Secrets Revealed
As with When You Need A Friend, I wrote this fast, as a practice for getting back into juicier, chaptered fics. It is the purest of fluffy fluff…
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Glee :(
Kurt stretched as he woke up, letting out a little groan as he felt his joints popping and his back cracking. He lay still with his eyes closed for another few moments and then swung himself up and out of bed.
He decided to go check if Finn wanted pancakes for breakfast this morning, since Burt was working at the garage all day and Carole was working her shift at the hospital. He knocked on Finn's door and poked his head in, frowning when he saw how flushed and sweaty Finn was. Kurt moved further into the room, and sat down on the side of Finn's bed, reaching forward to feel his brother's forehead and frowning when he felt the heat coming from it.
"Finn? Hey Finn, wake up." Finn groaned and his eyes fluttered open, bright with fever. He let out a miserable cough and then groaned again.
"Kurt?" he rasped. "I don't feel so good."
"Yeah I can tell," Kurt replied sympathetically. "You look like you have a fever. Is your throat sore?"
"Yeah, and my heads hurts too. I'm really cold, can I have another blanket?" Kurt looked down at Finn's sweat soaked sheets and couldn't remember whether he was supposed to cover up a feverish person or not, and then shrugged, deciding to do it anyway. He grabbed a thick blanket out of Finn's closet and spread it out over the much larger boy, tucking him in tightly.
"There you go, buddy," he said, automatically reverting back to one of his dad's favourite nicknames for him, and then making a face at himself when he realized he'd done it. "I'm gonna go call your Mom okay? She'll be able to tell me how to help you."
"No," Finn moaned. "Want Noah."
Kurt came to a very abrupt stop at the doorway.
"Did you just say you want Noah? As in Noah Puckerman?"
"Mmhm… he always looks after me best when I'm sick. Please Kurt? I feel really bad." And then Finn unleashed full puppy dog eyes at him and he caved in an instant.
"Fine, I'll call Puck too. You weirdo." Finn just made a happy noise and snuggled further down into his blankets.
Kurt quickly made his way downstairs, trying to get his head around Finn's bizarre request, and then made a call to the hospital. Finally Carole came on the line.
"Kurt honey? Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice worried. Kurt suddenly realized he had never called her at work before.
"Hi Carole, it's nothing serious, but Finn's sick. He's got a fever and sore throat and head. His eyes look glassy and he has a cough. I just wasn't sure what I'm meant to do."
"Oh the poor thing," Carole said. "And poor you too, because I'm really sorry but he gets pretty clingy when he's sick."
"I noticed already. Also… I'm not sure if this was the fever talking or what, but he was actually asking for Noah Puckerman. Do you know what that's about?"
Carole let out a giggle, that she quickly tried to cover up, but Kurt could hear the amusement in her voice when she replied.
"Oh my God, he hasn't done that in a few years now. Oh Kurt, promise you won't hold it over him?"
"I don't know, this sounds like something I'm going to want to hear…" Carole laughed again and relented.
"It started when Finn and Noah were about nine or ten, and Finn was over at Noah's for a sleepover. Noah's sister Sarah, who was only five at the time, got sick during the night and Finn came home the next day raving about how Noah had taken care of her. Apparently he'd stroked her back for hours, alternately reading to her and singing softly. Then a few months later, Noah was over at our house when Finn got sick, and he made Noah do it for him too. So up until a few years ago, whenever Finn got sick, he would make me get Noah to come look after him. I think even Finn got embarrassed by it though when they hit high school, and he stopped asking."
"Oh my God…" Kurt stood still, staring dumbly at the fridge. "That's… that's freaking adorable! Are you really telling me that big bad Noah Puckerman reads Finn stories and sings to him when he's sick? I can't believe this!"
"I know," Carole giggled. "Wait until you see it Kurt, it's the cutest thing you'll ever see."
"Okay I seriously have to call Puck and get him over here. I can't miss out on this!"
Carole laughed again, and passed on some instructions for keeping Finn comfortable, saying she'd bring some medicine and soup home when she finished her shift in a few hours. Kurt thanked her and hung up, staring at the phone in his hand for a moment, still unable to believe everything he'd just heard. Then he suddenly bolted for the stairs down to his room and hunted out his cell phone.
"Who the fuck is calling so early?" Puck's voice growled when the call was picked up.
"Why hello Noah," Kurt replied, unable to keep the grin out of his voice. "You realize it's 11am right? It's not exactly sunrise."
"Princess? What's going on?" Puck sounded really confused and it only made Kurt want to laugh harder.
"So Noah… I just went to check on Finn and he's not feeling too great unfortunately."
There was silence on the other end of the phone, and then Puck very reluctantly replied,
"Oh? That's too bad."
"Yeah, poor thing has a fever and everything. Funniest thing happened though, Noah."
"…what?"
"He's asking for you, not his Mom. Saying something about backrubs and serenades. Do you know what he means?" Kurt kept his voice as innocent as possible, but all the while he just wanted to cackle with glee at how obviously uncomfortable Puck was. Puck let out a groan of defeat.
"Jesus, I thought we were past this," he muttered under his breath. "Even fucking Sarah doesn't do this anymore." Kurt could hear rustling on the other end of the phone, and then Puck spoke again.
"I'll be over in half an hour Hummel. Breathe a single word about anything that happens in the next few hours and you're toast, understood?"
"See you soon," Kurt sang, hanging up quickly and bursting into laughter. He could hear Finn calling for him pitifully from upstairs by the time he was done, so he made his way back to his brother's room.
"Is Noah coming?" was the first thing out of Finn's mouth when Kurt entered.
"Yes Finn, Puck's going to come and look after you. He'll be here in about half an hour, okay?" Finn smiled in satisfaction and curled under his blankets again.
"Thanks Kurtie," he mumbled, missing his brother's grimace at the new nickname. "You're the best brother ever."
Kurt melted a little at the sight of his giant brother being so mushy, and moved forward to sit on the bed, reaching out to brush Finn's sweaty fringe off his brow soothingly.
"Thanks Finn," he replied quietly.
Kurt sat with Finn for a while longer, just letting him ramble at him and stroking his head. He smiled at the way Finn moved into the touches, it reminded him of a sleepy kitten. It was just as adorable too.
Finally, there was a knock on the front door, and Kurt jumped up and headed out to the entrance way. Swinging the door open, he found Puck slouched in front of him, guitar slung over his back and scowl on his face.
"Not one fucking word, Hummel," he said, holding his hand up and striding past Kurt quickly. Kurt shut his mouth reluctantly and followed Puck into Finn's room.
"Noah, you came!" Finn called happily, before dissolving into a long coughing fit.
"Hey man," Puck replied, pulling Finn's desk chair up beside the bed and placing his guitar on the floor. "Princess said you're sick?"
"Yeah my tummy hurts and it's really cold," Finn whined, sounding half his age. "But don't call Kurt a princess okay? He doesn't like it, even if he is pretty and smells really good." Kurt gaped at Finn as Puck snorted, glancing back at Kurt and shrugging.
"He always turns into a big baby when he's sick. And he always says things he never would otherwise. It's pretty funny." Kurt just nodded and moved in to sit at the end of Finn's bed; there was no way he was missing any of this.
"Will you rub my back Noah? And sing me the song?" Finn pleaded, staring up at Puck with big puppy dog eyes. Puck resisted for all of a few seconds before he sighed, and moved to the edge of the bed.
"Fine, roll over," he ordered and Finn grinned at him and shuffled around until he was lying on his stomach with his head turned towards his best friend. Puck reached out and started moving his hand in long, soothing strokes down Finn's back, causing Finn to sigh happily and melt into the mattress.
"The song," Finn prompted after a few minutes of silence. Kurt watched in fascination as Puck blushed, his eyes darting to Kurt for a second, before he gave in and started to sing softly.
Kurt gave a start of recognition when he realized that Puck was actually singing Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N Roses to Finn, but the way he was singing it made it sound like a lullaby. Finn had a blissful smile on his face as Puck continued to sing to him, while stroking his back.
Finally, just as Finn was about to drop off to sleep, they both heard him mumble,
"Thanks NoNo, love you." Kurt's jaw dropped and then stayed that way when he heard Puck reply gently,
"Yeah buddy, love you too. Go to sleep now." Finn sighed and then obeyed, his breathing slowing down and evening out as he drifted off to sleep.
Puck stood up gently once he was sure Finn was asleep, and he motioned for Kurt to follow him out of the room. Kurt eased himself off the end of the bed and followed Puck out to the family room, staring at his back the whole way.
"NoNo?" he asked as soon as they were out of earshot of Finn's room. Puck's shoulders drooped slightly at the question and then he glanced over at Kurt with a smile. Not a smirk, an actual smile, and Kurt found himself smiling back.
"Well I suppose you've seen enough today, there's probably no point you not knowing about that too. Sarah used to call me that when she was really little, and Finn picked up on it. He seems to pick up on a lot of the embarrassing things Sarah did as a kid. Difference is, Sarah outgrew them and Finn didn't."
"That's pretty damn cute, Puck. I don't really know what to do with this information, now that I have it."
"God, this is going to get out isn't it?" Puck groaned, only half-serious, and dropped his head in his hands. Kurt laughed at him and moved forward to place a hand on his back.
"NoNo… of course it is! This is way too adorable to not be shared with our nearest and dearest!" Puck groaned again but he laughed with Kurt too.
"Dick," he replied, making Kurt laugh harder. They both looked around as the front door opened and Carole came bustling in.
"Hello boys," she greeted, smiling affectionately at them both as they got up to help her with the grocery bags. "How's the patient?"
"He's just fallen asleep," Puck replied. "He actually dropped off pretty easily this time. Usually he makes me sing for hours before he'll stop fighting it." Carole smiled and reached over to cup his cheek with her hand.
"You're such a good boy to keep doing this Noah. Finn is so lucky to have such a lovely friend like you." Puck blushed again, and grinned back at Carole.
"It's hard not to when he breaks out the puppy dog eyes. I haven't seen anyone able to stand up to them yet, hell even Santana breaks under their power."
"Very true," Carole replied with a laugh. "I bought ingredients for chicken soup on the way home, would you boys like some?" They both nodded and sat down at the kitchen bench to keep her company as she cooked. After a few minutes they could hear coughing from Finn's room and then a sad little voice called,
"Noah?"
Puck grinned at the others and stood up.
"Duty calls," he said, heading out of the kitchen and into the hall. Carole and Kurt could hear his voice as he headed into Finn's room, his tone gentling considerably as he talked to his friend. Kurt and Carole shared a fond look, before Kurt got up and started to help chop the vegetables for the soup.
Looked like Puck had a marshmallow center after all, Kurt thought warmly. He'd have to remember that for next time he was sick.
THE END
A/N: I'd love to know what you thought of this! Lani xx