A/N – Thanks to all who reviewed! Crissingirl123, AceCade, sportsallstrs2 and epicpickleninja you are all fabulously fantastic and the inspiration for this chapter! And I of course I have to thank all who story alerted and favorited (oh my god, already? I'm gonna die of happiness). Hope you enjoy the second chapter!

Oh and a little more language in this chapter. I think there's two F-bombs so watch out. Stupid T rating, I can't wait to have a reason to change that…

Rachel stared. She opened her mouth again, only to close it seconds later. If Blaine didn't feel so damn guilty for leaving her he would have laughed in her face. Really, girl was such a middle schooler. She has troubles talking to him, her obvious crush. Please, she has no idea how hard a conversation can actually be.

But Blaine was a gentleman. He wasn't going to laugh in her face. She didn't deserve that.

"Why?" She finally mumbled out. She reached her hand and brushed Blaine's arm, almost as if she wanted to make sure he was real. Scratch that, Blaine was fairly sure it really was to make sure he was real.

"My parents decided to move Rach," Blaine smiled at her, knowing full well she couldn't see it. Girl wasn't going to take her eyes off the ground for nothing. "It's as simple as that."

"But it's not." Her eyes flickered to Blaine's. He found it hard to hold her gaze.

"If it was that simple you would have called or something. Wrote to me even. Blaine, you could have found out my email and emailed me. You know people here in Lima, it wouldn't have been that hard to figure out how to contact me."

"Rach…"

She broke their stare and settled on gazing over at the opposite side of the jungle gym. She avoided his eye, and that bothered Blaine. He didn't expect to feel this much guilt. Hell, it wasn't even his fault, it was his damn parent's decision!

"Okay rach, fine, you're right." Her head snapped back and her eyes shown bright with expectance and hope. "There is…sort of main reason I moved. But I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone."

"Blaine, I was your best friend, probably am going to be again now that your back, so just tell me. Why did you leave?"

Blaine slumped against one of his swing chains, eyes scrunching up so he wouldn't cry. He wasn't a cry baby.

But why did he feel such a pull to Rachel damn Berry?

Because she had been there for you, he reminded himself, for so, so long.

It was true. Rachel is and has always been the only truly great friendship he had ever had. He deeply regretted having to leave her.

Blaine swallowed and then opened his mouth. How did it all of a sudden become so dry?

"My parents," he began in a shaky breath.

"HEY RACHEL!" Blaine snapped his mouth shut and recoiled slightly. He usually did when people yelled. His eyes found the source of the noise, and his stomach….dropped? He didn't know, but it was an odd feeling.

Rachel, to as best of Blaine's knowledge, wasn't too happy about their new visitor.

"Noah," she sighed, exasperated. Blaine could tell that Rachel had thought he was about to tell her something big. And he was, which was why Blaine was secretly very happy for this kid's arrival.

"Hey baby, I heard you might be at the park." Noah strolled closer to the two of them, eyes trained on Rachel. When he was nearer, they flickered over toward Blaine.

Noah walked toward Rachel with his signature smirk plastered over his face. No way could she refuse this. Wait; was that annoyance on her face? Uh, let me guess, she was enjoying her alone time with Blaine. Ucccckk.

His eyes snapped away from Rachel's for a millisecond, resting on Blaine before returning to Rachel. And then returning to Blaine's once again.

There was something about the look that Blaine gave Noah that instantly drew him to the younger boy. Noah knew that look…he couldn't place it, but he knew it. There was something in his eyes that Noah hated. Fear. Anger. Sadness.

He stopped a few feet from the swingset, still staring (quite obviously) at Blaine…

Who was beginning to look very uncomfortable. The smaller boy couldn't quite hold Noah's gaze, practically flinching away from it.

"I remember you." Noah stated.

Blaine didn't look at him. Apparently his shoe laces were much more interesting.

"Noah Puckerman, right?" Blaine asked, even though Blaine knew very well who it was he was talking to.

"Yep that's right. And you're Blaine. Blaine Anderson. Moved, what was it, four years ago?"

"Three and a half," Blaine quietly corrected, still unable to look Noah in the eye.

"Why?"

Noah watched Blaine crumple inward yet again, and his heart skipped a beat. What the hell was wrong with this kid?

"Because…look I have to go." Blaine stood up at the same time as Rachel did.

"Blaine –wait – no, can you come back to my house? We need to talk more."

"I'm sorry Rachel, I should le-"

"Well this is just too good." Rachel and Blaine snapped their heads towards the sound of the new voice, Noah having to wheel around.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again," Santana walked toward the three of them, pinkie fingers locked with Brittany.

Noah looked back at Blaine, wanting to gauge his reaction. Noah was glad no one was looking at his own face; he was downright shocked. Blaine was glaring at the two girls' connected pinkies as if they had just killed his mother. Anger, hate, and, once again, sadness.

"Your boobs really came in, Santana." And wow, you couldn't hide the venom in Blaine's voice if he would have written that down and handed the note to Santana.

Rachel looked appalled, Blaine angry, Brittany looked like Brittany, and Santana was actually smiling.

"You've got more spunk than I remember. Good for you."

"Glad I could make you proud." And there was the venom again.

Santana's eyes found Noah's. Even through what they had done this last year, the two of them had somehow become each other's boy/girl.

"Was he this snotty to you too?"

Noah didn't say anything, just turning to face Blaine again. Finally Blaine was looking at him, staring at him with such intensity he took a step back. It was like Blaine was pleading for him to go away. Blaine was pleading with Noah to make Santana and Rachel go away too.

Blaine was pleading, and Noah couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"I think you should go, Santana."

She scowled. "We just got here. Jesus Blaine what's your problem with me?"

But before she could answer, yet another person joined their party.

"Unofficial meeting at Lion's Park, ehh?"

Blaine's face, for what felt like the fiftieth time today, snapped over toward the sound of a new voice.

His heart fell. It wasn't just one new visitor, it was three.

Finn walked toward the group and placed himself beside Noah, fist bumping him in the process. Mike and Tina came nearer Blaine, Mike finally dwindling as Tina invaded Blaine's personal space.

"We've missed you." And then he was in a hug. He tried to not let anybody notice, tried to keep his face impassive, but he wasn't sure if it worked. Physical contact was not his thing. He never got hugs. His body tensed and he did the best he could to not shove Tina to the ground.

Don't freak out. Even if she tried to hurt you, you can take her.

He waited out the hug and gave her a small, very forced smile as she pulled away. Good. Totally nobody noticed that. No more hugs though.

"I've missed you guys too." Blaine spoke. So much for keeping a low profile for awhile.

"Hey Blaine, remember me?" Blaine's head turned towards Mike, giving him the same fake smile as he gave Tina.

"Of course! You're not one to forget Mike." Mike smiled and looked down at his feet, slightly blushing.

"You're too nice," Mike mumbled.

"What are you hiding?"

Silence followed Noah's question, all eyes turning to look at either him or Blaine. Nobody talked, nobody moved. Blaine stared coldly back at Noah. He had noticed, Blaine realized. He knows.

"What are you talking about, Noah?" He put on his most convincing I'm-so-surprised-by-this-accusation voice.

And Noah totally recognized that voice. He had used it a handful of times too. He had to act in his household, so he knew very well what mock innocence was.

Like the time Noah actually did spill the milk in the downstairs guest room. If his father hadn't believed his plea of innocence, things would have gown down differently. His body might have more scars yet, for example.

So Noah knew how to lie. He didn't like to, but he did. And Noah also knew how to act. You think anybody expects that his dad isn't as loving as he seems? Hell no. Noah won't let them.

"You're acting. Why are you acting?"

Blaine's face flushed.

"What a way to invite me back," Blaine began, hands fisting at his sides. "This is exactly the shit I'd expect from you."

Noah grimaced. That was another defense mechanism he used. Like whenever somebody started getting curious about his father, Noah would yell at them for thinking somebody so amazing could be bad. See? Turn the accusation back at the accuser. In this case, Noah was seeing through Blaine's act. Blaine counteracts by trying to belittle Noah, saying that wild accusations are Noah's norm.

When used by the right people, this tactic will work wonders.

"Jeez Noah," Santana sneered, "Blaine's right. I'm nasty but why the hell are you starting up drama?"

Bingo.

Noah didn't say anything. He just glared at Blaine; who was of course glaring right back.

But Noah could see right through Blaine. It was so easy. To everybody else, Blaine looked poised to take Noah on. In reality, Noah knew that if it came down to it, Blaine wouldn't fight back.

And yet again, Noah proved his suspicions right. A quick jerk of his body and a flex of his arms, Blaine was stepping back, practically trying to sink back into the swing set seat.

Blaine's eyes were wide. Noah hated the fear.

Luckily nobody else in their little group of eight noticed Noah's display of violence. Whilst the two boys were having their battle of wills, a new party had entered the play ground.

Noah and Blaine followed six pairs of eyes, both hearts falling when they landed on the newcomers.

Joe, Brody, Mark, and Jason. Three high schoolers notoriously known for being troublemakers. And one who just came back from juvy. If the bottles of who-knows-what swinging from their hands were any indication, the eight of them were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Oh-ho!" A blond one began, eyes falling on the crowd of younger kids and smiling. "Look what we have here!"

"Isn't it a little late for youngins to be out? Aren't any of your parents worried?" Another one of the boys said. Noah knew this one to be Brody; he had watched him play on the high school football team.

"Such a shame. You guys really shouldn't be out so late." The third one said. Noah identified the speaker as Joe. He was fairly sure the kid had just been caught with marijuana at school the previous year.

Noah tore his eyes away from the group of boys, glancing over at Blaine. This kid has taken some serious bullying in his life… if he's that scared. Noah couldn't help but suck his lip into his mouth, chewing it with nerves. He didn't want Blaine to be scared. He didn't like it when Blaine was scared.

Noah almost let himself be shocked by how much he cared about Blaine (this kid was gay after all, Noah couldn't really be that good of friends with him), but the fourth teen's comment stopped his train of thought.

"No they shouldn't be. We should probably teach them just why you shouldn't be out so late." Mark, the biggest of them all, towered over them as the four boys finally reached the eight of them.

None of Noah's friends moved. They just stared.

Noah couldn't blame them. Mark, the kid who had gone to juvy, was like the definition of a badass. He even had a Mohawk! Kid looked absolutely terrifying with it.

But all that it took for Noah to act was a second quick glance at Blaine.

So he started moving. He mastered his emotions and swallowed his fear (thank you father) and walked through the frozen statues of his friends till he was face to face with Mark. Mark had a look of mild shock and… approval? Yeah, definitely approval. And maybe some respect thrown in there.

"Hey I know you," Mark began. He took Noah's features in and suddenly beamed. "You fucking go to McKinley, don't you? The middle school! Yeah, you're Noah…Noah Puckerman."

Noah put on his most badass smirk and nodded.

"You've already made quite a little name for yourself on our team. The couches can't wait till you get to high school. Man I respect that dude."

"Thanks bro." Noah found it a little stupid to call him bro, but hey, it was worth a shot. Luckilly, Mark didn't seem to mind the terminology. "And you see that dude?" Noah indicated Finn. "That's Finn Hudson. He's gonna be pretty fucking big too."

Noah pushed aside his feelings at saying such a word. He hated people who swore. But Noah knew the character he was acting, and he might as well do the job properly if he was going to do this.

"Finn Hudson, yeah!" Mark nodded to Finn. Mark continued his sweep of the crowd, slowly recognizing everybody.

"Santana Lopez," he whistled, winking at her. "And Brittany. Soon to be cheerios. Mat, he's on the football team too, right?" Noah knew he was referring to Mike, but he didn't correct the name mess-up.

He bypassed Tina, eyes instead falling on Rachel. "And Rachel Berry."

Rachel, like Blaine, recoiled more into her swing.

"You sang at the McKinley talent show last year? From what I hear, you're quite the little bitch. Annoying as hell, some say."

The thing about Rachel, Noah knew, was she didn't care what people like Mark said. She would care if one of her friends or her crush said those words, but Rachel didn't give two shits if some asshole like Mark did. And, unfortunately for their current situation, Rachel was more than willing to defend herself.

When Rachel was wronged, it was in her blood to justify herself. And Noah really didn't need Rachel trying to justify herself right now.

She began to open her mouth and retort –

"She's with me." Noah cut her off.

Mark raised an eyebrow. His eyes returned to Rachel and slowly nodded. His face did one of those I guess looks before he smirked. The smirk was not as comforting as Noah hoped for.

"You getting it, right? She putting out?"

"Of course," Noah waved the question away, a brilliant smile overtaking his face. He knew he would gain a ton of points for that last comment. He was so close to getting Mark to leave them alone…if only they didn't ask about…

"And who's he?" Mark finally found the one person Noah wanted him to pay the least attention to.

A/N – Woooo! Second chapter already up! You know how I love my cliffhangers : ). What did you all think of this one? How do you think it's going to go down with Mark and the gang? Do you like the budding Blaine/Noah? Please tell me everything and anything you're thinking! Love you all!

Oh, and I'm super into this story so hopefully new chapter by the end of Friday! EXCITEMENT!