Noah Puckerman has considered himself a badass for as long as he can remember. In first grade, he broke Tommy Sullivan's nose after he pushed a young Quinn Fabray down on the playground. In fourth grade, he beat a sixth grader in an arm wrestling contest. He solidified his badass reputation in middle school, when he led the basketball team to a state championship, lost his V card to a ninth grader, and became one of the strongest guys in Lima.
Not that he would admit it to anyone else, but Noah Puckerman didn't consider himself the MOST badass person in Lima (he came in 2nd place, and don't you fucking forget it). Only his now ex-best friend, Finn, knew he was a mama's boy from head to toe. He loved nothing, not even his reputation as a stud, more than he loved his mother, Nora. And his mother embodied (he didn't need Rachel fucking Berry to teach him big words, he knew quite a few on his own, thank you very much), the true definition of a badass. When his father left, she refused to let their little family fall apart. She took a second job at the Lima diner to pay for Puck's community league football fees, and to let his sister take ballet classes. No matter what happened, Nora Puckerman always stood strong and never backed down from any obstacle.
When the neighbors complained last month that their house wasn't allowed to be painted green because only blue, white, and beige were designated colors for their neighborhood, his mom, along with the help of Quinn, poured over law books in preparation to take the losers to court. Puck knew his mom needed all the help she could get, so he had offered to go over and "talk" to the council members. Quinn had been impressed with his offer to help, and asked what he'd say to them. He had rolled up his shirt sleeve, smirked, and flashed his infamous guns. Needless to say, his offer wasn't taken up.
The evening before the meeting, he found his mother in the kitchen at 2am, flipping through yet another book. Puck asked her why she was putting so much energy towards something so petty, and he swears he'll never forget the words she said to him. "Noah, sweetie, when you believe in something, there's no such thing as too much energy. Never let someone tell you how you're supposed to live your life."
Puck thought heavily over those words that night. Waking up the next morning, he decided to take her advice. He was going to finally tell everyone at McKinley High the secret he's been holding onto since he was fourteen; Noah Puckerman was gay, and he was damn proud of it.