(Put Me Back Together) Breaking Point (5/?)
Title: Put Me Back Together
Part: Chapter 5: Breaking Point
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt/Puck, Burt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Tina Cohen-Chang, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Brittany, Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford
Author’s Note: The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I know there are tons of spoilers out for the upcoming episodes. Please don’t post about them in the comments.
Warning: This takes place directly after “Sectionals.” Everything up to that point is considered fair game. There are spoilers if you haven’t seen the first 13 episodes.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: All it takes is one moment to break Kurt apart. How many will it take to put not only himself but Puck back together?
Put Me Back TogetherChapter 5: Breaking Point
The sudden lack of contact had left Kurt’s wrist tingling, and he rubbed at it angrily as an odd sensation of loss flooded through him. The remnants of Puck’s touch were pleasant, nowhere near the pain of being tossed in a dumpster, and the feeling terrified him.
Puck’s touch shouldn’t have made him feel that way. Or, more importantly, Kurt shouldn’t have been regretting the decision to pull his hand away. But no matter how hard he tried to deny how the touch made him feel, Kurt just couldn’t. And as he made his way towards the makeshift movie screen, Kurt desperately tried to shove the sensation out of his mind.
But no matter how hard he tried to think of other things or how hard Kurt tried to replace the feel of Puck’s fingers with his own, he couldn’t.
When Puck had first grabbed his wrist, Kurt had enjoyed the feel of someone’s skin against his own. So much so actually, that he hadn’t cared that it had been Puck who had been holding him and not Finn.
But now, as he stepped past Finn, it was all he could think about. It made Kurt feel… guilty, as if he’d somehow cheated on Finn with Puck.
And the irony of that thought would have made Kurt laugh if it hadn’t made him sick to his stomach first.
Swallowing the thought, Kurt shook his head and continued on. He was not going to let his thoughts go down that road.
After stepping over out-stretched legs and mini-mounds of coats and hoodies, Kurt reached the front of the room. But before saying anything, he took a look out at his audience. For the most part, everyone seemed content and happy as they talked and munched on pizza (or whatever they’d grabbed to eat).
The only ones who didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves were Quinn, Finn, and himself.
Quinn, though sitting between Brittany and Tina, seemed to be completely alone. There was an unopened bottle of water on the floor by her feet and a slice of pizza with only one tiny bite out of it on a paper plate on her lap. She looked sick and pale and completely drained.
And for just a moment, Kurt couldn’t help but think about how weird it was to see Quinn in his basement. After all, they’d never been close. And in fact, he could think of only two times she’d voluntarily spoken to him. But his heart still went out to her. He truly believed that Quinn didn’t deserve what was happening to her.
Even if she had broken Finn’s heart.
The moment he thought of Finn, Kurt’s eyes flickered over to him. Before, when he was getting his pizza, the taller boy had looked happy, happier than Kurt had seen him since the blow out with Puck and Quinn actually. But now he looked upset again as Mercedes rubbed his forearm and whispered something to him.
For just a moment, Kurt was tempted to go to Finn, to sit down next to him and do whatever he could to turn his frown upside down. Because his crush was so deeply ingrained within him that his moods would respond to Finn’s.
If Finn smiled, Kurt smiled.
And if Finn hurt, Kurt hurt.
But with everyone there and the desire to try and keep his crush and his sexuality somewhat private, Kurt stayed still.
And to make matters worse, Kurt didn’t even feel he could watch Finn to see if Mercedes was able to cheer him up. Because standing in front of the glee club, some of whom were turning their attention to him, Kurt felt as if he was exposed. He felt as if his crush was on display in front of everyone.
The thought caused his flesh to crawl and the tips of his ears to burn. It was a sensation that, until Kurt had stepped in front of the club to announce his party, he’d never felt before. Or more exactly, it was something that Kurt had never experienced until Puck had kissed him, until Puck’s dark eyes bore into his in front of everyone else.
And as Kurt tore his eyes away from Finn in an effort to keep his crush to himself, he felt a swift and sickening wave of anger towards Puck. Because if it weren’t for the way Puck made him feel, Kurt would still have felt free to look over at Finn. He would have felt free to be comfortable in his own skin. But with the lingering feel of Puck’s gaze still fresh in his mind, Kurt couldn’t relax. It was almost as if Puck figured out a way to torture him from the inside out.
Trying to swallow his irritation, Kurt attempted to tell himself that he was being ridiculous, that he was not on display. And just to prove his point, Kurt allowed his gaze to flicker back to Finn once more. But as much as he wanted to check on Finn, a tiny part of him wanted to search Puck out in the crowd.
Just to see if he looked upset or miserable.
Because, at that moment, Kurt wished that Puck could feel all of the pain, anger, and misery that he’d ever caused him.
But Kurt didn’t look.
Instead, he took a second to calm himself, pushing back his perfectly coifed hair as he took a few slow, deep breaths. And feeling a little better, Kurt placed his right hand on his hip before clearing his throat pointedly. Much to his surprise, everyone in the room turned their attention to him. Bolstered by their reactions, Kurt smiled coyly before addressing his audience.
“Now that everyone is here and settled in…” He gave an appreciative little snort as Mike and Matt waved half-eaten slices of pizza in the air. “It’s time to start the film.” Kurt gave a little nod at Mercedes who jumped up and ran to the projector his father had set up.
“Now, since we so thoroughly,” Kurt said the word with relish. “Destroyed the other teams, who were using our numbers no less…” He paused for a moment, allowing for the appropriate snickers and cheers. “I thought we could watch their performances as well. Just so we can truly appreciate just how amazing we were.”
There were eye rolls from the girls and hollers from the guys. And Kurt couldn’t help but laugh at that, because during sectionals, they’d all been upset and angry over their set list being leaked. But in the days since, they’d all come to find the fact that they’d still managed to win (with a last-minute routine no less) amusing.
When everyone had settled down again, Kurt smiled just a little. “So, without further ado…”
When the perfectly pronounced ado left Kurt’s lips, the makeshift screen behind him sprang to life with a title card bearing the name and date of the event. And as cheers began to erupt from everyone in the room, Kurt ran from out in front of the wall. Being careful not to step on anyone, he quickly made his way to the back of the room where he met up with Mercedes.
The moment he was within earshot of her, Mercedes started talking. “Ugh, poor Finn. He’s so upset. His mom yelled at the Fabrays when she found out about Quinn.” Her voice was just above a whisper, and Kurt couldn’t help but marvel at that. He would never have thought she could be so quiet.
But more importantly, Kurt was beyond relieved that she hadn’t brought up Puck. And since the first words out of her mouth weren’t “I saw you and Puck together,” he felt safe in assuming that she hadn’t seen what had (or hadn’t) happened.
Kurt was just about to respond when there was a staccato tapping on his shoulder.
When he turned around, Kurt was surprised to himself face-to-face with Santana.
Out of all the jocks and Cheerios who had joined the glee club, she was his least favorite. And from what he’d heard through the gossip mill (i.e. Mercedes), she was holding on tight to Puck despite her… thing with Brittany. And for just one horrifying moment, Kurt was terrified that maybe she had seen him with Puck. His next fear was that she was preparing to put her well-manicured claws to use.
“Uh, excuse me, but do you, like, have any straws for the drinks? I don’t want to mess up my lipstick.” Her voice was bored, as if she didn’t want to be there. Which Kurt just couldn’t understand since she’d already admitted to liking glee club. And as she watched him expectantly, part of Kurt wondered if maybe bored and rude wasn’t just Santana’s default position in life.
But since it was his party (and only because it was his party), Kurt smiled and did his best to reply politely. “No, sorry. All out.”
“Whatever.” Santana turned on her heel, making sure to smack Kurt in the face with her ponytail as she did.
He only had enough time for one exaggerated eye roll at Mercedes before Mike approached him, asking where the restroom was. (The door across from the bed.)
And sadly, that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the party. Because without fail, every time Kurt would try to sit down or grab a snack for himself, someone would come to him in search of something. And in an effort to be a good little host, Kurt chased down fresh bags of chips, more bottles of water, and extra toilet paper (among a million other things).
And when Brittany came up to him in search of more Cherry Coke Zero, Kurt had to bite his tongue to keep himself from telling her to go upstairs and get it herself. But just as he was about to plaster on another smile and say, “Sure, let me go find some,” Rachel’s voice came booming out of the speakers he had attached to the wall. And suddenly, he felt desperate to get out of the basement. Her voice, though amazing, was suffocating in the confines of his own bedroom.
So, filled with relief, Kurt quickly made his way up the steps and into the kitchen yet again. But to his surprise, it wasn’t empty. His dad was leaning on the counter, a pizza box open in front of him. “Hey, Dad. Where’s Uncle Mike?” I thought you two were discussing glitter versus feathers for fishing lures in the garage?”
“Wimp. He got a hook stuck in his thumb. He’s in the bathroom cleaning the wound.” Burt snorted as he pulled a slice of pizza (covered in what looked like every type of meat Uncle Mike’s carried) out of the box. “How are things going downstairs?” Burt shoved the slice into his mouth, biting off nearly a third of it. Through the bite, he added, “And why are you up here?”
Kurt sighed deeply, realizing for the first time just how worn out he really was. And before he answered, he leaned back against the fridge and closed his eyes. Enjoying the soft hum of the appliance, he took a few deep breaths. With his eyes still tightly shut, Kurt answered his father, his voice sounding as tired as he felt. “Brittany wanted to know if there was any more of the Cherry Coke Zero.”
“The ditzy blonde one?” Burt sounded a little far away, as if he were struggling to remember just who Brittany was.
“Yep. That’s the one.” Kurt chuckled a little, amazed that his father had remembered that after having only met her once or twice. When he opened his eyes, he was unsurprised to find his dad stuffing the pizza into his mouth once again. And as the older man tore off a bite, Kurt’s stomach gave a vicious growl.
Pushing himself away from the refrigerator, Kurt walked over to the kitchen counter to stand across from his dad. “And the party is going… fine, by the way.” Kurt looked down and wrinkled his nose at the pizza but plucked off a piece of sausage anyway. “I just needed to get away for a few minutes.” He popped the piece of meat into his mouth and began chewing thoughtfully.
Burt nodded as Kurt chewed, his clear eyes searching his son’s. But before saying anything, he took a swig of the can of Coke that was sitting next to him, almost as if he were giving himself more time to think. “Did something happen? Do I need to -”
“No.” Kurt cut his father off before he could continue. “It’s just… I couldn’t stay down there during Rachel’s solo.” His dad looked confused, but before he explained, Kurt snatched another chunk of the sausage off of the pizza. “She’s the one that I… That got…”
“The solo.” Burt looked sad, as if he felt responsible for Kurt not getting the part.
“I don’t regret what I did, Dad.” Kurt smiled at his father, reaching out and placing his free hand on his dad’s forearm. “I just can’t stand listening to her sing. Yes, she has a fantastic voice.” At that moment, Rachel perfectly nailing a high note came wafting up the stairs causing Kurt to grimace. “But she is just so irritating.”
Burt burst into laughter, shaking his head back and forth.
And as he did, Kurt took the moment to pop the piece of meat into his mouth. When the heavy seasoning began to burn his tongue, Kurt reached out, silently asking his father for a drink of his Coke.
Without hesitation, his dad handed over the can as Kurt swallowed the sausage. “So, everything really is ok? Did the kid in the wheelchair settle down?”
Kurt took a sip of the drink before answering. “Yeah, he just… I should have thought about it.” He placed the aluminum can carefully on the counter top, almost as if he were afraid of breaking it. “His name is Artie. In case you were wondering.”
“Ok.” Burt picked up the can as Kurt watched him. Looking at his dad, he could hardly believe how easy it had become to talk to his father.
For years he’d worked so hard at trying to hide who he really was and that had seriously strained their relationship. During that time, Kurt had wanted nothing more than to make his dad proud and to be able to talk to him and confide in him.
And the pain of not being able to have that… it had been unbearable.
But since he’d told his father the truth, things had changed drastically between them. That was not to say that everything was perfect though. Kurt could tell that his father was still uncomfortable talking about some things and honestly so was he.
In a way though, Kurt had felt as if they were meeting one another for the first time. And it was amazing. He’d learned more about his father in a month than he had in sixteen years, and Kurt was pretty sure that the same was true for his dad. So, as his father sat watching him, making an effort to learn about his friends, Kurt felt the back of his throat tighten up as a wave of love and gratitude overtook him. And at that moment, Kurt Hummel felt better than he had in a week.
“Hey, is everything alright?” Burt’s question came out of nowhere causing Kurt to blink a few times in confusion. “I know I asked before and that you said everything was fine.” He held up one hand as if to keep Kurt from interrupting. “But these past few days… you haven’t really been you.”
“Umh, I….” It was all there, ready to come out.
The truth about his feeling for Finn.
The kiss with Puck and everything that had followed.
How Puck had tortured him for years.
It didn’t matter that he was in the middle of a party or that it would require them to broach the subject of boys. Because Kurt needed to talk to someone, and he wanted that person to be his father. “I…”
But before Kurt could say anything else a very scared sounding voice came yelling up the steps. “Kurt! Mr. Hummel!” Heavy, frantic footsteps pounding up the stairs followed, as their names seemed to echo through the kitchen. Kurt’s eyes went wide, and his father stared at him, the confusion and worry evident on his face. “Help! Please, help!”
Before either of them could move, Finn came bursting into the kitchen, his boyish face whiter than Kurt had ever seen it.
And in his arms was Quinn.
Her face was screwed up as if she was in pain, and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. Cradled in Finn’s arms, she looked so tiny and fragile. And Kurt could hardly believe that she was the same person who’d been fierce enough to be named head Cheerio.
Frozen in his spot, Kurt watched as his father hurried forward, his eyes intent on Finn. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I… I don’t…” Finn half-sobbed, confusion and worry twisting his features. “She was fine and then, and then…”
With all of his attention locked on Finn, Kurt hadn’t noticed that Puck was in the room until he gripped Kurt’s shoulders and shook him out of his trance. “Where are your keys?”
Kurt managed to tear his eyes away from Finn to look at Puck. When his eyes found Puck’s, Kurt was taken aback by the fear he saw in them. “They’re, they’re on the counter.” Kurt pointed to the tiny dish where he and his father kept their keys. It wasn’t until he saw his hand trembling that Kurt realized he was shaking.
“There’s just… There’s so much blood.” Finn’s voice broke on the last word, and though he didn’t want to, Kurt turned to look at Quinn. He didn’t even bother to try and hold back his gasp.
The pale yellow fabric of Quinn’s pants was stained scarlet.
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I owe everyone that reviewed the last chapter a huge thank you. I’m amazed and touched by your kindness. Thank you so very much.
- Quack: Thank you for all of your help. :duck:
- Reviews are love.
Put Me Back Together
Chapter 1: Kiss Me Goodbye
Chapter 2: Of Soirees and Sarongs
Chapter 3: Not So Subtle
Chapter 4: Late Arrivals
Part: Chapter 5: Breaking Point
Author: Squeeka Cuomo
Rating: PG
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kurt/Puck, Burt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Tina Cohen-Chang, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Brittany, Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford
Author’s Note: The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I know there are tons of spoilers out for the upcoming episodes. Please don’t post about them in the comments.
Warning: This takes place directly after “Sectionals.” Everything up to that point is considered fair game. There are spoilers if you haven’t seen the first 13 episodes.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: All it takes is one moment to break Kurt apart. How many will it take to put not only himself but Puck back together?
Put Me Back TogetherChapter 5: Breaking Point
The sudden lack of contact had left Kurt’s wrist tingling, and he rubbed at it angrily as an odd sensation of loss flooded through him. The remnants of Puck’s touch were pleasant, nowhere near the pain of being tossed in a dumpster, and the feeling terrified him.
Puck’s touch shouldn’t have made him feel that way. Or, more importantly, Kurt shouldn’t have been regretting the decision to pull his hand away. But no matter how hard he tried to deny how the touch made him feel, Kurt just couldn’t. And as he made his way towards the makeshift movie screen, Kurt desperately tried to shove the sensation out of his mind.
But no matter how hard he tried to think of other things or how hard Kurt tried to replace the feel of Puck’s fingers with his own, he couldn’t.
When Puck had first grabbed his wrist, Kurt had enjoyed the feel of someone’s skin against his own. So much so actually, that he hadn’t cared that it had been Puck who had been holding him and not Finn.
But now, as he stepped past Finn, it was all he could think about. It made Kurt feel… guilty, as if he’d somehow cheated on Finn with Puck.
And the irony of that thought would have made Kurt laugh if it hadn’t made him sick to his stomach first.
Swallowing the thought, Kurt shook his head and continued on. He was not going to let his thoughts go down that road.
After stepping over out-stretched legs and mini-mounds of coats and hoodies, Kurt reached the front of the room. But before saying anything, he took a look out at his audience. For the most part, everyone seemed content and happy as they talked and munched on pizza (or whatever they’d grabbed to eat).
The only ones who didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves were Quinn, Finn, and himself.
Quinn, though sitting between Brittany and Tina, seemed to be completely alone. There was an unopened bottle of water on the floor by her feet and a slice of pizza with only one tiny bite out of it on a paper plate on her lap. She looked sick and pale and completely drained.
And for just a moment, Kurt couldn’t help but think about how weird it was to see Quinn in his basement. After all, they’d never been close. And in fact, he could think of only two times she’d voluntarily spoken to him. But his heart still went out to her. He truly believed that Quinn didn’t deserve what was happening to her.
Even if she had broken Finn’s heart.
The moment he thought of Finn, Kurt’s eyes flickered over to him. Before, when he was getting his pizza, the taller boy had looked happy, happier than Kurt had seen him since the blow out with Puck and Quinn actually. But now he looked upset again as Mercedes rubbed his forearm and whispered something to him.
For just a moment, Kurt was tempted to go to Finn, to sit down next to him and do whatever he could to turn his frown upside down. Because his crush was so deeply ingrained within him that his moods would respond to Finn’s.
If Finn smiled, Kurt smiled.
And if Finn hurt, Kurt hurt.
But with everyone there and the desire to try and keep his crush and his sexuality somewhat private, Kurt stayed still.
And to make matters worse, Kurt didn’t even feel he could watch Finn to see if Mercedes was able to cheer him up. Because standing in front of the glee club, some of whom were turning their attention to him, Kurt felt as if he was exposed. He felt as if his crush was on display in front of everyone.
The thought caused his flesh to crawl and the tips of his ears to burn. It was a sensation that, until Kurt had stepped in front of the club to announce his party, he’d never felt before. Or more exactly, it was something that Kurt had never experienced until Puck had kissed him, until Puck’s dark eyes bore into his in front of everyone else.
And as Kurt tore his eyes away from Finn in an effort to keep his crush to himself, he felt a swift and sickening wave of anger towards Puck. Because if it weren’t for the way Puck made him feel, Kurt would still have felt free to look over at Finn. He would have felt free to be comfortable in his own skin. But with the lingering feel of Puck’s gaze still fresh in his mind, Kurt couldn’t relax. It was almost as if Puck figured out a way to torture him from the inside out.
Trying to swallow his irritation, Kurt attempted to tell himself that he was being ridiculous, that he was not on display. And just to prove his point, Kurt allowed his gaze to flicker back to Finn once more. But as much as he wanted to check on Finn, a tiny part of him wanted to search Puck out in the crowd.
Just to see if he looked upset or miserable.
Because, at that moment, Kurt wished that Puck could feel all of the pain, anger, and misery that he’d ever caused him.
But Kurt didn’t look.
Instead, he took a second to calm himself, pushing back his perfectly coifed hair as he took a few slow, deep breaths. And feeling a little better, Kurt placed his right hand on his hip before clearing his throat pointedly. Much to his surprise, everyone in the room turned their attention to him. Bolstered by their reactions, Kurt smiled coyly before addressing his audience.
“Now that everyone is here and settled in…” He gave an appreciative little snort as Mike and Matt waved half-eaten slices of pizza in the air. “It’s time to start the film.” Kurt gave a little nod at Mercedes who jumped up and ran to the projector his father had set up.
“Now, since we so thoroughly,” Kurt said the word with relish. “Destroyed the other teams, who were using our numbers no less…” He paused for a moment, allowing for the appropriate snickers and cheers. “I thought we could watch their performances as well. Just so we can truly appreciate just how amazing we were.”
There were eye rolls from the girls and hollers from the guys. And Kurt couldn’t help but laugh at that, because during sectionals, they’d all been upset and angry over their set list being leaked. But in the days since, they’d all come to find the fact that they’d still managed to win (with a last-minute routine no less) amusing.
When everyone had settled down again, Kurt smiled just a little. “So, without further ado…”
When the perfectly pronounced ado left Kurt’s lips, the makeshift screen behind him sprang to life with a title card bearing the name and date of the event. And as cheers began to erupt from everyone in the room, Kurt ran from out in front of the wall. Being careful not to step on anyone, he quickly made his way to the back of the room where he met up with Mercedes.
The moment he was within earshot of her, Mercedes started talking. “Ugh, poor Finn. He’s so upset. His mom yelled at the Fabrays when she found out about Quinn.” Her voice was just above a whisper, and Kurt couldn’t help but marvel at that. He would never have thought she could be so quiet.
But more importantly, Kurt was beyond relieved that she hadn’t brought up Puck. And since the first words out of her mouth weren’t “I saw you and Puck together,” he felt safe in assuming that she hadn’t seen what had (or hadn’t) happened.
Kurt was just about to respond when there was a staccato tapping on his shoulder.
When he turned around, Kurt was surprised to himself face-to-face with Santana.
Out of all the jocks and Cheerios who had joined the glee club, she was his least favorite. And from what he’d heard through the gossip mill (i.e. Mercedes), she was holding on tight to Puck despite her… thing with Brittany. And for just one horrifying moment, Kurt was terrified that maybe she had seen him with Puck. His next fear was that she was preparing to put her well-manicured claws to use.
“Uh, excuse me, but do you, like, have any straws for the drinks? I don’t want to mess up my lipstick.” Her voice was bored, as if she didn’t want to be there. Which Kurt just couldn’t understand since she’d already admitted to liking glee club. And as she watched him expectantly, part of Kurt wondered if maybe bored and rude wasn’t just Santana’s default position in life.
But since it was his party (and only because it was his party), Kurt smiled and did his best to reply politely. “No, sorry. All out.”
“Whatever.” Santana turned on her heel, making sure to smack Kurt in the face with her ponytail as she did.
He only had enough time for one exaggerated eye roll at Mercedes before Mike approached him, asking where the restroom was. (The door across from the bed.)
And sadly, that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the party. Because without fail, every time Kurt would try to sit down or grab a snack for himself, someone would come to him in search of something. And in an effort to be a good little host, Kurt chased down fresh bags of chips, more bottles of water, and extra toilet paper (among a million other things).
And when Brittany came up to him in search of more Cherry Coke Zero, Kurt had to bite his tongue to keep himself from telling her to go upstairs and get it herself. But just as he was about to plaster on another smile and say, “Sure, let me go find some,” Rachel’s voice came booming out of the speakers he had attached to the wall. And suddenly, he felt desperate to get out of the basement. Her voice, though amazing, was suffocating in the confines of his own bedroom.
So, filled with relief, Kurt quickly made his way up the steps and into the kitchen yet again. But to his surprise, it wasn’t empty. His dad was leaning on the counter, a pizza box open in front of him. “Hey, Dad. Where’s Uncle Mike?” I thought you two were discussing glitter versus feathers for fishing lures in the garage?”
“Wimp. He got a hook stuck in his thumb. He’s in the bathroom cleaning the wound.” Burt snorted as he pulled a slice of pizza (covered in what looked like every type of meat Uncle Mike’s carried) out of the box. “How are things going downstairs?” Burt shoved the slice into his mouth, biting off nearly a third of it. Through the bite, he added, “And why are you up here?”
Kurt sighed deeply, realizing for the first time just how worn out he really was. And before he answered, he leaned back against the fridge and closed his eyes. Enjoying the soft hum of the appliance, he took a few deep breaths. With his eyes still tightly shut, Kurt answered his father, his voice sounding as tired as he felt. “Brittany wanted to know if there was any more of the Cherry Coke Zero.”
“The ditzy blonde one?” Burt sounded a little far away, as if he were struggling to remember just who Brittany was.
“Yep. That’s the one.” Kurt chuckled a little, amazed that his father had remembered that after having only met her once or twice. When he opened his eyes, he was unsurprised to find his dad stuffing the pizza into his mouth once again. And as the older man tore off a bite, Kurt’s stomach gave a vicious growl.
Pushing himself away from the refrigerator, Kurt walked over to the kitchen counter to stand across from his dad. “And the party is going… fine, by the way.” Kurt looked down and wrinkled his nose at the pizza but plucked off a piece of sausage anyway. “I just needed to get away for a few minutes.” He popped the piece of meat into his mouth and began chewing thoughtfully.
Burt nodded as Kurt chewed, his clear eyes searching his son’s. But before saying anything, he took a swig of the can of Coke that was sitting next to him, almost as if he were giving himself more time to think. “Did something happen? Do I need to -”
“No.” Kurt cut his father off before he could continue. “It’s just… I couldn’t stay down there during Rachel’s solo.” His dad looked confused, but before he explained, Kurt snatched another chunk of the sausage off of the pizza. “She’s the one that I… That got…”
“The solo.” Burt looked sad, as if he felt responsible for Kurt not getting the part.
“I don’t regret what I did, Dad.” Kurt smiled at his father, reaching out and placing his free hand on his dad’s forearm. “I just can’t stand listening to her sing. Yes, she has a fantastic voice.” At that moment, Rachel perfectly nailing a high note came wafting up the stairs causing Kurt to grimace. “But she is just so irritating.”
Burt burst into laughter, shaking his head back and forth.
And as he did, Kurt took the moment to pop the piece of meat into his mouth. When the heavy seasoning began to burn his tongue, Kurt reached out, silently asking his father for a drink of his Coke.
Without hesitation, his dad handed over the can as Kurt swallowed the sausage. “So, everything really is ok? Did the kid in the wheelchair settle down?”
Kurt took a sip of the drink before answering. “Yeah, he just… I should have thought about it.” He placed the aluminum can carefully on the counter top, almost as if he were afraid of breaking it. “His name is Artie. In case you were wondering.”
“Ok.” Burt picked up the can as Kurt watched him. Looking at his dad, he could hardly believe how easy it had become to talk to his father.
For years he’d worked so hard at trying to hide who he really was and that had seriously strained their relationship. During that time, Kurt had wanted nothing more than to make his dad proud and to be able to talk to him and confide in him.
And the pain of not being able to have that… it had been unbearable.
But since he’d told his father the truth, things had changed drastically between them. That was not to say that everything was perfect though. Kurt could tell that his father was still uncomfortable talking about some things and honestly so was he.
In a way though, Kurt had felt as if they were meeting one another for the first time. And it was amazing. He’d learned more about his father in a month than he had in sixteen years, and Kurt was pretty sure that the same was true for his dad. So, as his father sat watching him, making an effort to learn about his friends, Kurt felt the back of his throat tighten up as a wave of love and gratitude overtook him. And at that moment, Kurt Hummel felt better than he had in a week.
“Hey, is everything alright?” Burt’s question came out of nowhere causing Kurt to blink a few times in confusion. “I know I asked before and that you said everything was fine.” He held up one hand as if to keep Kurt from interrupting. “But these past few days… you haven’t really been you.”
“Umh, I….” It was all there, ready to come out.
The truth about his feeling for Finn.
The kiss with Puck and everything that had followed.
How Puck had tortured him for years.
It didn’t matter that he was in the middle of a party or that it would require them to broach the subject of boys. Because Kurt needed to talk to someone, and he wanted that person to be his father. “I…”
But before Kurt could say anything else a very scared sounding voice came yelling up the steps. “Kurt! Mr. Hummel!” Heavy, frantic footsteps pounding up the stairs followed, as their names seemed to echo through the kitchen. Kurt’s eyes went wide, and his father stared at him, the confusion and worry evident on his face. “Help! Please, help!”
Before either of them could move, Finn came bursting into the kitchen, his boyish face whiter than Kurt had ever seen it.
And in his arms was Quinn.
Her face was screwed up as if she was in pain, and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. Cradled in Finn’s arms, she looked so tiny and fragile. And Kurt could hardly believe that she was the same person who’d been fierce enough to be named head Cheerio.
Frozen in his spot, Kurt watched as his father hurried forward, his eyes intent on Finn. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I… I don’t…” Finn half-sobbed, confusion and worry twisting his features. “She was fine and then, and then…”
With all of his attention locked on Finn, Kurt hadn’t noticed that Puck was in the room until he gripped Kurt’s shoulders and shook him out of his trance. “Where are your keys?”
Kurt managed to tear his eyes away from Finn to look at Puck. When his eyes found Puck’s, Kurt was taken aback by the fear he saw in them. “They’re, they’re on the counter.” Kurt pointed to the tiny dish where he and his father kept their keys. It wasn’t until he saw his hand trembling that Kurt realized he was shaking.
“There’s just… There’s so much blood.” Finn’s voice broke on the last word, and though he didn’t want to, Kurt turned to look at Quinn. He didn’t even bother to try and hold back his gasp.
The pale yellow fabric of Quinn’s pants was stained scarlet.
Squeeka Cuomo’s Notes
- The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, “Put Me Back Together.” You can find it here.
- I owe everyone that reviewed the last chapter a huge thank you. I’m amazed and touched by your kindness. Thank you so very much.
- Quack: Thank you for all of your help. :duck:
- Reviews are love.
Put Me Back Together
Chapter 1: Kiss Me Goodbye
Chapter 2: Of Soirees and Sarongs
Chapter 3: Not So Subtle
Chapter 4: Late Arrivals