AN: This is probably riddled with errors, at some point it will be beta-ed. I edited it to the best of my ability. While I'm thinking of it;
Disclaimer: I don't own glee because a) I'm not creative enough to write something like that and b) if I was Matt would still be on glee.
The heat in the room was unbearable. But in the back of my head, the part that was always logical told me that was the exact reason chambers like this one were there. It's goal is to pressure the people within by the extremes in the room. During the winter, questioning was done in the freezing cold and during spring into fall it was done in impossible heat. "What do you want?" I called out into the dark uncertainly. It was a gamble, I knew that some of the interrogators didn't like being referred to as equals. If this person didn't then I'd be in serious trouble.
"Oh, nothing too much," a female voice said somewhere to my left, "just that you kindly inform us where it is." This woman must be used to gambling with people who were prisoners since she gave nothing up, letting me imagine what the "it" is. She thinks I'll panic and pull an object of interest out of the bag that lay under my arm firmly. It held nothing that should have been a cause of concern; it was some plain paper that I'd purchased that morning and some ink. I was always careful with what I bought, not wanting to put myself in trouble with this twisted system.
Up to a certain silence would mean inocence. Time had run out for that move though, she would take the silence incorrectly as proof that I was guilty, I had to talk. "What do you mean ma'am?"
I heard a sound from my left and then saw a crack of light the woman had been hiding. The woman had long, black hair. She was just vaguely familiar although from where I couldn't be sure. "You know perfectly what I'm talking about boy! Where is the information I was promised by your leader, the girl who claims to lead you!"
I knew now why I had been chosen, locked away, and interrogated. A girl who lived nearby was supposedly was leading a rebellion against the government. To my knowledge (which was just common knowledge) it was underground and she made sure to be careful. She had mentioned it to me just once and I'd never had any information this woman would be interested in. The woman was, of course lying about this, thinking that if she thought that she told me this, I'd tell her. But, I was smarter than that.
"I know nothing of this, miss." I say, careful and calculated not giving anything away as a small plot formed in my head.
"Nonsense! That's impossible, I have intelligence that says she leading a rebellion and you're in on it! Don't you be lying to me, Matthew Ruthford! I'll send for the future king and he won't be as kind as I am!" My small plan was working now having hopefully laid all the pieces right. I used to know the future king and hopefully he would remember that. "You stay right there." She said with an evil smirk clearly thinking I would soon be tortured. Then, she opened the door for one minute to summon the boy for the job. The light was absolutely stunning, I was to used to this light by now. Then, I was left alone. I knew logically I should use this time to plan and scheme on how to tell my former classmate about this. I knew that he would understand, since that boy had a big heart, even though he hid it under his "I'm a bad boy persona".
A minute later, I heard the familiar voice, only the way he spoke so different from the boy I was used to hearing last year. After realizing that indeed it was the same person, I tried to concentrate on the conversation.
"What are you having such trouble with?"
"The boy isn't responding."
"I know for a fact you've dealt with tougher men than him."
"Yes well, I was told it was easier."
"You want me to try thinking that I might connect with him better, therefore forcing him to surrender the information necessary to prosecute him to the full portion of the law?" It was amazing just how similar he sounded to Rachel.
"Well, I wasn't thinking exactly thinking that. But I really do hope you can do that."
"Then why exactly?"
"I'm tired and it's an insolent boy who doesn't want to talk."
"I'll handle it"
Then the door opened and the future king came in, looking in some ways the same as he had, but at the same time, he was different. Puck slowly walks in, some would say that he was doing it to torture me before another round of interegation, but I could see differently, he is simply walking in slowly. Puck is different now though, the outgoing carefree boy is gone and in his place this serious, shy boy is in his place. He stares at me for a second, and I can see the hesitancy on his face.
"Matt is that you?" he asks softly and in a strange way, hopefully.
"Yes," I answer immediately before remembering my manners and tacking on, "Your Majesty. I am" Puck's face falls at that just slightly, not eonugh to be seen by most people but I'm reading him desperately, trying to find out what the boy is thinking.
He blinks once and sighs before asking, "Are you aware of or part of a rebellious movement to overthrow the current way this establishment is run?" He says it offically like the interigations in court. I blinked a couple times trying to figure out whether I should say yes.
"I guess I am."I finally say deciding that I need to say that much in order to move the conversation along.
Puck's silent for a while, before he hears a small click of a door farther above and hears the woman exclaim. "Of course it works for him!" I see Puck sigh although I'm not sure why.
"Matt, why are you here anyway?"
"What do you mean, if I might ask?" It's true the question is so broad to make any sense at all.
"Here, in this hellhole! This place where everything is so messed up. Someone like you, with a real home on the other side shouldn't be over here, not with the way things are! You could get attacked or brought back here for Shelby to torture you properly. You got lucky today that she wasn't in the right mode to physically maim you, just for you to admit something you probably aren't guilty of in the first place! Trust me!' Gone was any sign of the badass I knew. This boy was desperate and alone. "In a few months, I'll be king and maybe, just maybe I can change this place. I'm sick of people thinking they know me but in reality not knowing more than a thing about me! I'm tired of lying about the fact that I want to change this place. Give people of lower class just a little bit more hope and give women the rights they deserve. And let the girl I love just be herself."
I was shocked that Puck could feel all this and explain it since he always seemed so unattached emotionally. "But why would I leave? I'm just as safe here in the village as I am out there living with my brother. Out there, if you'll pardon me, is just as much of a hell as it is here. There I live in the same fear of...something as I do here."
Puck barely faltered before saying; "You're gay aren't you? I'm absolutely fine with those who are." I couldn't believe Puck could figure it out or be so cool about it. Then again, even the old Puck wasn't that bad with homosexuality. "I thought so. The way you said it just gave it away. Matt, trust me. I know what the people currently in power would do. They'll lie and cheat and make rules that no one save them can understand. I know for a fact that Shelby and some others are planning a law against homosexuality that would kill people like you. I can't do anything for another few months. My coronation is my birthday; I want to change things as soon as possible. I don't care if everyone in Lima thinks I'm just a loser, I need to change this! The bullying in Lima if you come out or get forced out will be bad. I know Karofsky and his goons will think negatively of you. But you won't be killed or tortured."
I stared at Noah -this definately isn't Puck- for a long time before making a decision. "I'll leave tomorrow, Mr. Shue and the glee kids should take me back right?" Puck smirked and for just a second the man in front of me de-aged.
There was just one thing I was still wondering, "What is your girl like?"
Unlike everything else, he didn't pause before saying, "To make it short, amazing. She just gets me. She'll laugh at my silliness and listen when I'm serious. She has her problems and sometimes it's hard, but I've never in love like this before."
A few days later, I'm back at McKinley and Puck is the same as he was before. But he's more subdued than he used to, no longer does he slushy people, actually I've seen him take a few for some of the members of glee. I also heard Santana complain that he doesn't do anything with her or anyone else. At first, I find this odd before remembering what Puck had said.
It ends up being a Tuesday when I come back and everyone welcomes me back warmly with only the usual questions.
"So, Matt, where were you?" Finn asks.
Puck casually looks over at me and gives me a look that clearly says "Tell them the story I gave you." "I was living with my brother but he was out of work and my mom forced us to come home for a couple of months and she really wanted me to stay there with her. I transferred to the local school to make her happy but I like you guys too much to stay there. Even though the academic program was a lot better there." I saw Puck nod slightly showing his approval.
Three short months later, Puck is crowned king and from day one he's making changes. Studies show that Noah (I can't call him Puck anymore) is one of the most popular kings in the history of the kingdom. In school, he is calmer and wiser and he stands up for the kids he once bullied. When I finally came out, Puck stood next to me and helped when Karofsky started harassing me about what I was. After high school, Noah disappears from the world and none of the gleeks ever see him again. Well, Rachel does once when Jesse tracks her down after Noah ends Shelby's reign over the justice system and exiles her from the world. Jesse, we later find out was her servant and she forced him to do the terrible things in his senior year. As for me, I ended up with a beautiful contra-tenor who I had been sort of in love with for my entire life. It was problematic at first since he worried that I was crazy but with Noah's help, I managed to convince him. And we all (sort of) lived happily ever after.