Walking That Lonesome Valley (You've Got To Do It By Yourself), a glee fanfic

Walking That Lonesome Valley (You've Got To Do It By Yourself)

By MulaSaWala

Summary

"You can't punch the gay out of me any more than I can punch the ignoramus out of you."

AU in which Karofsky tries to punch the homo out of Hummel. Background established Puckurt.

The taste of blood was in his mouth, his teeth cutting the inside of his cheek. He could feel the bruise already forming on his cheek. Kurt could hear Puck shouting in the background, but for the first time, he's glad to have the coppery flavour on his tongue, happy with the pain blossoming on the side of his face. Because today is the day it means something. Today is the day Kurt Hummel has had enough.

David Karofsky and his fellow jocks walked down the halls like they owned them. It wasn't strictly true, but it was close enough for him. He laughed as he slammed Homo Hummel into the lockers as he passed. It was a normal day, or would have been, if a soft voice hadn't followed him down the hall.

"Do that again."

David turned back, friends trailing behind. Hummel stood ramrod straight, looking at him with an unreadable expression. He repressed the shiver that ran up his spine as he leaned close, all height and intimidation. The other students flowed around them.

"What did you say, fag?"

But Hummel didn't say a thing. Just kept staring at him. Stared at him until David felt a red flush creep up his neck, then his face. Then the red was in his eyes, and the next thing David knew, the homo was at his feet, clutching a cheek, and painful knuckles were telling David why.

'Fuck.'

The hall was silent now, the other students watching. A few were still hurrying to their classes, but a lot of them must have wanted to watch David whale one the school's resident fairy because a circle of people had formed around them. David looked around, but his friends weren't behind him anymore.

Hummel was pulling himself up, using the lockers behind him for support. A bruise was already forming on his face, and David wondered for a moment why it didn't make him feel anything. Once Hummel was upright, David expected to fend off a girly punch (or a slap, because Hummel is that kind of faggy gay). He hoped that Hummel would just keep walking down the hall and end this encounter, but the fairy did neither. He stood like a rock, steady on his feet, and deliberately turned his head, presenting the unmarred side of his face.

David could almost hear Hummel's voice in his head. Keep going. You can't punch the gay out of anyone. David knew Hummel wasn't talking about himself.

Dimly, David could hear Puckerman yelling in the background. He knew they hooked up some time ago, and that Hummel was supposed to be off limits when Puck was around, but it's like he was watching someone else. David watched his arm draw back and punch Hummel, watched him crumple again, watched him get back up. There was a little blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth. He should have looked beaten, pathetic. But he didn't.

Hummel's eyes didn't leave his unless they had to, and as he got up again, David finally put a finger on the expression on his face. Pity. The fucking homo fairy faggot pitied him, and it was more than he could take. He left before Puck could get away from the rest of Homo Explosion holding him back. He left before any of the teachers arrived. David left before those eyes, those kind eyes that weren't afraid of him now, not an ounce of fear, or judgement, or anything, only pity, could see into his soul any more.

As he left, a soft voice carried after him, and of fucking course it's singing, and he just increased his pace.

You've got to walk that lonesome valley

You've got to walk it by yourself

Nobody else can walk it for you

You've got to walk it by yourself.

Author's Note:

This story was inspired by The Kingston Trio's Reverend Mr. Black. I recommend listening to it.

But here are the lyrics if it's too much trouble.

He rode easy in the saddle, he was tall and lean
At first you thought nothing but a streak of mean
Could make a man look so downright strong
But one look in his eyes and you knowed you was wrong

He was a mountain of a man
And I want you to know he could preach hot hell or freezin' snow
He carried a Bible in a canvas sack
And folks just called him The Reverend Mr. Black

He was poor as a beggar
But he rode like a king
Sometimes in the evening
I could hear him sing

"I got to walk that lonesome valley
I got to walk it by myself
Oh, nobody else can walk it for me
I got to walk it by myself"

If ever I could have thought that this man in black
Was soft and had any yellow up his back
I gave that notion up the day
A lumberjack came in and it wasn't to pray

Yeah, he kicked open the meeting house door
And he cussed everybody up and down the floor
And then when things got quiet in the place
He walked up and cussed in the preacher's face

He hit that Reverend like a kick of a mule
And to my way of thinkin' it took a pure fool
To turn the other cheek to that lumberjack
But that's what he did, The Reverend Mr. Black

He stood like a rock, a man among men
Then he let that lumberjack hit him again
And then with a voice as kind as could be
He cut him down like a big oak tree when he said

"You've got to walk that lonesome valley
You've got to walk it by yourself
Oh, nobody else can walk it for you
You've got to walk it by yourself"

It's been many years since we had to part
And I guess I learned his ways by heart
I can still hear his sermons ring
Down in the valley where he used to sing

I followed him, "Yes, sir", and I don't regret it
Hope that I'll always be a credit to his memory
'Cause I want you to understand
The Reverend Mr. Black was my old man

You've got to walk that lonesome valley
You've got to walk it by yourself
Oh, nobody else can walk it for you
You've got to walk it by yourself

My dad played it in the car a few days ago and I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I know Kurt's not big on religion (neither am I), but I love this song, and I thought the line "I though nothing but a streak of mean could make a man look so downright strong, but one look in his eyes and you knowed you was wrong. " was just so Kurt I couldn't help myself.

I'm all for self defense, but I think there's a part of Kurt that's, like, hardcore pacifist, and I don't thinks they get enough credit because that shit is hard, yo.

Peace.