decided to get down to business.
“Hey, we can go like anything.” Puck sounded impressed, and for a moment Kurt was a little worried. “You've got a chick voice..we should do something with a high..what's that note from that song you wanted from Berry?”
“Defying Gravity from the Broadway muscle Wicked.” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “What is it with your in ability to call anyone by their given name?” Puck shrugged, slouching further into his chair and raising an eyebrow at Kurt who rolled his eyes and sat up straighter, crossing his left leg over his right.
“I've got a rule, no show tunes.”
“Second rule, no 80's hair metal.”
“Third rule, no cheesy love songs.” Kurt coughed into his hand to disguise a snicker. “What?”
“Most duets are cheesy love songs, Noah.”
“Oh come on. We've got be able to find something we can both work with.”
“I'll look through my mp3 collection tonight and bring some selections to school tomorrow.”
“Wouldn't it make more sense for both of us to look at songs?”
“I-I suppose.”
“I'll meet you at your locker then.”
“Wait, what?” Puck sat up a little straighter, an unholy smirk on his face that Kurt didn't trust at all.
“You agreed that it's logical for both of us to look through your song collection together to find something we both agree on.”
“Did...” Kurt rubbed his temples as if fending off a headache. “Did you just use the word logical in a sentence?”
“I do believe I did.”
“That's....terrifying.” Kurt gave a over exaggerated shudder, Pucks eyes narrowing.
“No, what's terrifying is the fact that you spend more time in front of a mirror then most girls I've dated.”
“And you know this how exactly?” Kurt rested his hands on his knee, eyebrow raised, head cocked.
“I've..heard some of the girls talking.”
“Uh huh.”
“What?”
“Nothing at all Noah, nothing at all.”
XxX XxX
Kurt wondered how he'd not only been talked into letting Noah Puckerman into his house, into his basement, but also into his baby. He knew Noah had driven his car home the day after...that had happened. But it always made him a little nervous to have the jock sitting next to him in an enclosed space.
The drive back to Kurt's house was relatively silent, both boys occupied with their own thoughts. Kurt had started to hum I could have danced all night, then Noah had begun to pound out a drum beat to whatever song was in his head. Kurt hummed louder and Noah sped up his drumming. The two glared at each other and fell silent.
XxX XxX
“You can go downstairs, I have to feed Hades.” Kurt said, taking off his jacket before he passed a hanger to Noah so the boy could do the same. He would never understand why people lay their jackets and scarves across chairs when there were closets readily available.
“I'll just wait.” It was clear that Noah felt uncomfortable being in Kurts basement without Kurt being present. It was oddly comforting, to know the jock could behave like a civilized human being. Kurt nodded, letting Hades out of his kennel, holding onto the Doberman's collar and motioning Puck over.
“I know you've been here before, but he's never associated you with 'friend'. Let him smell your hand.” Puck nodded, holding out a hand, Kurt rolled his eyes. “Make a fist.”
“Why?”
“So if he decides to bite you, you take less damage to your fingers.”
“He bites?” Noah sounded cautious, and Kurt smiled a little, looking down at his dog.
“Not usually. He's just a big suck. Aren't you, who's my big suck?” Kurt cooed to the dog, and Puck had to smile at the way the dog, it must have weighed about 90 pounds, cuddled up to Kurt. “hold out your hand.”
Puck rolled his eyes, curling his hand into a loose fist and presenting it to Hades, who sniffed him, then proceeded to bathe his hand in slobber.
“Oh good, he likes you.” Kurt grinned at him and Puck blinked. It was strange to see an actual expression on Kurt's face, all he'd ever received from the pale boy were sneers and sarcastic smiles that could cut glass. “Come on boo, let's go get you dinner. Stop crowding me...okay I'm sorry I yelled at you...no, stop, you're gonna knock me over. Hades.”
In short order the dog was fed, the boys were fed, and then the dog accompanied them down stairs. Puck could have sworn it kept shooting him looks like it knew what he was up to, it was unnerving having a Doberman stare you down.
“Watch this.” Kurt grinned at Puck as the jock settled down on the couch. The gleek snapped and pointed and Hades sat, tongue hanging out of his mouth in a doggy grin.
“Wow, he can sit.” Puck commented sarcastically, earning him an eye roll and an annoyed head flick.
Kurt started singing, no words, just long notes, each one rising in pitch. After a few seconds Hades joined in. Long desperate howls that almost sounded like words. Kurt kept it up until Noah's snickers made him break down as well.
“That's hilarious.”
“My baby loves to sing. Doesn't he, yes he does.” Kurt made kissy faces at his dog until Puck cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable at the display. Kurts mouth...in that shape...just asking for trouble.
“So, music?”
“Right, I'll go grab my laptop.” Kurt darted into his bedroom, then back out, leaving Noah only a glimpse of deep green walls and a king sized bed. It was enough to get him thinking about pale limbs spread out all over black silky sheets, curse his traitorous teenage brain.
Kurt turned his laptop on, a small silver Macintosh and waited, humming as it whirred and buzzed and started up. He kept the screen angled away from Puck until he pulled up iTunes, then plunked the laptop on Punk's lap.
“Pick a song, then we play it and figure if we can both sing it.” Kurt remarked, picking up a discarded novel and flipping to his bookmark. Puck glanced sideways to see the books title. Memoirs of a Geisha. The jock remembered Santana dragging him to that while they were still dating. It hadn't been totally boring, but it hadn't been totally awesome either.
Clicking through song after song and seeing nothing that caught his attention, Puck shot another sideways glance at Kurt who wasn't even paying attention to him, one hand on Hades' head, scratching the dogs ears, the other holding up his book.
The jock smirked a little and pressed the minimize button on the upper left hand corner of the screen. His eyebrows shot to his hairline at the background. Apparently, even though Kurt had finished with football, he wasn't done with the players yet. Puck remembered this day, it had been after another win from Kurt, and the team was in good spirits. He grinned at the picture covering the laptop. Himself in just jeans, the top button left undone, using his towel to flick Finn, whose face was caught in a sudden 'O' of surprise.
“Hey, Hummel.”
“My name is Kurt, Noah, try using it.” Was the bland reply, the gleek not even looking up from his book.
“Fine, Kurt. What's this?” He turned the laptop to the gleek who looked at it for a few seconds, smirked and went back to reading.
“That would be the screen saver Mercedes uploaded as a joke. She got the picture from Matt, I just haven't gotten around to putting something else up.”
“Yeah?” Puck could hear the sarcastic eyeroll.
“Oh no, you caught me. I ogle you every night before I go to bed.”
“Well, I am a fantastic specimen.”
“Umm hmm. Pick a song.”
“There's nothing on here. It's all chick songs.”
“God in heaven give me patience, with boys who have no taste in music.” Kurt settled his bookmark, set down the book and grabbed the laptop, bringing iTunes back up and flicking through his music with a practiced eye.
“How about this one?”
XxX XxX
Three hours later Kurt threw up his hands in exasperation.
“I give up. How are we supposed to do this if you can't decide on a song?”
“Like it's my fault you have chick music.” Puck snarked back. Kurt huffed, closing iTunes and then shutting down his computer. He set it on the floor, small peeks of moon pale skin showing as he stretched.
Puck moved closer and Kurts head snapped to the side and the movement, his eyes guarded and cautious in a way Puck had never seen before. It was interesting, putting the ice queen off his guard.
“Same time tomorrow then?”
“Don't you have football practice after school?” Raised eyebrow, quick smooth down of his shirt, then Kurt was standing, moving towards the stairs.
“I don't think the coach will mind me missing.”
“Ha.” A small humorless laugh. “Coach doesn't care about anything other then football and Ms. Pillsbury.”
“The Guidance Counselor? I thought her and Mr. Schue had a thing.”
“He is married.”
“Yeah but...”
“What, his wife is an unholy bitch?” Kurt smirked, eyes sharp as marbles. “Love does strange things to people, it smooths over the rough spots so all you see is perfection.”
Puck cast a wary glance at the gleek as they entered the kitchen.
“Cynical Hummel, I didn't see that one coming.”
“It's basic biology Noah, your body reacts to certain factors, wide hips, large breasts, symmetrical features because these things suggest the woman would be a good baby making machine. Love is hormones exploding all over your brain to keep you infatuated with your lady, to keep her and her offspring safe.”
“What about you then?”
“What about me?”
“If you're brain isn't...ya know, hardwired like the rest of ours, what gets your clock ticking?” Puck cocked his head, Kurt staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” Kurt's expression went from guarded to closed off so fast Puck wasn't sure when it happened.
“Go away Noah, I'll see you in Glee.”
“What? Come on, I think I deserve and answer.” Puck wheedled.
“You think I'm about to fall for that bullshit?” Kurt didn't swear, but when he did he made it sound like the words had been waiting for him. “I tell you, and you post it all over the school.”
“I..wouldn't do that.” And Puck was surprised to realize that he meant it.
“Noah, people can change, but they don't change in High School. They change when they're done, they change when they get into the real world and realize it's not a popularity competition.”
“So you're saying that you won't even give me a chance?”
“What are you talking about?” Kurt looked worried and a little befuddled now.
“I don't know...I'm gonna go.” Puck stared at the gleek who stared back at him. Then turned and headed for the door.
XxX XxX
He supposed he should be angrier, maybe a little scared, just something. It was just weird, getting feelings for someone who didn't have girly parts and jugs.
He had no idea how to get around to even talking about it with the gleek. Every time he'd attempted to start a conversation with the pale boy it ended in strange glances and that guarded expression, like Kurt was expecting to get the bad end of whatever this was, at any moment.
His team mates had noticed a change in him as well, and they took extra pleasure in bugging him about 'The soon to be Mrs. Puckerman' and it was starting to piss him off. What was it about guys that made them so afraid to just let go and find that one person you could stand to be around for more then five seconds, even if that person was a dude. Though Kurt could hardly be called a dude.
There was literally no one he could talk to, and he was starting to develop a new respect for the pale gleek. Being that different in a town like Lima, it must have been hell on him, and Puck realized with a start that he'd helped make it that way for years. How did you go around apologizing for something like that?
XxX XxX
“How would you...I mean like...hypothetically, how you you apologize to someone for throwing them in a dumpster since Grade nine?” So here he was, Noah Puckerman, sitting in Ms. Pillsbury's office, asking advice.
“Noah, you have to give this person time to accept the fact that you're not the same person you were before. You have to make them realize it, that you won't go back to they way you were before.”
“Yeah but...how?”
“Is it Kurt?” Puck nodded and Emma pursed her lips, making a small hmm-ing noise as she straightened her pencils. “Kurt's been through a lot in his life, and he copes by expecting the worst and being surprised when something nice happens. Show him that you can be something nice.”
“He said that people can't change during High School.”
“Most people are so wrapped up in their own little drama's that they don't want to change. Change is a large and often terrifying process. And sometimes in the process of change you start to forget who you are. I think that's what Kurt is most afraid of, that you'll start to change, and then realize it's too much work, let everything go back to the way it was before.”
“I wouldn't do that. I...” Here was the moment of truth, could he say it, could he really say it. “I...I kinda like him.” He mumbled, face flushing. Emma's little doll face softened, her eyes quiet with an inner pain that Puck could totally feel.
“Tell him that. But Noah, you can't rush into this, you'll scare him off. Right now he still thinks you're one of the jocks and he'll be expecting slushies and being thrown in the dumpster around every nice thing you do for him.” Puck nodded, mind working overtime as he moved to leave.
XxX XxX
“I...I kinda like Kurt, but he doesn't like me back.” Puck confessed and Mercedes rolled her eyes.
“Wow, I am so surprised.” Her voice monotone as she shook her head. They were in Bio, one of the few classes he didn't share with Kurt.
“Well, what do I do?”
“Just keep what you're doing. Being yourself, giving him little things like that rose. It takes him a while to open up to people. He's had a lifetime of people like you throwing him in trashcans and calling him names. He's got a fragile center.” Puck winced and doodled a few notes into his binder before he couldn't take the silence anymore.
“Really?” Mercedes pinched her nose and tried to think of a way to put in into terms a man such as Puck would understand.
“You've seen 'The Italian Job'?” Puck nodded. “He's like that big safe, strong on the outside, but he'd got a glass center, and if you drill the wrong way you'll shatter him and then you'll never get inside.”
Puck could feel a blush rising at the images 'inside' brought to mind. Mercedes noticed and jabbed him with her elbow.
“If I find out you hurt my boy, I will get my brother to take care of you.” Mercedes' older brother had gotten out of Lima, and was now an Officer in the United States Air Force. She bragged constantly, and it was one of the things that kept her from being bullied to much, no one wanted to mess with Lincoln when he came back in town on leave for the holidays and his baby sister's birthday.
XxX XxX
The rest of the day passed by with little excitement, Puck giving a little grin when he sat beside Kurt in his next class. He spent the rest of Spanish alternating between glaring at the clock, listening to Mr. Schuester go on and on about the difference between masculine and feminine terms, and looking at Kurt through the corner of his eye.
The gleek was filing his nails and seemingly ignoring the teacher, however, whenever Mr. Schuester would call on him, he would answer correctly. Soft feminine voice made somehow exotic with the proper pronunciation
“You're really good at Spanish.” The jock remarked as they were packing up for the next class, which just happened to be Glee.
“I spend winter vacation in Mexico with my father at our winter house.”
“You guys have a house in Mexico?” Puck couldn't keep the awe from his voice at the thought.
“It's disgustingly hot, there are cockroaches everywhere, you have to check your shoes for scorpions every morning before you go out the door. And if you're not careful you'll get mugged, beaten half to death, or stabbed walking to and from the beach. But other then that it's fantastic.” Sarcasm was always something Puck could appreciate, and Kurt managed to take it to a whole 'nother level.
“So...haven't found a song yet?”
“Everything I pick you discard, everything you pick is a waste of both our time and talent.”
“Hey, it ain't my fault your so fuckin' fussy.” Puck grumbled.
“It is not a bad thing to have tas-” Kurt was cut off from his argument with a slush to the face and Puck whirled to slam Matthews against a locker.
“What the fuck is wrong with you dude? Defending your boyfriend now Puck?” Matthews sneered, coughing a little as Puck's forearm pressed harder into his throat.
“Slush him again Matthews, and I'll show you defense.” Puck snarled, turning just in time to see Kurt dissapear into the mens bathroom. With one last glare the jock slapped open the door to the washroom, seeing Kurt's head under the sink doing nothing to drive the equal amounts of guilt and anger down.
“Do you need any help?”
“13-47-3.”
“What?”
“It's my locker combination, I have a spare change of clothes and a towel in the duffel bag, do you mind?” Kurt asked, the tone of his voice letting Puck know the last thing he wanted was to give the jock his locker combination.
“I'll be right back.”
In the few moments it took Puck to get to Kurt's locker and grab his bag, people were already whispering about him. But whatever, fuck these morons. He'd taken a slush for Rachel, and he hadn't even really liked her. The only reason he'd gone out with her was because of his God-dream, and he felt a little sorry for her, plus she had awesome legs. He could totally take people talking about him for Kurt.
XxX XxX
“You boys are late.” Mr. Schuester commented when they walked into the room. Kurt raised an eyebrow at Mercedes, a sign she understood immediately.
“Slushie, Mr. Shue.” The brunette commented, patting the chair next to her.
“Really, again?”
“Yes. Noah was kind enough to bring me my change of clothes as Mercedes was already in class. So if you must give someone detention, the blame is mine.” Will had to hide a grin at the amount of sarcastic drama that could pour out of Kurts mouth.
“No one is getting detention today Kurt. Just sit down and work on your duet.”
“Actually, if I could talk to you about that subject.” Kurt moved to where the teacher sat on the piano bench. “Does it have to be a duet or can it just be a song we can both sing?”
“Why do you ask that Kurt. Are you and Noah not getting along?”
“We're getting along just fine, we simply can't agree on a song. Everything he picks is from the eighties, and I've agreed to follow his rules and have excluded all show tunes and Broadway. And yet everything I pick is still discarded It's getting frustrating.” Will cocked his head to the side and smiled.
“I know it's against the rules, but I'll pick the song for you.”
“Thank you.” Kurt breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Not a problem, I remember having to do a duet with someone I could barely stand. I'll have it for you at the end of class.” Kurt nodded and headed over to Mercedes. Matt was on her left side, an open chair on her right, and Puck slouching right beside his spot.
“What was that about?”
“I asked Mr. Schuester if he could find us a song. He seemed to understand that our musical tastes differ too much for us to agree on anything.” Kurt sniffed, opening his binder and starting on his homework, there was nothing else to do until Mr. Schuester brought them a song.
“Hey.” Kurt looked over, an eyebrow raised. “Can you help me with my Spanish. I'm gonna bomb the class if I don't get at least 60 on the exam.”
“I suppose so. Do you have your notes?”
“Notes?” Kurt sighed and dug back into his bag, pulling out a different binder. This was going to be a long class.
XxX XxX
“So what's the song called again?”
“Alone, by Heart.”
“It seems pretty cheesy.” Puck commented scanning over the lyrics.
“It's a power ballad Noah, it's supposed to be cheesy.”
“Uh huh. Anyway, can I come over?” Kurt raised an eyebrow, fiddling with his combination lock and popping open his locker. “To practice the song I mean.”
“I suppose.” Kurt breathed out a long put upon sigh.
XxX XxX
“Why did Mr. Schue give this to you anyway?”
“He said something about it being the song that won him something big when he was still in school.” Kurt remarked absently as he highlighted off his sections of the song. The two boys were sprawled across the basement floor, Hades snoring on the couch after he'd realized there was nothing exciting going on.
“So...what's it like?”
“What's what like?” The silence was broken only by the faint squeak of the highlighter.
“Being gay.”
“I don't know Noah. What am I supposed to say to that?” Kurt shoved his books away, sitting up and snapping the lid back on his neon green highlighter. His cheeks were starting to flush red in what Puck was starting to recognize as temper, an emotion rarely witnessed by the outside world.
“No, I mean....how did you know?”
“Oh fuck no.” Kurt scrambled to his feet, stumbling back towards the stairs, his face had gone sheet white. “You....you don't get to do this.”
“Do what?” Puck pushed himself to his knees, bewildered at the gleek's sudden change of attitude. Kurt's feet hit the stairs and he fell backwards with a girly scream. Puck was on his feet in moments, crossing to Kurt who was rubbing the back of his head and pouting. “I don't get to do what?”
“Why are you doing this? Being so nice?”
“I...I dunno.” Puck shuffled, hating that he didn't have some quick comeback to put the pale boy at ease.
“So you think you're gay?” There was a sneer in the words, and Puck's eyes widened, he took a step backwards out of instinct.
“What, NO!.”
“You wouldn't be asking me if you weren't questioning yourself. Trust me on this one.”
“I'm not gay.” Puck's voice broke and he cleared his throat, cursing the fact that Kurt was blocking his way out of the house.
“I didn't say you were.” The sneer was still there, Kurt's eyes cold and hard. “You wouldn't have the balls to be gay.”
“Excuse me?” The shock of hearing Kurt say the word balls was nearly enough to send him into laughing fits, but then the meaning of the statement caught up to his adolescent brain.
“You think it's being thrown in dumpsters, getting called names, and getting slushes thrown in your face? Try having adults crossing the street so they don't catch your 'faggotry'. I've been called an 'Abomination against God' more times then I'd like to count. And don't even start on the obscene phone calls at three in the morning.”
“...” Puck opened his mouth, then closed it, not knowing what to say. He knew his eyes were huge, but he couldn't stop staring. Fuck, if he'd known a fraction of this before...he never would have... except that was a lie. He'd been popular in Jr. High, and you needed to be popular to survive High School, everyone knew that.
“Yeah, you're sorry. I got it. Everyone's always fucking sorry. Sorry your Mom died, sorry you didn't get the solo, sorry, sorry, SORRY!” Kurt's face was red again and he was gasping for air in a way that terrified Noah.
“I HATE THIS. I HATE ALL OF THIS. I HATE YOU.” There were tears now, angry tears and Noah didn't know what to do. “You think you can just waltz up, give me paper flower and be my partner for a week and I'll forget everything? You've made my life hell for years, years Noah.”
“I know....dammit I know.” Puck sagged against the wall, sliding down to the ground, grinding the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I just...somethings different now. I don't know what, I can't even try to explain it. I was a huge douche and I'm sorry.”
“Noah.” Kurt met his eyes squarely, and the dark emotions in them made the jock squirm. “I don't even know how to go about forgiving you.” The gleek swallowed, wiping away tears furiously and something about the motion made Puck's gut tighten with guilt. He thought about what Mercedes had said about Kurt letting few people inside his defenses. Crying was a big I'm inside your defenses thing and suddenly Puck wasn't sure he wanted to be there at all.
“I know.” Puck whispered, sliding his hands back along his mohawk and pressing his head into the wall, staring up at the ceiling. “I...could you try. Maybe?”
“I make no promises.” Kurt sniffled, wiping at his nose and making a face. “Ugh, I need a tissue, I'll be congested for the rest of the night.” Puck bit his lip to hid his grin, it was a step. A tiny one, like so small it was almost a step backwards. But it was there, and that was all that mattered.
XxX XxX
Next
Title: Answers. A sequel to Questions
Word Count: 6207
Rating: R, because once again, High School boys love to swear.
Pairing: Very slowly getting to Puckurt. Veeeeeery slowly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor do I make profit from this work of fiction.
A/N: I feel the need to apologize for making everyone cry for the last chapter, but I also feel compelled to warn you to keep your tissues close at hand. Because this one may cause ters as well, especially then end.
I'd also like to thank <>lj user="citrine_shadow"> and lovelycudy for pointing out that Mr. Hummel's name is Bert, which will help me in the next chapter...alot. :D
Kurt stayed home for two days, a compromise consisting of two new jackets and agreeing to talk to the police. He refused to press charges, knowing enough about law that it wouldn't make any difference. There was an intent to harm, but they couldn't prove anything.
The gleek showed up to school on a Thursday, it was overcast and threatening to rain but only spitting out a few tiny drops. Puck wasn't sure how it had happened, but someone must have seen or heard the jocks chasing Kurt, and it was all over the school.
The entire Glee Club was waiting for him as he pulled into the parking lot. Kurt got out of his car, ignoring the glances and whispers the way he'd been ignoring them his entire life. It was easy when you know how.
“Are you alright?” Artie asked, pushing up his glasses and holding out a hand for Kurt to bump.
“I'm fine. I don't know what all the excitement was about.” Kurt rolled his eyes, making a show on nonchalance for the jocks who were lurking just inside the school.
“I'm not leaving your side today.” Mercedes spoke, having been to Kurts house the day before when he'd called her. She laced her fingers with Kurts and squeezed his hand.
“I can't believe those morons. Who do they think they are anyway? They should have been expelled for that stunt. If that had been me I would have-”
“G-give it a rest Rachel. We've all b-been hearing for the past two days a-about what you would have d-done.” Tina rolled her eyes and Kurt cocked his head to the side, eyeing the Jewish Diva who flushed and looked off to the side.
“Yes well. I'm glad your safe.” She mumbled.
“Yeah. So am I.” There was a faint sneer in Kurt's voice that he knew she heard. He wasn't quite ready to forgive her over the 'Defying Gravity' incident, even if he had been the one to throw the competition.
“Hey Kurt. How are ya buddy?” Finn rounded the corner, Quinn in tow. A large hand settling on Kurts shoulder and squeezing. He grinned at the group, shooting Rachel a shy glance before wandering inside the school.
“The next person to ask if I'm fine is getting their face clawed off.” Kurt hissed under his breath.
“Hey Kurt, how are you feeling?” Mr. Schuester clapped him on the shoulder. “It's been quiet in Glee without you.”
“I doubt that, Rachel's been there hasn't she?” Kurt's smile and voice were pleasant despite his blistering sarcasm. Mr. Schuester's face fell for a moment, before he started smiling again.
“I'll see you in class Kurt.”
“What did you mean Kurt?” Rachel's face crumpled up like someone had just kicked her puppy.
“Nothing Rachel. Sorry.” The pale gleek headed into school, wanting to get to his locker without running into anyone else who felt the need to question his well being.
XxX XxX
Class had been normal, aside from the entire room going silent when he walked in behind Mercedes, letting him know they had all been talking about him. A couple of the jocks sneered at him, Blaque going so far as to make a slitting motion across his throat.
Kurt made a show of picking out his usual spot, settling into it and tuning out the room to talk to Mercedes. A hand slapped on his desk making him jump and setting the entire class to nervous titters as Puck sauntered by, leaving a small paper hexagon that on closer inspection turned out to be an origami rose.
Kurt blinked at it, poking it with his pencil, then shifting it closer while trying to make it look like he was just batting it around his desk.
“Let me see that.” Mercedes reached across the aisle and grabbed the rose, shooting Kurt a sly look and tucking it into her binder for discussion at a later, safer location.
XxX XxX
Lunch couldn't come soon enough, Kurt had had enough of suffering through everyones well wishes and hugs. He wasn't a touchy person to begin with, and the memory of terror at the hands of people he knew made him want human contact even less.
“Lets go to the mall.” Kurt sighed, pulling Mercedes along with him. “Lets ditch this afternoon, go see a movie.”
“Sounds good to me.” The brunette slipped her arm through Kurt's, the two heading for the parking lot.
“Running away again Hummel?”
“He's leaving with his mommy. Aintcha Hummel?”
“Too scared to stay the rest of the day.”
“Would you guys shut the hell up?” Kurt stopped in his tracks at the last comment, sharing a glance with Mercedes as Puck sauntered past again.
“What's it to ya Puck?” Blaque called out.
“Protecting your girlfriend?”
“Gentlemen...you have detention for the rest of the month, starting immediately.” Mr. Figgens' voice rang out, stopping the jocks mid taunt.
“What? You can't give us detention.” Matthews complained loudly.
“You should be so lucky that's all I'm giving you. Go with Ms. Sylvester, she'll be monitoring you.” Kurt and Mercedes stared as the three boys huffed and complained their way to detention. The Cheerios coach making rude remarks the entire way about certain human beings being complete wastes of air.
“Wow. I guess you won't have to worry about them waiting for you after school now.” Mercedes commented, narrowing her eyes at Puck who shot a smirk over his shoulder. She was positive he'd been the one to alert the principal to the taunting. She wasn't about to forgive him for messing with her boy, but it was a start in the right direction.
XxX XxX
The two gleek's shopped for a few hours, picking out the two jackets Kurt was promised, and high tailing it back to school for Glee club. Kurt had already missed two days, he hated missing a second of the club and refused to miss anymore.
He'd opened the origami rose in the food court, Mercedes looking over his shoulder at the doodles on the inside. Silly little caricatures of Kurt messing with his hair. It was obvious from the small notations on the side that Puck had been in Spanish class.
“Wow. That boy's got it bad Kurt.”
“Huh?”
“This...you don't do something like this because you're bored in Spanish Kurt. He missed you, this is just his way of saying it.”
“Don't be stupid.”
“Kurt, you can't expect Puck to behave like a normal and decent human being. He's a jock, they express they're emotions differently.”
“That's if they have emotions Sadie.”
“I don't know why you won't just accept the fact that I'm right.” Mercedes sniffed, trying to refold the rose before giving up and tucking it into Kurt's binder. “We'd better get back to school or we'll miss Glee.” Stupid white boy, making everything harder then it had to be.
It wasn't as if Mercedes wanted anything to happen between the two, but Puck seemed like he was changing, becoming something vaguely human. Maybe it could be a good thing, for both of them.
XxX XxX
Glee was nothing exciting, everyone was ignored in favor of Finn and Rachel getting the leads...like no one saw that coming.
“ANTM is on tonight.” Kurt whispered to Mercedes as Mr. Schuester handed out assignments, it was a duet this week. And the specifications were a little odd; you had to pair up with someone you normally wouldn't.
“I hope that skinny blonde bitch hoofs it tonight.” The brunette whispered back, the two stopping as Puck and Matt approached them. They had purposefully sat nearest to the door so avoid something like this.
“So, Hummel.” Puck grabbed a spare seat and slouched into it. “Wanna be my partner?”
Kurt raised an eyebrow, ignoring the finger digging into his ribs even as Matt questioned Mercedes if she would consider working with him.
“I suppose no one else will work with you.”
“Such a humanitarian Hummel.”
“Such large words Noah, be careful you don't short circuit your brain.” Puck snickered but didn't leave his new spot until the bell rang.
XxX XxX
“I told you he liked you. When will you wrap your puny brain around my powers of deduction?”
“As soon as you lose that hideous jacket.”
“Hey, this jacket isn't hideous.”
“Please, even Hades has deserted you.”
“That's because he's eating.”
“That's a secondary concern, it was really to get away from that thing.” Kurt snickered, then shrieked as he got thwacked squarely in the chest with one of his down pillows.
“You did not just insult my favorite jacket.”
“You did not just start a pillow fight.” The sight of Kurt, skinny white boy making the same head moves and finger snaps as her sent Mercedes into giggle fits.
“So, working on a duet with Puck.”
“I know, what has the world come to?”
“Oh, be nice. He wouldn't stop talking to me during Glee yesterday once he found out I'd been to your house. I thought he was about to start asking if you were eating enough.” Mercedes rolled her eyes, subtly was underrated in high school, and overrated in the real world.
XxX XxX
Nothing exciting about the next day of school except for the fact that Puck sat next to him in every class they shared. Kurt had never taken count before, but only it was only Bio and Math that they didn't share.
It felt odd, like Hades had become human. Kurt swore on his mother's grave that Puck had growled at a couple of hockey players that had passed by him with slushies on the trek from English to Glee that afternoon.
“Alright guys, I want you to split up with your partners and pick a duet that fits both of your voices. We'll be presenting at the end of the week, I wanna see some creative choreography as well. You can't just be sitting around.” Mr. Schuester remarked as everyone settled in.
Mercedes smirked at Kurt as Puck pulled up a chair next to him, slouching around in a way that made Kurt's back ache in sympathy.
“You're going to get scoliosis if you keep sitting like that.”
“You can't get scoliosis from bad posture Hummel.” The boys sneered at each other before Kurt decided to get down to business.
“Hey, we can go like anything.” Puck sounded impressed, and for a moment Kurt was a little worried. “You've got a chick voice..we should do something with a high..what's that note from that song you wanted from Berry?”
“Defying Gravity from the Broadway muscle Wicked.” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “What is it with your in ability to call anyone by their given name?” Puck shrugged, slouching further into his chair and raising an eyebrow at Kurt who rolled his eyes and sat up straighter, crossing his left leg over his right.
“I've got a rule, no show tunes.”
“Second rule, no 80's hair metal.”
“Third rule, no cheesy love songs.” Kurt coughed into his hand to disguise a snicker. “What?”
“Most duets are cheesy love songs, Noah.”
“Oh come on. We've got be able to find something we can both work with.”
“I'll look through my mp3 collection tonight and bring some selections to school tomorrow.”
“Wouldn't it make more sense for both of us to look at songs?”
“I-I suppose.”
“I'll meet you at your locker then.”
“Wait, what?” Puck sat up a little straighter, an unholy smirk on his face that Kurt didn't trust at all.
“You agreed that it's logical for both of us to look through your song collection together to find something we both agree on.”
“Did...” Kurt rubbed his temples as if fending off a headache. “Did you just use the word logical in a sentence?”
“I do believe I did.”
“That's....terrifying.” Kurt gave a over exaggerated shudder, Pucks eyes narrowing.
“No, what's terrifying is the fact that you spend more time in front of a mirror then most girls I've dated.”
“And you know this how exactly?” Kurt rested his hands on his knee, eyebrow raised, head cocked.
“I've..heard some of the girls talking.”
“Uh huh.”
“What?”
“Nothing at all Noah, nothing at all.”
XxX XxX
Kurt wondered how he'd not only been talked into letting Noah Puckerman into his house, into his basement, but also into his baby. He knew Noah had driven his car home the day after...that had happened. But it always made him a little nervous to have the jock sitting next to him in an enclosed space.
The drive back to Kurt's house was relatively silent, both boys occupied with their own thoughts. Kurt had started to hum I could have danced all night, then Noah had begun to pound out a drum beat to whatever song was in his head. Kurt hummed louder and Noah sped up his drumming. The two glared at each other and fell silent.
XxX XxX
“You can go downstairs, I have to feed Hades.” Kurt said, taking off his jacket before he passed a hanger to Noah so the boy could do the same. He would never understand why people lay their jackets and scarves across chairs when there were closets readily available.
“I'll just wait.” It was clear that Noah felt uncomfortable being in Kurts basement without Kurt being present. It was oddly comforting, to know the jock could behave like a civilized human being. Kurt nodded, letting Hades out of his kennel, holding onto the Doberman's collar and motioning Puck over.
“I know you've been here before, but he's never associated you with 'friend'. Let him smell your hand.” Puck nodded, holding out a hand, Kurt rolled his eyes. “Make a fist.”
“Why?”
“So if he decides to bite you, you take less damage to your fingers.”
“He bites?” Noah sounded cautious, and Kurt smiled a little, looking down at his dog.
“Not usually. He's just a big suck. Aren't you, who's my big suck?” Kurt cooed to the dog, and Puck had to smile at the way the dog, it must have weighed about 90 pounds, cuddled up to Kurt. “hold out your hand.”
Puck rolled his eyes, curling his hand into a loose fist and presenting it to Hades, who sniffed him, then proceeded to bathe his hand in slobber.
“Oh good, he likes you.” Kurt grinned at him and Puck blinked. It was strange to see an actual expression on Kurt's face, all he'd ever received from the pale boy were sneers and sarcastic smiles that could cut glass. “Come on boo, let's go get you dinner. Stop crowding me...okay I'm sorry I yelled at you...no, stop, you're gonna knock me over. Hades.”
In short order the dog was fed, the boys were fed, and then the dog accompanied them down stairs. Puck could have sworn it kept shooting him looks like it knew what he was up to, it was unnerving having a Doberman stare you down.
“Watch this.” Kurt grinned at Puck as the jock settled down on the couch. The gleek snapped and pointed and Hades sat, tongue hanging out of his mouth in a doggy grin.
“Wow, he can sit.” Puck commented sarcastically, earning him an eye roll and an annoyed head flick.
Kurt started singing, no words, just long notes, each one rising in pitch. After a few seconds Hades joined in. Long desperate howls that almost sounded like words. Kurt kept it up until Noah's snickers made him break down as well.
“That's hilarious.”
“My baby loves to sing. Doesn't he, yes he does.” Kurt made kissy faces at his dog until Puck cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable at the display. Kurts mouth...in that shape...just asking for trouble.
“So, music?”
“Right, I'll go grab my laptop.” Kurt darted into his bedroom, then back out, leaving Noah only a glimpse of deep green walls and a king sized bed. It was enough to get him thinking about pale limbs spread out all over black silky sheets, curse his traitorous teenage brain.
Kurt turned his laptop on, a small silver Macintosh and waited, humming as it whirred and buzzed and started up. He kept the screen angled away from Puck until he pulled up iTunes, then plunked the laptop on Punk's lap.
“Pick a song, then we play it and figure if we can both sing it.” Kurt remarked, picking up a discarded novel and flipping to his bookmark. Puck glanced sideways to see the books title. Memoirs of a Geisha. The jock remembered Santana dragging him to that while they were still dating. It hadn't been totally boring, but it hadn't been totally awesome either.
Clicking through song after song and seeing nothing that caught his attention, Puck shot another sideways glance at Kurt who wasn't even paying attention to him, one hand on Hades' head, scratching the dogs ears, the other holding up his book.
The jock smirked a little and pressed the minimize button on the upper left hand corner of the screen. His eyebrows shot to his hairline at the background. Apparently, even though Kurt had finished with football, he wasn't done with the players yet. Puck remembered this day, it had been after another win from Kurt, and the team was in good spirits. He grinned at the picture covering the laptop. Himself in just jeans, the top button left undone, using his towel to flick Finn, whose face was caught in a sudden 'O' of surprise.
“Hey, Hummel.”
“My name is Kurt, Noah, try using it.” Was the bland reply, the gleek not even looking up from his book.
“Fine, Kurt. What's this?” He turned the laptop to the gleek who looked at it for a few seconds, smirked and went back to reading.
“That would be the screen saver Mercedes uploaded as a joke. She got the picture from Matt, I just haven't gotten around to putting something else up.”
“Yeah?” Puck could hear the sarcastic eyeroll.
“Oh no, you caught me. I ogle you every night before I go to bed.”
“Well, I am a fantastic specimen.”
“Umm hmm. Pick a song.”
“There's nothing on here. It's all chick songs.”
“God in heaven give me patience, with boys who have no taste in music.” Kurt settled his bookmark, set down the book and grabbed the laptop, bringing iTunes back up and flicking through his music with a practiced eye.
“How about this one?”
XxX XxX
Three hours later Kurt threw up his hands in exasperation.
“I give up. How are we supposed to do this if you can't decide on a song?”
“Like it's my fault you have chick music.” Puck snarked back. Kurt huffed, closing iTunes and then shutting down his computer. He set it on the floor, small peeks of moon pale skin showing as he stretched.
Puck moved closer and Kurts head snapped to the side and the movement, his eyes guarded and cautious in a way Puck had never seen before. It was interesting, putting the ice queen off his guard.
“Same time tomorrow then?”
“Don't you have football practice after school?” Raised eyebrow, quick smooth down of his shirt, then Kurt was standing, moving towards the stairs.
“I don't think the coach will mind me missing.”
“Ha.” A small humorless laugh. “Coach doesn't care about anything other then football and Ms. Pillsbury.”
“The Guidance Counselor? I thought her and Mr. Schue had a thing.”
“He is married.”
“Yeah but...”
“What, his wife is an unholy bitch?” Kurt smirked, eyes sharp as marbles. “Love does strange things to people, it smooths over the rough spots so all you see is perfection.”
Puck cast a wary glance at the gleek as they entered the kitchen.
“Cynical Hummel, I didn't see that one coming.”
“It's basic biology Noah, your body reacts to certain factors, wide hips, large breasts, symmetrical features because these things suggest the woman would be a good baby making machine. Love is hormones exploding all over your brain to keep you infatuated with your lady, to keep her and her offspring safe.”
“What about you then?”
“What about me?”
“If you're brain isn't...ya know, hardwired like the rest of ours, what gets your clock ticking?” Puck cocked his head, Kurt staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” Kurt's expression went from guarded to closed off so fast Puck wasn't sure when it happened.
“Go away Noah, I'll see you in Glee.”
“What? Come on, I think I deserve and answer.” Puck wheedled.
“You think I'm about to fall for that bullshit?” Kurt didn't swear, but when he did he made it sound like the words had been waiting for him. “I tell you, and you post it all over the school.”
“I..wouldn't do that.” And Puck was surprised to realize that he meant it.
“Noah, people can change, but they don't change in High School. They change when they're done, they change when they get into the real world and realize it's not a popularity competition.”
“So you're saying that you won't even give me a chance?”
“What are you talking about?” Kurt looked worried and a little befuddled now.
“I don't know...I'm gonna go.” Puck stared at the gleek who stared back at him. Then turned and headed for the door.
XxX XxX
He supposed he should be angrier, maybe a little scared, just something. It was just weird, getting feelings for someone who didn't have girly parts and jugs.
He had no idea how to get around to even talking about it with the gleek. Every time he'd attempted to start a conversation with the pale boy it ended in strange glances and that guarded expression, like Kurt was expecting to get the bad end of whatever this was, at any moment.
His team mates had noticed a change in him as well, and they took extra pleasure in bugging him about 'The soon to be Mrs. Puckerman' and it was starting to piss him off. What was it about guys that made them so afraid to just let go and find that one person you could stand to be around for more then five seconds, even if that person was a dude. Though Kurt could hardly be called a dude.
There was literally no one he could talk to, and he was starting to develop a new respect for the pale gleek. Being that different in a town like Lima, it must have been hell on him, and Puck realized with a start that he'd helped make it that way for years. How did you go around apologizing for something like that?
XxX XxX
“How would you...I mean like...hypothetically, how you you apologize to someone for throwing them in a dumpster since Grade nine?” So here he was, Noah Puckerman, sitting in Ms. Pillsbury's office, asking advice.
“Noah, you have to give this person time to accept the fact that you're not the same person you were before. You have to make them realize it, that you won't go back to they way you were before.”
“Yeah but...how?”
“Is it Kurt?” Puck nodded and Emma pursed her lips, making a small hmm-ing noise as she straightened her pencils. “Kurt's been through a lot in his life, and he copes by expecting the worst and being surprised when something nice happens. Show him that you can be something nice.”
“He said that people can't change during High School.”
“Most people are so wrapped up in their own little drama's that they don't want to change. Change is a large and often terrifying process. And sometimes in the process of change you start to forget who you are. I think that's what Kurt is most afraid of, that you'll start to change, and then realize it's too much work, let everything go back to the way it was before.”
“I wouldn't do that. I...” Here was the moment of truth, could he say it, could he really say it. “I...I kinda like him.” He mumbled, face flushing. Emma's little doll face softened, her eyes quiet with an inner pain that Puck could totally feel.
“Tell him that. But Noah, you can't rush into this, you'll scare him off. Right now he still thinks you're one of the jocks and he'll be expecting slushies and being thrown in the dumpster around every nice thing you do for him.” Puck nodded, mind working overtime as he moved to leave.
XxX XxX
“I...I kinda like Kurt, but he doesn't like me back.” Puck confessed and Mercedes rolled her eyes.
“Wow, I am so surprised.” Her voice monotone as she shook her head. They were in Bio, one of the few classes he didn't share with Kurt.
“Well, what do I do?”
“Just keep what you're doing. Being yourself, giving him little things like that rose. It takes him a while to open up to people. He's had a lifetime of people like you throwing him in trashcans and calling him names. He's got a fragile center.” Puck winced and doodled a few notes into his binder before he couldn't take the silence anymore.
“Really?” Mercedes pinched her nose and tried to think of a way to put in into terms a man such as Puck would understand.
“You've seen 'The Italian Job'?” Puck nodded. “He's like that big safe, strong on the outside, but he'd got a glass center, and if you drill the wrong way you'll shatter him and then you'll never get inside.”
Puck could feel a blush rising at the images 'inside' brought to mind. Mercedes noticed and jabbed him with her elbow.
“If I find out you hurt my boy, I will get my brother to take care of you.” Mercedes' older brother had gotten out of Lima, and was now an Officer in the United States Air Force. She bragged constantly, and it was one of the things that kept her from being bullied to much, no one wanted to mess with Lincoln when he came back in town on leave for the holidays and his baby sister's birthday.
XxX XxX
The rest of the day passed by with little excitement, Puck giving a little grin when he sat beside Kurt in his next class. He spent the rest of Spanish alternating between glaring at the clock, listening to Mr. Schuester go on and on about the difference between masculine and feminine terms, and looking at Kurt through the corner of his eye.
The gleek was filing his nails and seemingly ignoring the teacher, however, whenever Mr. Schuester would call on him, he would answer correctly. Soft feminine voice made somehow exotic with the proper pronunciation
“You're really good at Spanish.” The jock remarked as they were packing up for the next class, which just happened to be Glee.
“I spend winter vacation in Mexico with my father at our winter house.”
“You guys have a house in Mexico?” Puck couldn't keep the awe from his voice at the thought.
“It's disgustingly hot, there are cockroaches everywhere, you have to check your shoes for scorpions every morning before you go out the door. And if you're not careful you'll get mugged, beaten half to death, or stabbed walking to and from the beach. But other then that it's fantastic.” Sarcasm was always something Puck could appreciate, and Kurt managed to take it to a whole 'nother level.
“So...haven't found a song yet?”
“Everything I pick you discard, everything you pick is a waste of both our time and talent.”
“Hey, it ain't my fault your so fuckin' fussy.” Puck grumbled.
“It is not a bad thing to have tas-” Kurt was cut off from his argument with a slush to the face and Puck whirled to slam Matthews against a locker.
“What the fuck is wrong with you dude? Defending your boyfriend now Puck?” Matthews sneered, coughing a little as Puck's forearm pressed harder into his throat.
“Slush him again Matthews, and I'll show you defense.” Puck snarled, turning just in time to see Kurt dissapear into the mens bathroom. With one last glare the jock slapped open the door to the washroom, seeing Kurt's head under the sink doing nothing to drive the equal amounts of guilt and anger down.
“Do you need any help?”
“13-47-3.”
“What?”
“It's my locker combination, I have a spare change of clothes and a towel in the duffel bag, do you mind?” Kurt asked, the tone of his voice letting Puck know the last thing he wanted was to give the jock his locker combination.
“I'll be right back.”
In the few moments it took Puck to get to Kurt's locker and grab his bag, people were already whispering about him. But whatever, fuck these morons. He'd taken a slush for Rachel, and he hadn't even really liked her. The only reason he'd gone out with her was because of his God-dream, and he felt a little sorry for her, plus she had awesome legs. He could totally take people talking about him for Kurt.
XxX XxX
“You boys are late.” Mr. Schuester commented when they walked into the room. Kurt raised an eyebrow at Mercedes, a sign she understood immediately.
“Slushie, Mr. Shue.” The brunette commented, patting the chair next to her.
“Really, again?”
“Yes. Noah was kind enough to bring me my change of clothes as Mercedes was already in class. So if you must give someone detention, the blame is mine.” Will had to hide a grin at the amount of sarcastic drama that could pour out of Kurts mouth.
“No one is getting detention today Kurt. Just sit down and work on your duet.”
“Actually, if I could talk to you about that subject.” Kurt moved to where the teacher sat on the piano bench. “Does it have to be a duet or can it just be a song we can both sing?”
“Why do you ask that Kurt. Are you and Noah not getting along?”
“We're getting along just fine, we simply can't agree on a song. Everything he picks is from the eighties, and I've agreed to follow his rules and have excluded all show tunes and Broadway. And yet everything I pick is still discarded It's getting frustrating.” Will cocked his head to the side and smiled.
“I know it's against the rules, but I'll pick the song for you.”
“Thank you.” Kurt breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Not a problem, I remember having to do a duet with someone I could barely stand. I'll have it for you at the end of class.” Kurt nodded and headed over to Mercedes. Matt was on her left side, an open chair on her right, and Puck slouching right beside his spot.
“What was that about?”
“I asked Mr. Schuester if he could find us a song. He seemed to understand that our musical tastes differ too much for us to agree on anything.” Kurt sniffed, opening his binder and starting on his homework, there was nothing else to do until Mr. Schuester brought them a song.
“Hey.” Kurt looked over, an eyebrow raised. “Can you help me with my Spanish. I'm gonna bomb the class if I don't get at least 60 on the exam.”
“I suppose so. Do you have your notes?”
“Notes?” Kurt sighed and dug back into his bag, pulling out a different binder. This was going to be a long class.
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“So what's the song called again?”
“Alone, by Heart.”
“It seems pretty cheesy.” Puck commented scanning over the lyrics.
“It's a power ballad Noah, it's supposed to be cheesy.”
“Uh huh. Anyway, can I come over?” Kurt raised an eyebrow, fiddling with his combination lock and popping open his locker. “To practice the song I mean.”
“I suppose.” Kurt breathed out a long put upon sigh.
XxX XxX
“Why did Mr. Schue give this to you anyway?”
“He said something about it being the song that won him something big when he was still in school.” Kurt remarked absently as he highlighted off his sections of the song. The two boys were sprawled across the basement floor, Hades snoring on the couch after he'd realized there was nothing exciting going on.
“So...what's it like?”
“What's what like?” The silence was broken only by the faint squeak of the highlighter.
“Being gay.”
“I don't know Noah. What am I supposed to say to that?” Kurt shoved his books away, sitting up and snapping the lid back on his neon green highlighter. His cheeks were starting to flush red in what Puck was starting to recognize as temper, an emotion rarely witnessed by the outside world.
“No, I mean....how did you know?”
“Oh fuck no.” Kurt scrambled to his feet, stumbling back towards the stairs, his face had gone sheet white. “You....you don't get to do this.”
“Do what?” Puck pushed himself to his knees, bewildered at the gleek's sudden change of attitude. Kurt's feet hit the stairs and he fell backwards with a girly scream. Puck was on his feet in moments, crossing to Kurt who was rubbing the back of his head and pouting. “I don't get to do what?”
“Why are you doing this? Being so nice?”
“I...I dunno.” Puck shuffled, hating that he didn't have some quick comeback to put the pale boy at ease.
“So you think you're gay?” There was a sneer in the words, and Puck's eyes widened, he took a step backwards out of instinct.
“What, NO!.”
“You wouldn't be asking me if you weren't questioning yourself. Trust me on this one.”
“I'm not gay.” Puck's voice broke and he cleared his throat, cursing the fact that Kurt was blocking his way out of the house.
“I didn't say you were.” The sneer was still there, Kurt's eyes cold and hard. “You wouldn't have the balls to be gay.”
“Excuse me?” The shock of hearing Kurt say the word balls was nearly enough to send him into laughing fits, but then the meaning of the statement caught up to his adolescent brain.
“You think it's being thrown in dumpsters, getting called names, and getting slushes thrown in your face? Try having adults crossing the street so they don't catch your 'faggotry'. I've been called an 'Abomination against God' more times then I'd like to count. And don't even start on the obscene phone calls at three in the morning.”
“...” Puck opened his mouth, then closed it, not knowing what to say. He knew his eyes were huge, but he couldn't stop staring. Fuck, if he'd known a fraction of this before...he never would have... except that was a lie. He'd been popular in Jr. High, and you needed to be popular to survive High School, everyone knew that.
“Yeah, you're sorry. I got it. Everyone's always fucking sorry. Sorry your Mom died, sorry you didn't get the solo, sorry, sorry, SORRY!” Kurt's face was red again and he was gasping for air in a way that terrified Noah.
“I HATE THIS. I HATE ALL OF THIS. I HATE YOU.” There were tears now, angry tears and Noah didn't know what to do. “You think you can just waltz up, give me paper flower and be my partner for a week and I'll forget everything? You've made my life hell for years, years Noah.”
“I know....dammit I know.” Puck sagged against the wall, sliding down to the ground, grinding the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I just...somethings different now. I don't know what, I can't even try to explain it. I was a huge douche and I'm sorry.”
“Noah.” Kurt met his eyes squarely, and the dark emotions in them made the jock squirm. “I don't even know how to go about forgiving you.” The gleek swallowed, wiping away tears furiously and something about the motion made Puck's gut tighten with guilt. He thought about what Mercedes had said about Kurt letting few people inside his defenses. Crying was a big I'm inside your defenses thing and suddenly Puck wasn't sure he wanted to be there at all.
“I know.” Puck whispered, sliding his hands back along his mohawk and pressing his head into the wall, staring up at the ceiling. “I...could you try. Maybe?”
“I make no promises.” Kurt sniffled, wiping at his nose and making a face. “Ugh, I need a tissue, I'll be congested for the rest of the night.” Puck bit his lip to hid his grin, it was a step. A tiny one, like so small it was almost a step backwards. But it was there, and that was all that mattered.
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