Your Hair Was Long When We First Met
Burt Hummel didn't bother to wake his son for school that day.
And Kurt lay in his bed. Curled far under the white sheets; far under where today couldn't find him.
Kurt Hummel didn't go to school that day.
Noah Puckerman was late for school that day.
He didn't feel up to facing today. Another day of no one talking to him. Someone once said something about comeuppance and he wanted to punch that jerk. Though when he arrived he felt something was missing. It didn't strike him until Glee practice.
Kurt Hummel didn't come to Glee practice that day.
By the end of Glee everyone had felt the absence of the soprano and Mercedes was glaring daggers at her phone; willing Kurt to reply to the texts she'd sent every few seconds all through practice.
Finn Hudson was shocked when Kurt rang his phone.
But when he answered it was not Kurt, but the small male's father. He sounded worried, Kurt never went anywhere without his phone. Finn relayed Burt's worry to the Glee club.
Kurt Hummel went missing that day.
Puck was unsure of why the idea of Kurt being missing made his stomach drop.
Glee club was ended early and everyone leapt in his or her car in search of their teammate.
They kept in contact through texts and short phone calls but by 6:40 as the darkness started to fall there was still no sign of Kurt.
Puck wasn't sure if he was worried or frustrated or terrified or angry. What if something had happened? What if the other jocks finally took it too far? The football player's stomach twisted and Puck pulled over; sure he was about to be sick.
He stepped out of the car, bending over with one hand on his car for support. A few deep breaths calmed his stomach and brown eyes checked the surroundings. He must have taken a wrong turn. He eyed the neat grounds of the graveyard; well kept lawns and well loved paths. The something caught Puck's gaze. A figure perched along one of the paths.
Curiosity got the better of him and the jock found himself inside the gates, edging quietly up the path. The figure sat halfway up the small hill beside a grave and as Puck approached he realised who he was looking at. He almost shouted at the other but held back when he realised the soprano's shoulders were shaking a little. Was Kurt Hummel crying? Puck softened, paused and then knelt slowly beside the other. This close he could see the tracks the tears had made down Kurt's face.
"How long have you been here?"
Kurt twitched, shocked out of his melancholy. He glanced over at the jock slowly, watched him for a moment, and then turned back to the grave before them.
"I loved her first. She kept me under the sheets when I was scared."
Puck blinked, not the first words he was expecting and not sure what made the other teen open up like that. He studied the gravestone and realised the name printed there was still quite new. Not many years old.
'Here lies
Loretta Hummel
beloved wife and adoring mother
Taken too soon.'
Kurt Hummel's mother died today. Ten years ago.
Puck bit his lip and looked back over to Kurt who continued to stare at the stone with a morose look.
"She told me she had to go. I…" he paused, "I always thought she meant for a little while. But she never came back."
The jock wasn't quite sure what to do. He was bad at emotions and comforting people so he mimicked the one time his father had given him comfort and placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. The gleek tensed beneath his touch and Puck pulled away.
Kurt sighed sadly and Puck tried again, this time resting his hand on the smaller male's back. He thought about how his mother used to rub slow circles on his back when he was sad but decided it wasn't appropriate right now.
"Her hair was long when I was little…and she used to make cakes every Saturday. Just for us to eat during the week. But," Kurt swallowed some tears, "but when she got sick…all her hair fell out. And all she ate was wonderbread." Kurt glowered at the stone. "I hate wonderbread. When I was little I thought that was what made her sick." And finally he looked at Puck; there was a tiny smile in his eyes. "I threw it all out once." He looked to the ground. "But Dad got really mad…"
Puck smiled softly and finally wrapped his arm all the way around Kurt. He pulled the smaller boy close, resting his cheek a top the gleek's head. Kurt froze for a moment, unsure or afraid. With a great sigh, as if a giant weight lifted from him, he nuzzled a little closer to Puck. Kurt breathed in the other's scent and the tears started again.
They sat in silence for a long time as the night darkened around them.
"I loved you first. You were the first boy I loved."
Puck tensed. He moved to pull away but Kurt's fist curled in his jacket so he stayed. He watched the stars start to come out.
"First?" Awkward question said by someone who was even more awkward about this whole situation.
"Before Finn. I liked you when we were little. In Elementary School we sat under the stars once and I said we could catch the stars."
Puck smiled a little at the memory. "Your hair was long when we first met."
There was a small chocking sound and the tears started again. Now Puck felt bad. He mumbled a vague apology. Kurt shook his head.
"They're just old lights…they died a long time ago…"
Kurt was beginning to shiver as the darkness brought a chilled air with it. Puck rolled his eyes a little and stood. The gleek gazed at him and then at the hand Puck offered. The jock growled, tugging off his hoodie. He yanked the small teen to his feet and forced the well-loved garment over his head before grabbing his hand and half dragging him out of the graveyard.
"Noah…"
Kurt Hummel gave up control that night.
They sat in silence for most the car ride home. Silence until Kurt spoke up once more.
"She came into my room one night. When she was sick and the storms were bad. Her medicine made her funny sometimes." A sad sigh. "She said I looked beautiful with red hair. And I thought she was being silly but we sat in bed and listened to the storm until she told me she was more sick than the doctors said. I cried when she said all her hair would fall out."
Puck could definitely see little Kurt crying because his mother's hair was going to fall out. He wondered if Kurt looked like his mother because he bared only a vague resemblance to his father.
"The next night she came made me come into the kitchen at midnight where she had lit some candles and she let me cut her hair. I'd always wanted to but I did an awful job." A silence fell as Kurt was momentarily distracted by something outside the confines of the car. "She told I'd done alright and I cried anyway and she held me all night. Even after I'd fallen asleep."
Puck smiled, remembering his own mom making him cinnamon milk when he couldn't sleep.
"I cut my sister's hair when I was thirteen. She was only five. Though I did a bad job on purpose. I was grounded until it grew out."
Kurt smiled a little, Then a little more, until he was grinning. And then he laughed. All the tension and sorrow flew from him and he laughed. Puck grinned triumphantly.
"Hey don't laugh! My sister's hair grows really slowly. I was grounded for like half a year."
Kurt Hummel only laughed harder.
When they pulled into Kurt's driveway the entire Glee club was there. When Burt saw his son he looked torn between rage and relief. He chose to hug his son and as he pulled away he cuffed Kurt upside the head. Gently.
"Don't do that to me, Kurt."
"You had us all so worried!"
"Where were you?"
"Are you alright?"
"You should have told me. I'm your best friend!"
"Jeez, Puck, nice find. Where was he?"
The questions and relief washed over the two boys and when Puck yawned everyone realised how tired they were. Hugs were exchanged and Kurt was made to swear he would never do that gain and that, yes, he would be at school tomorrow.
Burt held Puck up, thanking him and offering him free maintenance on his car for a year in return for finding Kurt. While Puck felt inclined to say no, he was not one to pass up free stuff for his car. He accepted graciously. Burt went inside and left Kurt and Puck standing on the patio.
Silence fell. This one was awkward.
Puck broke it this time.
"She sounded like a really wonderful person. You were lucky to know her at all."
Kurt smiled sadly and nodded.
"I know. Just…every now and then I miss her so much." Kurt smiled sadly at the taller teen. "Thank you, Noah."
Puck smiled. He decided he liked the way his name sounded when Kurt said it. Kurt turned to go inside but the jock caught his arm. A moment passed, brown eyes locked on blue.
"I loved you first as well."
Kurt Hummel's first kiss was stolen that night.
Kidea:: Yeah I'm not dead. I've been busy writing the beginnings of novels I want to publish and working on a b-grade film as a make-up artist. I'm in love with Glee and I was watching Australian So You Think You Can Dance when Regina Spektor's 'Samson' played as one of the dance routines and I was reminded of Kurt and his mother for some reason. So yeah, put the song on repeat and wrote this little one-shot. Hope you enjoy my dearies C: