Title: Familly
Author: Psykogleek
Beta : GayforKurt thanks!
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: I own nothing but words
Rating :T but might go up
Summery: Avoiding his new neighbor shouldn't be too hard, shouldn't it ?
Part One
Noah Puckerman has a good life, at least now. When Quinn, his wife died three years ago, it felt as if his life had crashed around him. All their dreams died with her and he became the only parent of their two children. Beth was seven at that time and Jamison, Jamie, two. To say it was hard would be an understatement. He had always been the buddy kind of dad; he never had to say no to his princess or his prince (that was Quinn's job). He was just here for the good things: kisses, playing, joking around, holidays and pranks. So he had to learn and build a different relationship with them. It had been hard, but at the end it was worth it. They were better now.
They'd had to move since their previous house was too expensive for just his salary, and he couldn't spend that much time on commuting between home and work: too much to do and not enough time.
PKPKPK
Beth was proudly walking on the side-walk. For the first time in her life, she was going home from school alone. Around her neck swung the key to the door, her key. As her daddy had shown her, she watched both sides before crossing the street then she headed for her building which was just in the corner. She was nearly home; it had been the longest and the shortest walk ever. She looked around her to be sure nobody was watching and typed '571B', as her daddy told her and the door opened. It was magic. Two stairs up and she was finally going to use her key. She didn't forget she was supposed to call her dad to reassure him.
It was good to be a big girl.
PKPKPK
Unobtrusively, Noah followed his daughter. He watched her doing everything exactly like he showed her and had tears in his eyes. She was getting so big! Quinn would have been proud. Once he was sure she was home safely, he made a stock-up trip for groceries before going to Jamie's kindergarten.
From then, the after-school time followed a similar pattern: Beth went home, called her dad and one hour later (one hour and a half, max) her dad and her brother were home, too. Everything went smoothly – but one day, it changed.
At first, she didn't notice it. She walked on the side-walk and sang the Madonna song Mss. Aldrin had forced them to learn just because she felt like it. She used the secret code like every day, but when she arrived in front of the door, she couldn't find her key.
Horrified, she looked in all her pockets, in her bag, but it was nowhere. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't phone her dad, since she had no phone; she really didn't know what to do. Her daddy was going to get worried! Slowly her breath began to get heavy and she felt her eyes filling with tears.
She realised she was having a panic attack. It had happened to her once before but then she had been with her dad. She tried to do the breathing thing he asked her to do that time, but it was hard. She had lots of thoughts in her head and she couldn't focus on any.
"Are you okay?"
The voice came from far away but she heard it. Even if she didn't recognise who was talking, she realised it was for her. She tried to open her eyes but it was difficult. She wanted to say she felt okay so the person would leave her alone; her dad always said she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers but she wasn't able to. Hands rested on her shoulders and lightly pushed her toward the floor where she sat. The hands gave her a paper bag and the voice encouraged her to blow in it. Slowly, she followed the voice's directive and soon her breathing was back to normal. The hand took the bag back and gave her a tissue.
"Do you feel better now?"
She finally looked at the person. From the voice and the soft hands she had thought it was a woman but she was wrong. The man she discovered kneeling next to her had big blue eyes, brown hair and a soft smile.
She nodded, still looking at him.
"Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?"
Still unable to talk, she shook her head 'no'.
"Okay, but you must have a problem. Something clearly happened. Do you live near here?"
Beth nodded once again and pointed to the door.
"Ah, well, it seems like we are neighbours. I'm Kurt Hummel and I just moved in there," and he pointed to the door in front of hers. "Is there someone home? Your mum or dad?"
Beth finally managed to talk, or rather murmured, "Daddy isn't back yet."
"Well, I think, I understand what your problem is. You don't have your key, right?"
Without stopping to gaze at him, she quietly answered, "Yes, I think I lost it."
Mr. Hummel looked at her, understanding. "I know how you feel. It happened to me once; scary, isn't it? Do you know if someone in the building has another one? Is your dad's work far?"
Without blinking, she shrugged.
"You know, you're not helping me much here. You can wait with me, okay? It might be a little odd because, as I said, I just moved in so the apartment is full of boxes and bags and the TV isn't even connected yet."
"Daddy said I can't go into strangers' homes and he will get worried because I always call him when I arrive home."
Mr. Hummel's eyes were suddenly bright. "Now that's a good idea! I can lend you my phone. You know his number, right?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'll be back," and he left her on the floor, but soon returned with his mobile in hand. "There, can you do it alone or do you need some help? Good, there it is, princess, make your call."
"Hello?"
"Daddy?" She hated that her voice was shaken up; she was a big girl!
"Beth! Are you okay, sweetpea? Where are you? Is everything okay? And whose phone is that?"
Hearing the torrent of questions made her laugh. "I am okay, dad. I'm home but I lost my key so I can't get in."
"Oh, sweetpea, everything is gonna be alright. I'm coming as soon as possible. I'm leaving work right now. Stay where you are... I'm coming... Where did you find that phone?"
"The neighbour let me use it."
"Mrs. Perces? That's nice of her."
"No, it's a new one. He said I can wait in his apartment if I wanted, but I told him I can't because I am not supposed to talk or go with people I don't know."
"You are absolutely right, Bethie. Can you give him the phone, please?"
"Okay. Love you, dad."
PKPKPK
When the little girl came to him saying her dad wanted to talk to him, he wasn't really surprised.
"Hello, Kurt Hummel speaking..."
"Hummel?" The voice would have been nice if it wasn't full of something he couldn't name. There was a bit of surprise, some disbelief and regret or remorse, he wasn't sure.
"Yes… and you are?" He couldn't stand people who didn't take the time to introduce themselves.
"Noah Puckerman… I am Beth's dad. Thank you for helping my daughter. She said you offered to let her wait at yours; I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a problem."
"She is welcome. I am sure it would be better than staying in the hallway, but it is up to you. So, okay, I'll put you back on to Beth because I am not sure she would believe it if I were the one to tell her."
He handed the phone to Beth before heading into his new apartment, leaving the door open.
The little girl's dad had had a strange reaction when he said his name. However, the name Noah Puckerman didn't ring any bells so he turned his thoughts back to Beth. She might be a little bit hungry and if he remembered well, children of her age ate a lot. Did he have some child-friendly food or just grown-up food? He went towards the kitchen and the kid joined him. She put the phone on the counter and looked at him with her huge brown eyes.
"Are you hungry? I'm pretty sure Finn_ that's my brother_ left some cookies somewhere."
Keeping silent, Beth nodded. He got the feeling the little lady was still very stressed. He remembered being her age and stressing like mad when he had to go with his dad to an unknown place. He always felt better alone or just with his dad. It had to be worse for her: she was alone. To help her to relax, he smiled and began his search. He was right, the cookies were there, but it was one of the strange ones Rachel tried once a while back (which probably explained why Finn hadn't finished them off).
"Sorry, Rachel bought something with peanuts, carrots and ginger and I don't know what it tastes like. Want to give them a try?"
The little girl looked at him, the cookies and him again before shrugging her shoulders.
"You know what? I'll share one with you. Who knows? It might become my new favourite biscuit."
They took a bite, looked at each other, winced, forced themselves to swallow and then Beth said, "…or not."
Kurt laughed out loud and agreed, "…or not... Well, I might have an apple?"
Beth smiled freely for the first time before agreeing, "That would be good."
He searched a few minutes and found it in the fridge. Probably Finn's logic.
"I hope you don't mind the peel, because I have absolutely no idea where knives are."
Beth smiled even more freely and quickly ate the fruit.
"Do you have homework? I am sure I can find you some place..."
"No, Miss. Aldrin didn't have the time to give us any."
"In this instance, are you good with Lego?" As Beth nodded, he smiled and added, "because I'm not and I have some Lego for adults to work on."
Beth frowned and asked, "Lego for adults?"
"Yep, I am trying to build my new Ikea bed and, well... let's just say I am not very good at it."
Beth laughed and it was the most marvelous sound he heard all day.
"Okay, I helped Daddy with my and Jamie's bed."
"Great, I might not have to sleep on the floor tonight!"
She really did help him well, and very soon his bed actually looked like a bed. As soon as she was occupied, she started talking. He always thought he was awkward with children but he wasn't, at least not with her. She was sweet, funny and kind of bossy but it was fine because he was truly lost with the directions.
Before they knew it, someone was knocking at the door and Beth jumped up, smiling.
"That's daddy!"
The little girl was so happy that Kurt couldn't help but laugh while getting up.
"Certainly."
Then they both headed to the door. When Kurt opened it, he discovered three things:
First Noah Puckerman was a beautiful man, with very nice arms.
Secondly, if Beth had lovely blond hair, they didn't come from her dad because "daddy" and Jamie were brown-haired. The little boy was like a mini-Noah Puckerman, which was cute.
And to finish his eyes were soon going to bleed because flannel! Too much flannel!
Not wanting to be rude, he smiled and offered his hand to the younger Puckerman first.
"Hello there, I am Kurt Hummel."
The little boy hid behind his father's legs before reaching for his hand.
"Hi, I am Jamie."
"Nice to meet you, Jamie." Then Kurt turned to the man and did the same, but when their hands touched, he got an electric jolt, literally.
"Sorry, it has been happening all day."
"Oh... that's okay."
He really should have invited them to come in, but the place really wasn't presentable at the moment. And for once, he didn't know what to say so he just grinned. As if he understood Kurt was in a quandary, his neighbour turned to his daughter and motioned her to go.
"Come on, sweetie, get your bag. I am sure Mr. Hummel's got a lot of things to do and we shouldn't disturb him any longer."
Much to the adults' astonishment, Beth asked, "Can I stay a bit longer? We've nearly finished the bed and..." She looked at Kurt mischievously "… if I am not here to help him, I am not sure Mr. Kurt will sleep in his bed tonight!"
Kurt felt his cheeks turn red and when he looked at Beth she had a big smile on her face, clearly proud of her crack.
"Beth!" Her dad began to correct her, but Kurt stopped him. "Don't, she is right, she is the boss of Ikea. She understands their directions way better than me."
"So, can I dad? I don't have any homework, pleeease?"
And that was how Beth Puckerman kept him company for his first evening in his new home.
PKPKPK
Noah couldn't believe it. He'd rushed to come home, worried sick about his daughter and she preferred to stay at Kurt Hummel's home.
Kurt Hummel.
What was the likelihood, among all the people living in New York that Kurt Hummel was his neighbour? He reminded him of Lima. They were three or four years apart so their paths hadn't crossed very often. They didn't have any classes, nor friends or activities in common. They just saw each other when Kurt came to the garage, usually around the time he himself was leaving.
When Quinn found out she was pregnant they were seventeen. He went looking for a job and Burt Hummel had been the only one willing to give him a chance.
Despite his young age he'd had a bad reputation and nobody wanted to let him prove he wasn't as useless as they thought. He was the bad guy who bullied kids at school; the son of Elijah Puckerman, an alcoholic and violent man who ended up in jail after beating his family and killing a man in a bar fight. In everybody's eyes, Noah too was just bad news, and Beth's arrival proved them right; he was never going to be more than a Lima Loser.
But Burt Hummel had been different. He knew what it was to be a young parent_ and contrary to them, he had been alone since his wife died in childbirth. He'd helped them a lot; he was his only good memory of Lima.
He didn't like thinking about his life in Ohio, Puck from Lima wasn't there anymore. He was Noah Puckerman from New York City and that was a good thing. The only way to keep things as they were was to avoid his new neighbour as much as possible. It shouldn't be so hard; he had already done it with the woman who lived in the building. Miss Brittany S. Pierce. She was crazy, not dangerous but crazy, nevertheless.
Okay. He might have to speak too soon. Beth came back, nearly one hour after them, completely bewitched by their new neighbour. She talked about him all meal long. He got the feeling that she spent two hours with him but talked about it for like two days. The worst part was seeing his son, who didn't even know the guy and wasn't usually interested in things that didn't involve him, so focused on her words that he forgot to eat his mac and cheese. His mac and cheese!
If he was lucky, they wouldn't see Kurt Hummel for a few weeks and everything would be back to normal.
Except_ it didn't happen that way. They saw him while leaving for the park. Beth was meeting her best friend Eliza and it was always good for Jamie to burn some energy outside. Kurt was struggling with tons of shopping-bags when they came back. Needless to say, both kids asked to help him and Noah had to ask, too: he didn't want to appear as the impolite freak who fathered two nice kids.
In his kids' eyes of course, because he couldn't care less about what Kurt Hummel thought about him.
He hoped to leave the bags at the door and go home, but evidently he was wrong. Hummel left the door open and Beth followed (as if she had known him all her life), Jamie imitated his sister and willy-nilly, Noah did the same.
The guy hadn't finished unpacking but from the piles of boxes in the corner, he must have worked hard. Noah noticed a picture of Burt and smiled; the man hadn't changed much. He was more surprised to see a marriage photo with Burt, Kurt, Carole and Finn Hudson (who had been his best friend at the time).
Well, well, well, it seemed like things changed for the better in the life of the man he once saw as a mentor. A strange and fleeting idea crossed his mind: if Burt managed it, he might be able to do it, too. But one second later, he couldn't believe he even thought it. Quinn has been, and would remain the only woman in his life. She was irreplaceable.
PKPKPK
Kurt had never been as happy to see someone as when he met the Puckerman family at the door. He didn't realise how much he'd bought at the shop and had been struggling with his bags ever since.
There was something strange with the father. The kids were so cute, so nice, so adorable that he didn't understand how kids could have scared him at some point. But there was definitely something weird about their father. He wasn't sure what it was. It might be because he was mostly silent, or the way he watched everything with such intensity. It was as if he was taking notes or something. Whatever it was, it sure was disturbing.
Despite his embarrassment, he acted as if all this was normal. Beth was telling him what she did with someone named Eliza, while Jamie (who clearly wasn't as shy as it appeared) was climbing on a chair explaining how he loved swings but preferred playing football with his daddy.
Kurt tried to give them even attention while he put his groceries away. If the eyes of the man behind him were loving instead of whatever they were, the scene would have been nicely domestic. Maybe one day... Of course, not with this man nor these children, but yes, one day.
Once he finished organising his kitchen, he offered everybody a lollipop and was soon sitting at the table with the kids, enjoying his candy. Noah Puckerman refused a lollipop, a drink or to sit and Kurt felt bad. He didn't understand what he was doing here. He could have easily gone home, it wasn't far, and he, Kurt hadn't asked him to come _ neither to help him nor to follow him inside his home.
He was far from talkative, and usually enjoyed silence. He always had been a huge believer of the "if you have nothing interesting to say, best was to shut up" policy but it didn't apply here. The silence was only half peaceful. He was actively searching for something to say in order to break the ice when he suddenly had an idea.
"So Beth, do you have a new key?" Before the little girl had the time to answer, a loud "Durmstrang" rang out behind him. Kurt's eyes turned in Noah Puckerman's direction.
"Durmstrang," he asked, curious.
"Yep, it's more polite."
"Okay, so do you have a problem?"
Sheepish, Noah looked at the clock and sighed. "Yes, we were supposed to pass by the shop on the way back, but we forgot and now, it's too late."
And the man came into the room for the first time, and squatted in front of Beth.
"Oh, sweetpea, don't cry, everything is okay. I will just come back earlier than usual and wait for you."
PKPKPK
Noah couldn't believe he'd forgot about the key. They'd talked about it and decided to go after the park. The problem had been that_ as always_ the park had been a better experience for the kids than for him.
The only good part was when he played football with Jamie; but like most five-year-old kids, his ability to stay focused wasn't very good. So when his attention began to slip, thirty-five minutes later, he had to sit on a bench and that was when his afternoon took a turn for the worse.
It only took a few minutes, and it was always the same. All women around seemed to know he was a widow and tried to hit on him. There was a time he would have been pleased but now it was just annoying. Some understood he wasn't ready but others, like Shelby Corcoran, Rachel's mother, just didn't. She always found ways to see him (at least once a week) and to touch him (mostly his arms or shoulders). And that day had been the worst; he'd had to endure Mrs. Corcoran AND Sugar Motta. Let's say his afternoon had been long, and when they finally left, all he wanted was to go home. That was why he forgot the key but he couldn't explain this to his daughter.
"But Daddy, you said you were going to be late this Monday, because you have that meeting with_ I don't remember his name."
Noah closed his eyes. She was right. He had a meeting with Mr. Figgins, the principal of one of the biggest colleges in New York. If everything went well, he might end up with his most important client and finally get his promotion … but it wouldn't happen if he postponed the meeting. He quickly went over his possibilities. Maybe could he ask Eliza's mum? It had been a long time since their last play-date. He was about to suggest it when Kurt Hummel opened his big mouth.
"I only have school until two, and after that I work from home. She can come here if she wants."
Noah looked at the man and was about to open his mouth to refuse but Beth talked before he even made a sound.
"Can I daddy?"
He knew he should neither look at her (because she most certainly had her puppy's eyes) nor give Kurt Hummel a space in their life but he did both. And when he saw the huge smile on her face he couldn't regret it.
Since that instant, and despite Noah's best effort, Kurt Hummel made his way into their life.
He had Beth's keys made but his little girl, who was so proud two months ago to come back and stay home alone, asked if she could still go to Mr Kurt's.
At first, he was reluctant. Insisting that she shouldn't intrude in their neighbour's home, emphasising that she really shouldn't annoy him when he was working; but of course she had an answer to all of that. She assured him that Kurt (because now he was just Kurt, not Mr. Kurt!) had agreed if Noah agreed.
She pushed it by saying she helped him by giving her opinion on his designs because, as she said, Kurt had the coolest job ever, since he created wonderful clothes. How could he compare with him, when his was one of the least glamorous jobs ever: accountant.
Despite everything, he stood his ground, ready to refuse but he saw his daughter's face, so hopeful, so happy and he just... couldn't. He didn't remember the last time she was so excited about anything. Then he nodded and told her he was going to talk to Mr Hummel.
And he did.
The discussion was awkward but Kurt (because that was apparently how he called him now) confirmed Beth's words. They exchanged their phone numbers, in case there was a problem, and since Kurt wouldn't accept any money for the babysitting, Noah invited him to dinner.
That night, when he went to bed he still didn't understand what pushed him to invite Kurt Hummel: because even if he seemed to fit, he didn't want him in their life.
PKPKPK
Kurt didn't understand what had happened to him. Why did he offer to look after his neighbour's daughter after school when it was more than obvious the guy didn't want him to?
Well, that wasn't absolutely true. He knew why; it was for Beth. She was just the sweetest doll. She was adorable while doing her homework, sticking out her tongue, asking tons of questions about his drawing or the dress he was working on, making great suggestions.
The last part was such a good change since he was used to Rachel or Finn and they both had the worst taste ever. Even the flannel shirts of his dad or his neighbour were not that bad.
But despite all of that, the biggest question was: Why did he accept the most surprising invitation of his life and why was he just as impatient as worried when he knocked at the door?
It was the first time he'd come into the Puckermans' home and he had to say it was nothing like he'd imagined. Since Beth told him her mother died when she was seven and they had to move out, he thought their décor would look like Noah Puckerman but he was wrong.
Either the man was more sensitive than he perceived or this interior was more of his late wife's taste. It was a strange feeling to go into somebody's home and feel like you were in somebody else's place. The walls and the furniture were pastel, the curtains in lace and lots of porcelain stuff. There were some vases, ornaments and his worst nightmare: two shelves full of porcelain dolls.
He hated porcelain dolls. It reminded him of one of the things he hated in high school. The Cheerios' coach used to call him that. She mostly yelled it in the hallway, the school yard even during the lessons; she did it anytime she felt like it.
It was Porcelain, Porcelain, Porcelain, Porcelain! Nowadays, the simple fact of thinking about it gave him shivers.
"Are you cold?" Jamie's voice brought him back to the present and he smiled.
"No, I am good."
PKPKPK
The first time Kurt ate with them left him with some ambivalent feelings.
First, because sitting at their kitchen table, the guy seemed so at home that it was troubling but also because every time he was talking about his family, Noah felt bad. Kurt had no clue but he knew all the people he was talking about.
It was complicated.
He knew that he should tell him, but he really didn't want to. He wanted to stay Noah Puckerman, father of two wonderful children, accountant and inhabitant of New York City; he didn't want people to know who he was before. He didn't want Kurt to know, because if he talked about him to Finn, his ex-best-friend wouldn't talk about their camping trips, or how they used to play football together.
No, he would say, he was Puck, the guy who seduced his girlfriend and knocked her up and he didn't want that. He wanted the past to stay where it was: in the past.
PKPKPK
Kurt kept on going to the Puckermans' every Friday night. If for most, Friday was date night, for him it always had been family night and it was nice for the day to get its meaning back (which wasn't the case since he arrived in New York).
Despite the good memories of the previous Fridays, the fourth he spent with his neighbours left him with some ambivalent feelings. During these nights, the atmosphere was both light and heavy; it was _ for lack of a better word _ strange. It was during one of his phone talks with his dad that he understood why, even if he still didn't know how to change it.
Noah Puckerman had lived in Lima and worked for his dad. And now that he thought about it, Kurt could remember him. He was the beautiful and broody guy on whom he used to have a crush in middle school. He was, with Callan Mulvey, the one who helped him to realise he liked boys better than girls. Not that he would ever share this information with him, like ever.
What he really would like was for Noah to stop getting tense every time he mentioned his family. For more than a week, he wondered how to tell him that he knew. When it happened, it was nothing like he imagined.
They were both sitting on the couch, watching an episode of CSI when he opened his mouth to criticise the more than obvious plot; except that wasn't what he said.
"Dad said 'hi' and asked for your phone number; he wanted to talk to you."
Once he realised his words, he turned his head towards Noah and looked at his face. He was paler than usual and seemed to be embarrassed, so Kurt smiled sheepishly, and asked "Sorry, should I have been less straight?"
Two seconds later, hearing himself, he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he was a bit weepy; seeing Noah's expression didn't help him to get calm but, at least, he managed to say, "Less straight, me? Not possible." So the other man understood what was happening.
It worked, since soon they were both laughing. When their hilarity toned down, it was follow by the worst silence ever. It mustn't have been that long, but it felt like years passed before Kurt had the guts to ask, "Why didn't you tell me you were from Lima, too? That you knew and worked for my dad... Did he do something to you?"
When he finished, his words were just a murmur. At first, he thought he wouldn't get an answer. He wriggled on the couch, wondering if he should have left, when Noah finally spoke.
"You and I didn't know each other at the time. Our paths crossed when we were at the garage but that was it. I wouldn't have ever recognised you on the street_ and you neither."
PKPKPK
Noah couldn't stand the conversation. That was exactly what he'd tried to avoid. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Kurt's eyes, a person who'd quickly become a friend, a person his children loved a lot.
But it was impossible to change the past. His past was as it was and he would have to face the music or – like it was said – he'd made his bed, now he had to lie in it.
"No, it wasn't because of your dad. Burt is one of the few good memories I have from Lima."
Kurt looked surprised. "Don't you have family there?"
"No, not any more... When Quinn and I decided to keep Beth, our families basically told us that if we wanted to waste our life it was without them. We managed. It was hard; but we did it. I left school, found a job and took care of Beth while Quinn graduated. When she received a full scholarship for Yale, we left and never looked behind us. In Lima, people never expected much of us. Contrary to what they thought, we were worth more than that but I don't like thinking about it."
He silently watched Kurt from the corner of his eyes, hoping without really believing it that it would be enough; that he wouldn't have to give more explanations. However, when he saw him screwing up his eyes and tilting his head to the side, he knew he wouldn't be that lucky.
"It wasn't because of my dad. So why? You could have told part of it, without going into details. There is something else, isn't there?"
"You're smart, aren't you?"
Kurt looked at him, his eyebrow raised.
"Don't try to stall for time, just answer me! Now I am very curious!"
Noah smiled, looking at Kurt's big glasz eyes staring at him with impatience, benevolent but none of that unhealthy curiosity he'd dreaded. That was when he began to think that maybe nothing was going to change between them.
"It's because of your brother."
"Finn? Well, that's a surprise. Why?"
"Do you know we were friends, like best friends?"
There was a break, followed by an exclamation.
"Wait... are you... are you Puck?"
Damn, he knew and now he was going to leave.
"Yeah."
"So, yes, I knew it. He told me lots of thing you did together. I hope you stopped with the pee balloons because that was really gross..."
Kurt's reaction wasn't as he'd imagined it would be. Why was he still smiling? He should hate him, like Finn did the last time they'd seen each other!
"Did he tell you why... what put an end on to our friendship?" How strange it was. He wanted the answer to that question but at the same time he really didn't want it.
"Yes, he said it was because of a girl... maybe I shouldn't tell you but he regrets it. I know he would love to see you again."
"It wasn't just because of a girl! I slept with his girlfriend before he got the chance and she ended up pregnant!"
"Okay... it's a bit more complicated than he said to me, but I stick to my word, he regrets what happened."
"I don't. Well, that's not the whole truth. I regret hurting him, but I don't regret either sleeping with Quinn, or having Beth. They are, with Jamie, the best part of my life. I could never ask for things to be different."
There was a minute of silence before Kurt murmured, "I didn't realise... I didn't realise the girl was Quinn. I didn't... Does he know she is..?"
"Dead? I don't think so. I didn't tell anyone from Lima."
"Not even her family?"
He didn't look at him but Noah could picture Kurt's face, pale, his eyes wide and he wanted to smile but he restrained himself.
"No one, they didn't deserve to know. They weren't here for her when she was alive. Why should they be in her death? Those who care know and the others can go fuck themselves."
This time Noah turned to look at Kurt's reaction. He knew it was his turn to be too straight but he didn't want and wouldn't change his words. He'd said his piece. Head down, Kurt was nibbling his lower lip and when he finally spoke, his voice was hesitant.
"Can I tell them?"
He didn't even think before nearly yelling his answer. "NO!"
"But dad, and Finn... they are going to be coming here quite often, your paths are going to cross whether you want it or not. Beth already saw Finn three times this month. I am even surprised he didn't realise it. She looks so much like her mum."
Noah understood what he was saying; he knew he was right, although he didn't like it. So he closed his eyes for a second and nodded before adding. "But only if it comes up in the conversation… and tell them to keep it to themselves. I really don't want the Fabrays to know."
Kurt smiled and nodded his head, like a child. Noah smiled back and couldn't help but think Kurt looked cute that way. And just like that, the heaviness was gone and things got easier.
tbc
