You make me wanna be romantic
You make me wanna be a star
You make me wanna act different
I love you for who you are
Kurt Hummel had little on his mind as he was slammed into the hard metal of the lockers that lined the boys' locker room walls. His hands automatically swung up in surprise, his eyes squeezed shut as he prepared for a blow from the various football players that liked to use him as their personal punching bag. However, the pain never came. Calloused fingers caressed his face rather than inflicting wounds and soft lips pressed against his neck rather than spewing insults and slurs.
"Noah, what-" Kurt whispered, glancing around for watching eyes.
"Hey Princess," Puck whispered back, bringing his face out of the crook of Kurt's neck and pressing his forehead to Kurt's.
"The rest of your team will be here in half an hour," Kurt said, looking into Puck's eyes intently.
"We can do a lot in half an hour," Puck insisted.
"Someone could walk in at any minute," Kurt said, ducking under Puck's strong arm and walking away slowly. Puck caught Kurt's wrist and pulled him to a stop.
"Come on Princess, you know you want to," Puck insisted, a smirk creeping onto his face when Kurt turned back around and walked towards him steadily.
"Fine."
Kurt sat in the back row of Glee club that day, his mind wandering as Rachel sang yet another solo. His fingers fiddled with the hems of his shirt and his eyes were glued to a certain football player.
It had started out as a one-time thing. Puck hadn't been with any girls since Beth was born and Kurt was feeling lonely over the summer. What started as a hookup between two lonely, drunk teenagers became something close to a relationship. Except it wasn't.
Kurt remembered when he asked Puck about it. They were lying in bed, Kurt's head resting on Puck's muscular chest.
"What are we? Are we...together?" Kurt asked, keeping his gaze away from Puck's judgemental eyes.
It had taken Puck a minute to formulate a response. When he finally opened his mouth, he said, "We're just friends. Friends who support each other until one of us gets a real relationship."
A real relationship.
Kurt had been pondering what that meant for weeks. Puck was always there, staying up until one in the morning when Kurt couldn't sleep, texting supportive messages when Kurt had a big test, even punching one of his own teammates in the face when they raised their hand up to throw a slushie at Kurt. And in return, Kurt tutored Puck in English and French, made dinner for Puck's sister when her mom wasn't home, and attended every single football game. What was keeping them from being a real couple? But then Kurt remembered. He remembered the looks that Puck's teammates gave him when he protected Kurt and he remembered the sneer that crossed Mama Puckerman's face when she came home to find Kurt sitting at the dining room table. He remembered the defeated expression that crossed Puck's face before he quickly hid it behind his mask of indifference. And when Kurt saw that face, he knew that Puck would never commit to a real relationship, at least not with a boy, not with Kurt.
When Rachel stopped singing, and glee club was dismissed, Kurt hurried to his car. Thinking about Puck was giving him a headache.
Moments later, he found himself pulling into the parking lot of his favorite coffee shop, The Lima Bean. He locked his car and pulled his messenger bag over his shoulder before heading into the cozy shop. Usually, on the nights that he got out of glee club late, the shop was fairly empty since most students leave to have dinner or study at home. However today, Kurt seemed to be lost in a sea of teenage boys wearing blue and red blazers. Rolling his eyes at their antics, Kurt ordered his latte and made his way over to an open table. However, just as he was about to sit down, one of the blazer boys bumped into his arm causing his coffee to spill onto his shoe.
"I am so sorry!" The boy exclaimed, his eyes immediately jumping upwards to meet Kurt's. His black hair curled slightly and his thick eyebrows raised as they took in Kurt's surprised expression.
"It's no problem," Kurt said, allowing his eyes to roam across the face of the handsome stranger.
"You're too kind," The stranger said, handing Kurt a handkerchief that he pulled out of his blazer. "Seriously, is there anything I can do it make it up to you? I just spilled coffee all over your- oh my goodness are those Gucci? I am so sorry oh my god! Here, let me pay for you to buy a new pair seriously I'm sorry if I ruined them-"
"Calm down," Kurt said, reaching his hand out and hesitantly resting it on the boy's forearm. "You definitely don't need to pay me anything."
"Are you sure?" The boy asked.
"Of course I'm sure!" Kurt insisted, taking a sip of what was left in his cup. "Although I suppose there is one thing you can do to make it up to me."
"Anything!"
Kurt eyed him, his laser-sharp gaze calculating, "Tell me your name."
"Did I not?" The stranger said, shaking his head to himself. "I'm so sorry. I spill coffee all over you without even introducing myself! My name is Blaine, Blaine Anderson. I'm here with my show choir group, the Warblers."
Kurt nodded thoughtfully.
"What about you?" Blaine asked. "I suppose I should know the name of the person who is gracious enough to let me get away with spilling a perfectly good latte."
"Kurt, Kurt Hummel."
Before he could comprehend what was happening, Kurt was pulled into a discussion with Blaine. They sat at a table alone, away from the other Warblers and talked about everything from their schools to Broadway.
Maybe this is a real relationship, Kurt thought to himself as Blaine wrote down his number on a napkin and handed it to Kurt. Yes, this seemed real.
And yet, Kurt couldn't bring himself to tell Puck about it. He knew that there was an expiration date on him and Puck, an expiration date that was precisely the same as the starting date of a future with Blaine. And, although it was selfish, Kurt didn't want to end things with Puck.
Blaine made him think about the future. A future outside of Lima. A future in New York on Broadway or at Vogue. A future filled with success and glamour.
But Puck grounded him, made him realize that there was good in everything, even in lousy Lima Ohio. He forced Kurt to laugh and have fun rather than working constantly and convinced Kurt to relax rather than stressing about every little thing in life.
And Kurt couldn't give that up.
It's not cheating if I'm not officially with either of them, Kurt told himself. It's just exploring my options to make the best choice.
When Blaine asked Kurt to be his boyfriend, Kurt couldn't say yes.
So he just nodded his head and watched as Blaine's face lit up with joy.
"I think I'm dating someone," Kurt said as he and Puck walked to the choir room. Puck's shoulders tensed.
"What do you mean 'you think you're dating someone'. Are you with someone or not?"
"I don't know if it's real," Kurt whispered.
"What?"
"You told me that we could keep...doing what we're doing until one of us finds a real relationship. I'm not sure if this is real or not so we can keep doing it, ok?"
Puck looked down at him, looked down at the floor, and then nodded sharply before turning into the choir room and sitting as far away from Kurt as possible.
After Glee practice, Kurt went to the mall with Mercedes. He shopped until he couldn't afford to buy anything else.
"Tough day?" Mercedes asked Kurt as he swiped his debit card.
"You know that shopping is my therapy," Kurt responded, taking his bags from the cashier. "Let's get out of here before I spend my college fund."
Mercedes obliged.
Kurt walked through the door as quietly as he could in case his dad and Carole had already fallen asleep. He shuffled out of his shoes and quietly began the trek up the stairs when he noticed that the TV was on in the living room. Curious, he walked towards it.
Finn and Puck sat on the couch, soda cans in hand and a soccer game on the TV.
"So what's up with you and Rachel?" Puck asked Finn, his eyes remaining glued to the game.
"I don't know anymore man. We're still together but she's getting stressed about Regionals and you know what that means," Finn replied, taking a sip of his soda. "What about you? Weren't you and Quinn starting to talk again?"
Kurt held his breath as he waited for Puck's answer.
"Yeah, we're going to breadstix on Friday actually-"
Kurt didn't hear the rest of Puck's answer. He crept out of the room and sprinted up to his room, not caring if he woke anyone up. Once he was safely in his room, Kurt pulled out his phone and waited for the ringing to stop.
"Hello?" Blaine asked.
"Hey Blaine," Kurt breathed a small smile gracing his face.
"Hey, Kurt! What's up?"
"Can we go out on Friday? Maybe to one of those diners near Dalton?"
"Sure! I'll make sure the Warblers don't have a late night practice."
"Awesome. I'll see you then."
"I can't wait. Hey, I hope you know that those places are filled with very influential old people. Wear some of your more traditional clothes, ok? I'll text you in the morning. I love you!"
The small faded slightly from Kurt's face. "I love you too."
On Friday, Kurt put on his best dress shirt and a burgundy tie. His black dress pants had been meticulously ironed and his hair perfectly brushed.
Blaine picked him up in his new Tesla and held his hand while they drove to Westchester.
"You look great," Blaine said. "I think the people around here will be surprised, normally you can tell right away when someone comes from the smaller suburbs but you'll fit right in. Some of the theater nerds might even invite you to audition at the local theater! They always hang out at this one bar-"
As Blaine talked about fitting in and getting scouted, Kurt fought against his better judgment and smiled rather than grimacing.
On Saturday, Kurt invited Puck over. As soon as he walked through the door, Puck attacked Kurt's mouth. Their bodies melded together perfectly, their fingers roamed over each others body, appreciating the familiar figure. They stumbled through the house bumping into counters and walls as they made their way up to Kurt's bedroom. Kurt savored the taste of beer and mint that was left on his lips when Puck pulled away.
Intoxicating. Kurt thought to himself. Addictive. That's what Noah is.
Just as Puck was about to plunge in for another kiss, Kurt put a hand on his chest to stop him. His muscles ached to pull Puck close, to lead him into his bedroom one last time. But he knew that he couldn't.
If he did, he wouldn't be able to stop. They weren't together. Kurt knew that and he understood that Puck didn't want that. But it still felt like a breakup.
"It's real," Kurt whispered, his eyes scanning Puck's face. "Me and Blaine. We're dating."
The same defeated expression that Kurt had seen on Puck so many times flashed over Puck's face before he plastered his signature smirk on again.
"Good for you, Princess. You deserve it."
"I-" Kurt tried to come up with words to describe everything he wanted to tell Puck. He tried to come up with a way to say thank you, to tell him how much it meant to him to have someone actually care about him for once but he couldn't. So instead, he wrapped his arms around Puck one last time and whispered, "I had fun."
On the night of his graduation, Kurt found a package resting on his windowsill. It was small but wrapped with care and topped with a perfectly symmetrical bow. Inside there was a small paperweight with a crown design on it. When Blaine saw it, Kurt insisted that it was an inside joke with his grandma about how he was always the little prince of the household. Only Kurt knew that the person who sent it never called him a prince, only Princess.
When Kurt first moved into an apartment with Blaine, it was bliss. Everything he thought it would be and more. Blaine woke him up every morning with a kiss on the forehead and then they went into the kitchen to put breakfast together. Then, Blaine would leave for a morning class at NYADA and Kurt would go to his internship at Vogue. After that, Kurt would go to NYADA and Blaine would either return to their apartment or go to an additional dance or workout class. Blaine's parents paid for the apartment so they never had to worry about rent and could instead focus on their other activities. When Kurt offered to help with the rent, Blaine had laughed and placed a kiss on his temple.
"You don't have to worry about that Kurt. We've got so many opportunities in this city, jobs would just take up time that we could be spending on our careers," Blaine had said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kurt just nodded and smiled sweetly, passing Blaine one of his new favorite foods: the New York cronut.
"How's school, Kurt?" Rachel asked.
Surprisingly, both she and Kurt had gotten into NYADA. Blaine had been quite surprised at this news since, according to him, "NYADA doesn't usually take two students from the same school, especially not some random midwestern public school." Kurt hadn't cared, he was too happy celebrating with Rachel to pay attention to his comments.
"Oh you know, same old, same old. Madame Tibideaux might have my head if I don't figure out how to do those runs exactly how she wants them," Kurt replied. "Blaine wants me to sign up for private lessons but I don't know, that's a bit much don't you think?"
Rachel nodded her head quickly and stirred her cup of coffee.
"How are things with Blaine, Kurt? Is he always so... supportive?"
"Of course he is," Kurt replied automatically. He didn't look up into Rachel's watchful eyes as he continued. "He wants what's best for me and wants me to reach my full potential. It's quite sweet, always planning for the future."
Rachel nodded, her eyes never leaving Kurt's blushing face.
"Anyway," Kurt exclaimed after a moment of silence. "What about you? How's Finn? Is he doing ok in school?"
"He's your stepbrother, why don't you ask him?" Rachel said, playfully rolling her eyes. "He's caught up on all his assignments and he seems to be enjoying himself. Oh! And he's excited because Noah is coming to visit next week!"
"Noah?" Kurt asked.
"Yes Kurt, Noah," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "Noah Puckerman? As in Puck?"
Kurt had to stop himself from spitting out his coffee although there was no way he could stop his eyes from widening to a point where they looked like they might pop out of their sockets.
"Noah is coming? Here? To New York?"
Rachel studied him carefully and narrowed her eyes as she answered.
"Yeah, he's coming to visit Finn since they haven't seen each other since graduation. He'll be staying with us for a week since NYU and NYADA are both going to be on Thanksgiving break."
"Oh shit, I completely forgot about Thanksgiving. Blaine is going on a trip with his brother to Europe," Kurt mumbled.
"And you aren't going with?" Rachel asked, her mouth opened as if she wanted to say more but then she decided against it and grabbed Kurt's hands gently. "Well, how about you come over to our apartment for Thanksgiving? It'll almost be like a Glee reunion!"
"Thank you, Rachel, really but-"
"Unless you're going home, you have no choice. We'll have plenty of food and god knows Puck will bring the alcohol-"
"Blaine hates when I drink," Kurt said, quickly interrupting her however Rachel was not on board with it.
"Fuck what Blaine thinks!" Rachel exclaimed, sighing when Kurt raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Look, Kurt, I'm sorry it just seems like Blaine's opinion matters a little too much to you. Just come hang out with us for Thanksgiving. Please?"
Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his hair while he wracked his brain for an excuse. Unfortunately, he couldn't find one.
"Fine," He said. "I'll see you then."
Kurt wasn't planning on getting wasted. He really wasn't.
But as soon as he saw Puck, he knew that he was going to need a lot more than a sip of wine to get him through the night. Somehow, between graduation and Thanksgiving, Puck had grown even hotter. His skin was tan compared to his light blue button up shirt that barely contained his biceps and his hair had grown out on top. The only thing that hadn't changed was his signature smirk and the mischievous glint in his eye.
"Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed, throwing her arms around her best friend. "Glad you could make it!"
"You forced me to come," Kurt deadpanned as he handed her a platter of mashed potatoes. "Blaine cooked these before his flight today, it's his grandmother's recipe."
"Still with good ole Anderson then, Hummel?" Puck asked, walking up behind Rachel and handing Kurt a bottle of beer.
"Yes, Blaine and I are still together. It'll be three years this spring," Kurt answered, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He quickly grabbed the beer from Puck and took a large swig.
"How are you, little bro?" Finn asked, ignoring the obvious tension between Kurt and Puck.
"Great Finn," Kurt breathed. "Are you making food?"
"Oh yeah! I should get that out of the oven-"
"Let me help you!" Kurt volunteered, sprinting into the kitchen with Finn hot on his tail and Rachel watching curiously.
By the time dinner was on the table, Kurt was feeling buzzed from his two beers. By the time Rachel set dessert out, Kurt was getting downright sloppy. His movements were slow and his speech was slurred but he was able to hold a conversation with Rachel, who was also tipsy. Finn and Puck, however, realized that Kurt was in no condition to be driving home alone.
"Should we call him a Lyft?" Puck asked as Kurt and Rachel giggled hysterically.
"No man, I'll drive him home. I don't trust those drivers with my little brother. Especially not when he's like this."
"I'll take him," Puck said softly. Finn looked at him in surprise. "You stay here with Rachel, I'll stay with Kurt for the night and make sure he's alright in the morning."
"Thank you so much, Puck," Finn said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Kurt! Time to go home!"
It seemed that the two boys were too late. Kurt had fallen asleep on the couch leaving Rachel to giggle by her lonesome.
"Kurtie's taking a nap," Rachel giggled, pointing at her slumbering friend.
Puck and Finn traded a look before Puck scooped Kurt into his arms and carried him out of the apartment. He grabbed the car keys from Kurt's coat pocket and gently set the slumbering boy in the passenger seat.
Thankfully, Kurt stayed asleep for the entire car ride and all the way up to his apartment. However, he awoke from his slumber just as Puck was setting him into bed.
"Puck?" He asked, confused. Puck looked down in surprise at the sudden noise and had to refrain from crinkling his nose at the intense scent of alcohol that reached his nose from Kurt's breath.
"Hey Hummel," Puck said, setting the boy down on the bed.
"Hu-hummel?" Kurt slurred. "What happened to Princess?"
Puck froze slightly and looked at the boy intently.
"You wanted me to stop calling you that," Puck said quietly, pulling the blankets up to Kurt's shoulders.
"I love when you call me that," Kurt whispered, grabbing Puck's hand lightly. "I love you."
Puck tried to pull away but Kurt's eyes remained trained on him even as he started falling back to sleep.
"You're drunk, you don't mean that. You have Blaine now-"
"Say it back," Kurt said harshly, pulling Puck's hand towards him. "Please just say it back to me. Just once."
"Kurt-"
"Please Noah," Kurt said, his eyes searching Puck's face. "Can it be real between us for just one fucking second?"
Puck stared back at Kurt, the muscles in his jaw twitching uncomfortably.
"I love you, Kurt," Puck said, his voice gruff and hoarse, "Always have and I always will."
"I wanted it to be real," Kurt whispered.
Puck stared at him silently before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.
When Kurt woke up, he felt like a train had hit him. His head was pounding and his throat felt like it had been rubbed raw.
"Fuck my life," Kurt whispered, wincing when the words left his dry throat.
He glanced around the room, frowning as he realized that he had no idea how he got home. He quickly glanced down at himself and was happy to find that he was fully clothed. He stood up quietly, wracking his brain to remember what had happened the night before. When Puck's concerned face reentered his mind, Kurt groaned and buried his face in his hands. Memories from the past night flooded his mind and he almost screamed in frustration when he remembered what he had confessed to Puck.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up unsteadily, making his way out of his room.
"Morning, Hummel," Puck greeted. Kurt's eyes widened again and he froze where he stood.
"What the fuck are you still doing here Puck?" Kurt exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.
"Get a glass of water, your voice sounds like shit."
"What the fuck are you doing in my kitchen?"
Puck sighed. "Can you please just get some fluids in you? You look like you might keel over any second."
"Noah! What the fuck are you doing in my kitchen?"
"Making sure that your drunk ass is alive!" Puck finally shouted back.
Kurt stared at him for a moment before shaking his head and going into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
"I can take care of myself," He said gruffly.
"Not when you're more wasted than I was in high school."
Kurt didn't respond and kept his back to Puck while he drank his water. He leaned on the counter to keep himself stabilized.
"Do you remember anything from last night?" Puck asked, walking closer to Kurt.
"No," Kurt lied. "I don't even remember leaving Rachel's."
"Good," Puck said, exhaling harshly. He glanced around the room uncertainly before dropping his head and saying, "Are you ok to be alone? I should go."
Kurt nodded, still keeping his back to Puck in order to hide the sad expression that crossed his face when he realized that Puck obviously didn't want to acknowledge what they had said last night. His grip on the counter tightened and his eyes closed softly when he heard Puck's footsteps gradually fading away.
He knew that everything could continue on as it had been for the past year if he let Puck leave. But almost as if on instinct, Kurt released the counter and ran to Puck, grabbing his wrist and pulled him back before he could walk out of the door.
"What-"
"Stay," Kurt said. "Please, stay."
Puck looked down at him with hesitation and confusion in his eyes.
"You've got Anderson now-"
"No one will know. Same as before," Kurt whispered, watching as Puck's eyebrows furrowed together and his breath hitched.
"This would be cheating, Kurt. You would be cheating on Blaine," Puck said, gently trying to shake his hand away.
"I don't want to think about him right now," Kurt said, gently placing his hands on Puck's shoulders. "This won't change anything I promise. Tomorrow Blaine will come home and you'll go back to LA. Can we, can we just forget about all that for today?"
Puck glanced back at the door and then back at Kurt's questioning face before he let out a low growl and pulled Kurt closer.
"I've missed you, Princess."
By the time Blaine got home, Kurt had cleaned the entire house. Swept every floor, wiped every counter, changed every sheet, all in an effort to erase the weekend with Puck. He sat in his favorite chair, staring at the door for hours, his fingers fidgeting as he waited for Blaine to come through the door. When he finally did, Kurt leaped out of his seat and wrapped himself around Blaine, passionately pressing a kiss to his surprised lover's lips.
Blaine thought it was because Kurt missed him.
Kurt meant it as an apology.
I'm sorry that I cheated on you. I'm sorry that I can't stop thinking about him. I'm sorry I love him. I'm so, so sorry.
In May, Blaine brought Kurt to one of his brother's movie premiers. It was all over the tabloids. Not only reviews and interviews with Cooper and the other stars of the movie but pictures of Blaine and Kurt.
When Kurt saw the pictures, he cringed remembering Blaine's hand on his waist, pulling him close and making sure he couldn't even breathe while the paparazzi were around. He could still practically feel Blaine's cool breath on his neck, whispering about how he needed to keep his shoulders back more and keep his eyebrows raised so his face looks more symmetrical.
When Puck saw the pictures, he canceled his flight to New York and told Finn that the flight was just too expensive for him to afford at the moment.
Over the next year, Blaine and Kurt became the "it" couple throughout the world. Between Blaine's appearances on Broadway, his brother's presence in Hollywood, and Blaine's parents' generous donation to charity, Blaine and Kurt were seen everywhere together.
I've done it Kurt thought to himself as he walked down the street one day with an undercover security guard walking ten feet behind him. I've made it.
He blocked out all the times he had cried in the bathroom only to get reprimanded by Blaine for messing up his concealer. He blocked out the number of times that he had stared at himself in the mirror, not knowing who he was anymore. He blocked out the way his brain screamed stop every time Blaine's hands ran down his sides. He blocked out the constant feeling of not belonging, feeling like he wasn't enough, knowing that without Blaine, he was nothing in this world.
Instead, he focused on the fact that Blaine loved him. Blaine wanted the best for him. Blaine was giving him everything he could've dreamed of.
So when Blaine proposed, Kurt said yes.
He pretended that Puck's disappointed face didn't flash before his eyes as the double halo ring was pushed onto his finger.
When the doorbell rang at midnight the weekend before Kurt's wedding, Finn didn't open the door. When the doorbell rang for the fifth time, he finally relented and got up to see who it was per Rachel's request.
"Puck?" Finn asked, his words slurred since he just woke up. "What the hell are you doing here at midnight?"
"Can I stay here for a little bit?" Puck said quietly, shifted the luggage that was on his back.
Finn opened the door widely, his eyes following Puck's movements as he settled into the apartment.
"Wanna tell me why you're here?" Finn asked, pulling sheets out of a drawer and setting up a makeshift bed on the couch.
"It's complicated."
Finn nodded and fluffed one of the pillows.
"Rachel and I are going to be pretty busy all week. Kurt's wedding is next weekend so we have rehearsals to go to."
"Don't worry about it Finn, I've got some stuff I have to handle."
Finn eyed his friend cautiously.
"You aren't," Finn paused thinking about his word choice carefully. "You aren't in trouble with anyone are you?"
"No, no," Puck said, waving his friend off. "I stopped using that shit in high school. I don't want to get thrown into the slammer."
"Well," Finn said, clearly not fully convinced. "Rachel says no smoking in the house. There's a door near the kitchen that leads to the balcony."
Puck nodded absentmindedly.
"You ok man?" Finn asked, resting his hand on Puck's shoulder.
"I'm gay," Puck said suddenly, refusing to meet Finn's eyes.
"Oh," Finn said, a lopsided smile settling on his face. "Cool."
Puck looked up and nodded, a small smile settling on his face as well.
"I'm going to go check on Rachel, are you ok out here?"
Puck nodded, thanking his friend for the hospitality. Once Finn disappeared into the other room, Puck pulled out his phone and looked at his favorite photo. It was a selfie him and Kurt. Kurt was laughing, his head leaning on Puck's shoulder. Puck was grinning at the camera, his eyes sparkling and his teeth gleaming.
Cars roared outside, a siren wailed from the streets, and the upstairs neighbor seemed to be content with doing a pilates routine at midnight. Puck only focused on one thing, the small picture of him and Kurt that illuminated the otherwise dark room. If he focused hard enough, he could almost hear Kurt's music like laughter drifting out of the screen.
When Puck woke up, Rachel was sitting in a chair opposite of him reading a biography of a Broadway star that Puck didn't recognize.
"Good morning Noah," Rachel said, setting her biography down.
"Hey Rach," Puck said, sitting up and rolling his shoulders back. "Where's Finn?"
"Showering," Rachel said. "Now, I need to know the real reason you need to stay here."
"I can't afford a hotel and I haven't seen Finn in a while. Figured he would let me crash."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "But why are you in New York? It's not like you to just spontaneously take a flight across the country."
"I have business to handle. Didn't Finn tell you?"
"Bullshit," Rachel exclaimed, pointing her finger at Puck's face.
"Fine!" Puck exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "I came for Kurt."
Rachel settled back into her seat. "Elaborate."
"I know that he's getting married. And I couldn't, I had to try. I couldn't just let Anderson steal my boy while I sat in California."
"I knew it," Rachel whispered.
"You can't tell Finn," Puck pleaded.
"He wouldn't judge-"
"He can't know until this is over. Got it?"
Rachel nodded hesitantly.
"Good," Puck slung a jacket over his shoulders and slipped some shoes on. "I'll be back tonight."
"Finn and I-"
"-will be at Kurt's rehearsal dinner. I know. I'll see you whenever you get home."
Puck stepped out onto the cool New York streets and inhaled deeply. The smell of gasoline and fast food was strangely comforting. He followed the stream of people who were bustling down the street, rushing to get to jobs or appointments. After walking for a few minutes, Puck finally found himself in front of his destination. The shop was small, customers lined against the walls and workers buzzing around busily. Puck waited impatiently at the end of the line until a worker was finally available to help him.
"What can I get you?" Said the older woman, her blue eyes shining and her Russian accent thick.
"Could I get a small box of almond croissants, a cheese strudel, and a pecan coffee cake? And you guys sell flowers, right? Could I get a small bouquet of those please?"
The lady smiled knowingly as she boxed the sweets.
"Trying to impress someone?" She said. "Or apologize?"
Puck looked surprised as he handed her the credit card.
"How could you tell?"
"I serve hundreds of people every day, darling. You have that look on your face."
Puck nodded. "Thanks for your help."
He turned to walk away but the woman's voice stopped him.
"Out of curiosity, is it an attempt to impress or apologize?"
Puck turned his head, hesitating before he answered.
"I don't know. A little bit of both I guess."
The woman smiled kindly at him and waved goodbye.
"I hope it works out young man!"
Puck nodded, gathering his things and leaving the shop. He carefully got himself onto a subway, keeping his eyes open for any thieves who might be thinking that he was an easy target due to his hands being full of sappy, romantic gifts. Luckily, it seemed that no criminals wanted to try their luck with Puck.
He got off the subway and slowly started making his way to his destination. As he walked down the street, he couldn't help but feel out of place. His ripped jeans and flannel button-up felt unseemly compared to the dress pants and designer tops that the people around him were wearing. It was clear from the intimidating stature of the townhomes around him that Puck had finally reached his destination.
He carefully examined the address numbers until he found the one that he was looking for. The townhouse stood at the end of a culdesac, a rarity in the overcrowded city of New York. It's grey trim worked nicely with the glossy white paint that covered the outside of the house. The white picket fence and grey door gave the house a clean and minimalistic finish.
Puck took a deep breath, reaching his hand out and gently swinging the gate open. He knocked on the door quietly at first then, when no one answered, he knocked louder. Puck shifted his weight awkwardly while he waited for the door to open.
After staring at the closed door for a few minutes, Puck rolled his eyes and shook the doorknob. To his surprise, the door popped open, allowing him entrance into the home. Puck stepped in hesitantly, his hazel eyes sweeping over the entryway for any sign of life.
"Hello?" He called, wiping off his shoes on the welcome mat and starting to walk further into the home. "Hello?"
Before he could even blink, a large arm grabbed him and pushed him against the wall.
"What the fuck!" Puck yelled as he was pushed backward.
The man who had grabbed him didn't even spare him a glance.
"Who are you?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"
"What the fuck do you mean who am I? I'm Puck! Badass and sex shark-"
"Noah?"
Puck's mouth immediately snapped shut.
"Let him go, Dante. I know him," Kurt said, emerging from his hiding place behind the corner.
Puck glared at the larger man as he pulled his arm away and nodded at Kurt.
"What the crap is that about Hummel?" Puck asked, stretching his neck and walking over to Kurt.
"He's our bodyguard he's just doing his job," Kurt replied stiffly.
Puck rolled his eyes and held out the baked goods that he brought.
"What are these for Noah?" Kurt asked, taking the boxes out of Puck's hands and guiding him to the kitchen. Puck trailed behind him obediently, hands shoved into his pockets.
"It's good etiquette to bring something to the host when you visit," puck responded easily, his eyes taking in the modern, spacious kitchen. Black and white pictures littered the walls and metal light fixtures tied the room together.
Kurt glared at Noah as he set the goods on the marble countertops. He turned to face the former football player and leaned back against the counter, his eyebrow jumping up when Noah smirked at him.
"Oh don't even pretend to be surprised, Hummel. If Mama was anything, she was a southern belle at heart and she'd never let her only son grow up without proper manners getting instilled in him."
"Your mother wouldn't like it if she knew you were visiting me," Kurt said softly, gazing at the ground. The smirk on Puck's face faded.
"You're right."
The two sat in silence for a moment, Kurt gazing at the pristine wooden floors and Puck string at Kurt, desperately trying to get the other man to look at him.
"Why are you here?" Kurt said bluntly, finally raising his eyes to look at Puck.
Puck hesitated, his fingers quietly rubbing together in a soothing ritual.
"To give you a choice," He finally said, leaning back on a counter opposite to Kurt.
Kurt quirked an eyebrow.
"This isn't you Princess," Puck said, holding a hand up to silence Kurt's impending protest. "Everything about this wedding isn't you."
"We haven't spoken in a year, Noah. You don't know me anymore."
Puck chuckled to himself. "So you want to tell me that you want your wedding to be inspired by the roaring '20s? And that you want food catered from some fancy Californian restaurant that your future mother-in-law owns a share of?"
"Marriage is about compromise, Noah."
"Ok fine. So let's just say that I don't see anything wrong with the wedding. Don't even deny that you hate going to events with him. In every single picture, you look like you want to die."
"Wow, thanks a lot Noah," Kurt said, crossing his arms.
"Don't look at me like that! In every picture, he has his hand on your neck and your eyes keep flitting between the camera and his hand. And you have this fake ass smile on in all of them."
"It's Blaine's work, Noah. He has to go to events."
"And you just follow him! Don't you hear yourself, Princess? You do everything for Blaine. And what does he do for you in return?"
"Everything!" Kurt screamed, standing up and glaring at Puck. "He has given me everything I could ever dream of! A steady relationship, an amazing house, he's introduced me to countless people who can help me get jobs and interviews, he's taken me to movie premieres and Broadway events-"
'You could've gotten all that on your own," Puck said calmly.
Kurt shook his head.
"You're Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," Puck said, smiling softly at the man across from him. "This whole relying-on-a-trust-fund-baby-thing just isn't you, Princess."
"I love him," Kurt said quietly.
"I don't doubt that."
Kurt nodded slowly. "Do you love me?"
"I do," Puck said without hesitation.
"I can't do this to myself again, Puck. I can't let myself fall in love with you only to realize that you'll never love me back."
"I always loved you. I just wasn't brave enough to say it."
"Well, maybe I'm not brave enough to take another chance on you!" Kurt yelled.
Puck sighed and nodded as if he had been expecting Kurt to say that and accepted it.
"Look, Princess, I'm going to be in New York until Friday, the day before your wedding. At 3:15 my flight back to LA leaves and it's your choice if you want to come with me. If you want to get married to Blaine, go ahead. I'll never come back. I won't interfere. You have my word that I will never try to sabotage your relationship."
Puck stared at Kurt for a moment, his eyebrows coming together before he slowly moved forward and pressed a light kiss to the corner of Kurt's lips.
"Your decision," Puck whispered.
And then he walked out of the door.
At 3:00 on May 30th Noah Puckerman sat in the airport, one hand clutching his duffel bag and the other holding his phone. He kept staring at the screen, both to check the time and to see if Kurt had texted him.
"Final boarding call for Flight 675 to Los Angeles," The loudspeaker announced.
Puck sighed and dragged his feet as he stood up to walk to the plane. He took one last look around the airport, his mind willing itself to see Kurt's impeccable form somewhere among the sea of travelers.
But there was nothing.
Puck nodded to himself and squared his shoulders, slowly making his way into the line of people who were eager to fly into the city of angels. He swiftly grabbed his crumpled plane ticket and unfolded it, frowning when he realized that one of the two seats that he had booked would be left empty. Just as Puck reached forward to hand the flight attendant his boarding ticket, he heard a familiar voice from within the crowd.
"Noah! Noah wait!" Kurt cried, pushing the impatient passengers out of the way. "I'm so sorry. Could you move over, please? Yes, I'm sorry I'm just trying to get to- oh!"
Puck jumped out of line and grabbed Kurt's hand, prompting them both to fall back against a wall.
Kurt's hair was disheveled, pieces of it falling down onto his forehead rather than staying together in it's usual gelled position and his hands were shaking slightly. His blue eyes searched Puck's face curiously and cautiously, pupils dilated.
"Hi," Kurt said softly, not bothering to pull away from the tight grip that Puck had him in.
"Hi," Puck said equally as quietly.
"I left him. I, I told him that I couldn't go through with the wedding," Kurt said, watching Puck's face for a reaction.
Puck nodded and brushed a piece of hair out of Kurt's face.
"Good for you, Princess."
"I can't do what we were doing before, Noah," Kurt admitted, staring at Puck intently. "If I decide to go with you, which I still haven't made my mind up about yet, I need a real relationship. No hiding. No friends with benefits. No cheating. A real relationship. Can you give me that?"
Puck nodded automatically.
"I will never let you down again, Princess. I'm serious this time around, I love you and I don't intend to fuck this up."
Kurt nodded slowly, biting the corner of his lip.
"I'm not the same person that you remember from high school."
"We've both changed."
"Do you think that the new us will still be in love?" Kurt asked hesitantly as if he were afraid of the answer.
"Only one way to find out," Puck said, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's exposed neck. Kurt felt a tingle go up his spine and his breath caught in his throat.
"Let's go to LA," He whispered.
Puck pulled away with a disbelieving smile on his face.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Kurt said, a smile settling on his face too. "No promises but I'm willing to give us a shot, Noah."
"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that," Puck said, gripping Kurt's hand tightly and running back to the flight attendant to give her their tickets. His grip never leaving Kurt's hand, Puck pulled his luggage onto the plane and then settled into the uncomfortable airplane seats.
"I could only afford coach-"
"It's perfect," Kurt assured him, resting his head on Puck's shoulder and prompting the slightly taller man to drape his arm around Kurt's shoulders. "I've got you and some free salted peanuts so it's perfect."
As he sat on the crappy plane seat with his body vibrating uncomfortably due to the plane's strong engines, Puck had to agree with Kurt. He had everything that he had ever needed tucked right under his arm.
You make me want to run circles around you
So glad that I found you
You make me wanna be romantic
You make me wanna be a star
Lyrics From "Romantic" by Stanaj