Title: Figure Study #23
Pairings: Puck/Kurt
Rating: R
Spoilers: This is mostly AU...
Summary: The summer before his senior year, Puck meets Mrs. Miller, an elderly lady. At her influence, he takes up a new hobby which inadvertently leads to a lot of lifestyle changes and personal growth for Puck. One of these said changes is his view of Kurt Hummel. Klainers can rest easy because there is no Klaine and so, no Blaine-bashing in this AU... as if I would bash my sweet Baby Blaine.
Figure Study #23
ART & THREESOMES
"Just because someone is remotely nice to you," shrilled Santana in an angry voice making Puck nearly drop his binder in surprise. "Doesn't mean it is an invitation for you to wrap your Richard Simmons thighs around them and latch on for dear life."
Puck furrowed his brow as she spoke, wondering what she was even talking about. He didn't have a chance to form any guesses, though, because suddenly Kurt was angrily striding across the hall to press into Santana's personal space.
"Are you so threatened by the resident gay kid, that you can't handle a little friendly competition?" asked Kurt, angrily, his face only mere inches from Santana's.
"Now you listen to me, dick breath," glowered Santana, her eyes narrowing and her face turning into an angry stone wall that gave Puck shivers. "This isn't a competition, if it was, you wouldn't stand a chance in hell. All you are is a freaky side show."
"You're nothing," she said as she jabbed Kurt in the chest with her pointer finger. "So why don't you take your pretty pink lady lips and your prancy little pear hips and get out of my face before I am forced to end you."
Puck winced at Santana's words but watched from his locker as Kurt angrily regarded her. He set his jaw, his mouth pulled into a taut line though Puck thought he saw the guy's lower lip quiver just a little, and then Kurt turned on his heel and stormed away. Santana visibly deflated once Kurt was out of her presence as if she were exhausted from the encounter.
"'Tana?" asked Puck, softly, using the nickname he hadn't used in well over a year.
She turned to look at him and he caught a glimpse of vulnerability before she was able to cover it with a cold neutral expression. She stepped out of the centre of the hallway and sidled up to Puck at his locker.
"So, have you come to a decision about my proposed arrangement?" she asked in a sudden sultry voice.
Puck looked toward the ceiling in frustration.
"I said 'no' right when you first brought it up," grumbled Puck as Santana's longer fingers wrapped around his bicep.
"Maybe I feel like giving you a second chance to change your mind," she purred as she ran her fingers up his arm.
Puck could feel goosebumps rising on his skin despite knowing she wasn't the least bit interested in him.
"What's going on with you and Hummel?" asked Puck as he forced himself not to react to her.
"Oh," she said before rolling her eyes and shrugging. "Nothing. He just seems to think that he's a real cheerleader just because Sue wants to use his voice for another attempt at winning Nationals."
The bell signaling the start of the school day rang out overhead and Santana walked away, leaving Puck to head to his own class. He looked at his class schedule that he had studiously taped to the inside of his locker to double check what class he had that day and audibly groaned. He did not want to attend Geometry with Mrs. Bletheim. He decided to put off the inevitable hell that was a full-length class with the nasty Geometry teacher and headed to the boys bathroom to hide while the halls emptied of students.
He stopped in his tracks when he stepped around the corner of the bathroom entry, the swinging door falling shut behind him. Kurt was leaning over one of the sings, staring into the mirror. His eyes were red-rimmed and the corners of his mouth were turned down in an angry frown. He looked up when he sensed Puck's presence and his cheeks immediately coloured in embarrassment. He quickly turned away from Puck and splashed water on his face before grabbing so paper towel from the dispenser to pat his cheeks and forehead dry. Puck remained still, watching him, as Kurt threw the brown paper towel out and moved to walk past him.
"Wait," said Puck just before Kurt was about to disappear back into the hall.
"What do you want?" asked Kurt, his voice rough and a bit lower than Puck remembered.
Puck struggled for a half second trying to think of what to say.
"Are you okay?" he asked lamely.
Kurt gave him an incredulous but still sassy look that said 'do I fucking look okay, you moron?' but just shrugged and said, "I'm fine."
Puck grabbed at Kurt's arm to stop him from continuing forward. The leaner boy turned around and gave Puck a confused look before ripping his arm away from him.
"You're not okay," commented Puck, softly. "Is this because of Santana?"
For a split second surprise crossed Kurt's face but he schooled it into a stony frown.
"Why do you care?" he asked.
Puck dropped his hand. Why did he care?
"She can be a bitch when she feels weak or whatever," Puck said, not answering Kurt's question.
"I know," sighed Kurt, his shoulders lowering.
He took a shaky breath and crossed his arms across his torso in a way that made it look almost like he was hugging himself. The act caused Puck to suddenly want to hug Kurt which shocked him and set him reeling for a few moments. During the time it took Puck to push past the strange feeling in his belly, Kurt managed to regain his own composure and reattach his well-worn mask of confidence. It was growing threadbare with use.
"She's just scared that I'll outdo her at her own game," said Kurt, raising his chin indignantly. "I get it; we all have things that we want to keep specifically ours. I just wish she hadn't brought up my past like that. Everyone makes mistakes."
Puck grimaced at the way Kurt's voice turned from haughty to soft and broken while he spoke. He didn't need Kurt to say it to know he was thinking about his past crushes on Finn and Sam. He swallowed nervously, feeling uncomfortable with the level of emotion on display but not feeling like he could just leave, either.
Kurt needed a friend and, up until then, Santana seemed to have filled that role. He wasn't sure what had happened the year before to bring them together, he knew it had something to do with David Karofsky, but none of it really made sense and Puck wasn't one to spend extra effort getting involved in other people's business. But with Santana's allegiance to him obviously on the rocks, Kurt really needed another friend. Puck definitely wasn't the guy for the job, but he wondered who else could be. As lonely as he felt some days, it had to be ten times worse being Kurt.
He had Finn as a step-brother but Puck wasn't sure how well everything was in that relationship given their beginnings and Finn's fear of the football team. Rachel and Kurt seemed to have started spending more and more time together the year before but Santana's hate for Rachel kept that friendship from progressing. Mercedes' and Kurt's friendship hadn't made it through the whole Sam debacle. Tina and Mike seemed like they might be Kurt's allies, but it was hard to tell because they sort of kept to themselves for the most part. Kurt really didn't seem to have anyone dependable.
"Don't I know it," Puck replied, though it sounded a little ridiculous given the length of time it had taken him to respond.
Despite his dejected stance, Kurt lifted an eyebrow. Puck shrugged.
"What do you have right now?" asked Puck.
"Geometry with Mrs. Bletheim," replied Kurt with a shudder.
"Ugh, me too," replied Puck, shaking his head and shoulders like it made him physically flinch to think about woman.
The corners of Kurt's mouth turned up a little at their shared distaste.
"Wanna skip?" asked Puck.
"It probably wouldn't end up doing us any favors to skip the first class of the year," said Kurt with a sigh.
"Yeah, you're probably right," replied Puck with a crooked grimace before he shoved his hands in his jean pockets and tilted his head toward the bathroom door. "Shall we?"
"After you," said Kurt with a strange little curtsy.
Puck smirked and moved to leave the bathroom, subtly checking over his shoulder that Kurt was indeed following. The halls were empty and they quickly made their way down to Mrs. Bletheim's classroom before they were caught in the hall without a pass.
The elderly lady was already furiously writing out equations on the chalk board at the front of the room, the pair of glasses sitting on her head bouncing precariously with her sharp movements. Puck pushed open the classroom door and she quickly turned to give him an angry stare.
"Noah Puckerman," she boomed in a voice much bigger than her small statue. "Starting the school year off right, I see."
Her face morphed into one of thinly veiled surprise when she noticed Kurt following Puck into the room.
"Kurt Hummel," she said, turning her attention completely away from Puck. "And why are you late?"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bletheim," said Kurt as he strode into the room. "It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," she said darkly before turning back to the chalk board.
Only a few of the seats at the front of the room were still vacant, so Kurt and Puck ended up sitting next to each other. Studiously, Kurt was quick to pull out his notebook to try to catch up to whatever it was that Mrs. Bletheim was writing on the board. Puck, on the other hand, simply lounged in his desk and zoned out. He thought about the painting he had been working on at Mrs. Miller's house for the last three days, imagining what he might add to it next. He had been so proud when the elderly woman had given it a long contemplative look the evening before and then said she thought it looked like music. He wondered if he could get away with going there after school again that day instead of straight home. He wanted to try adding some yellow it.
It wasn't long before Geometry was over and Puck found himself walking with Kurt to the choir room for their first Glee gathering of the year. Though they didn't say anything to each other, Puck found it actually quite pleasant to have someone to walk with. Most of the members were already there when Puck and Kurt arrived. Santana who was sitting with Brittany gave Puck the evil-eye when she saw him walk in with Kurt, but made sure not to make any sort of eye-contact with her supposed friend.
Brittany smiled brightly at Kurt and gestured to the empty chair beside her but Kurt smiled glumly and shook his head, instead taking the empty seat next to Rachel. She smiled tightly at Kurt before turning back to Finn who was sitting on her other side. Puck climbed up the staggered steps to sit down in a vacant chair near the top. There sure were a lot of vacant seats. He found himself wishing that Sam was still around, he seemed like the kind of guy he might have ended up being friends with. He leaned back in his chair and pretended to doze while he half-listened to the different conversations going on around him.
A few minutes after the tardy bell had rung, Mr. Schuester finally walked into the choir room. Puck smirked when he noticed Brad roll his eyes at Schester's tardiness. The cacophony of student voices slowly ebbed into an attentive silence when Mr. Schuester began to address the class. After welcoming them back to a new year, he quickly started his usual talk about finding new members and making it to nationals. Puck let out a long-suffering sigh and began to tune the man out.
They really did need new recruits, though. He looked around the room and counted that there were only ten of them; Tina, Mike, Artie, Brittany, Santana, Mercedes, Finn, Rachel, Kurt and himself. They needed at least on more kid. His brow furrowed when he suddenly wondered where Quinn was. He wanted to ask but couldn't be bothered to speak up in class so remained silent; he'd look for her later.
Soon, the class drew to a close with Mr. Shuester reminding everyone of their first assignment which was singing a duet as a way to reacquaint themselves with each other. Puck wondered who he might end up singing with as he left the room. It was quickly pushed from his mind when he reached his locker to get out his stuff for next period. He had his first Art class next and he found himself actually feeling excited about it.
Puck had to walk down to the end of a hallway at McKinley he had never walked before to reach the Art room. It was a lot quieter at that end of the school and he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable because of it. He quickened his pace, checking the room numbers beside the doors to make sure he was headed the right way. When he entered his classroom, he was surprised to find it different from the other classrooms in the school. There were a few chairs stacked at the side of the room, but no desks anywhere. A few students he didn't recognize were sitting in a semi-circle on the floor waiting for the teacher to arrive.
Hesitantly, Puck entered the room and sidled up to the group of kids. Even with his badass rep, Puck felt a little intimidated by the strange group. There were a couple of kids who looked like hippies, a few emo/goth kids, one or two kids dressed regularly, and one scary-ass kid that he was having a hard time putting a gender to. He stopped a few feet from the group and shifted nervously from foot to foot as he stood awkwardly.
"You're Puck, right?" spoke up the scary kid in a voice that didn't help Puck place them as a he or a she.
"Uh, yeah," replied Puck.
He kid nodded their head a few times, not taking their eyes off him.
"I don't know your name," said Puck.
"Taylor," said the kid.
Puck grimaced. The name did not help with gender identification, either.
"I like your 'hawk," said the hot emo chick sitting beside Taylor.
"Uh, thanks," said Puck. "I like your white hair."
She grinned, the gem on her lip ring sparkling as the movement of her lips caused it to catch the light coming in from the window, before leaning over and whispering in Taylor's ear. Taylor grinned mischievously and nodded.
"You like threesomes, Puck?" asked the emo chick.
Puck's eyebrows shot up and a slow grin crossed his face. Before he could respond, though, their art teacher walked into the class room carrying a large black portfolio case. He was tall and lean and dressed in a frumpy suit. He introduced himself to the class as Mr. Tabay even though it looked to Puck like he was the only kid in the room that hadn't taken Art with Mr. Tabay before. He took a seat on the floor just a little bit away from the rest of the group of students and turned his attention onto the teacher.
"We're going to try to cover a bunch of different stuff this year, but we'll mostly be working on your portfolios," said Mr. Tabay as he turned to start jotting down notes on the chalk board on the wall in the front of the room. "First, we'll start simply with drawing, then we'll get into some painting, and then some ceramics and sculpture. After that, we'll do some art history and you guys will choose a major artist to research and write reports on. We'll spend the second half of the semester working on your portfolios as I know many of you are planning on applying to art colleges this year."
Puck noticed the other kids copying down the class outline that Mr. Tabay was writing on the board as he spoke, so he opened his notebook and got started doing the same.
"Throughout the semester we'll also be learning different art-related terms each week. Every Friday we'll start the class with a short quiz to ensure you're learning the definitions," continued Mr. Tabay. "We'll also have an opportunity to work with the drama students on the set for the school's annual theatre production. No word yet on what the play will be this year. The students who take Art with me next semester will be working on the decorations for prom, so you guys can count yourselves lucky to get the more interesting job."
When he finished writing the overview on the board, Mr. Tabay turned back around to face his motley crew of art students with a bright smile. He opened his large portfolio case and pulled out a stack of papers and walked up to the group of students to pass out a sheet to each of them.
"Here's a list of the supplies you'll need to purchase and the dates you'll need to have them by so that you can participate in our class," he said as he passed out the papers.
Puck paled as he looked over the sheet Mr. Tabay passed to him. It was a long list.
"This gonna cost a lot of money?" he asked.
Mr. Tabay stopped what he was doing and looked at him with an expression of pure distaste. Puck frowned unhappily at him before glancing over at Taylor who nodded confirmation at him. Puck let out a frustrated sigh. He hadn't made as much money that summer as he had anticipated because of his lack of tips from 'satisfied' customers.
Mr. Tabay passed out another hand-out which had his set of Art room rules as well as Artist Safety Guidelines on it. He droned on about the safety in the classroom and what he expected from them while they were in his class. Puck mostly tuned him out. He looked back over at Taylor to check the kid out and found himself hoping Taylor was a chick. If she was, she had practically no boobs and was really lacking in the curves department. Her skinny little beanstalk frame was practically swimming in her layers of goth and grunge inspired clothing. He face looked even paler than it probably was with her hair dyed flat black and her eyes outlined in thick black eyeliner. The white-haired emo/goth chick sitting next to Taylor kept moving closer to her and was practically sitting in her lap by the time Mr. Tabay had finished his spiel.
"Since you all need to purchase your supplies for this class, we won't start anything today," said Mr. Tabay. "You can just use the rest of this period to converse quietly amongst yourselves or work on any assignments you might have received in other classes already. Don't leave until the class is over, though."
To Puck's surprise, once he was finished speaking, the teacher simply picked up his portfolio case and left the classroom. Puck turned an incredulous look onto the kids still sitting in a semi circle on the floor. The white-haired chick let out a small laugh at Puck's expression.
"He's like that," she said. "I'm Raine, by the way. I think you fucked my mom."
Puck's mouth fell open and he felt the colour leave his face. Raine shrugged in response to his reaction.
"She has a big pool," she said. "Sometimes she lets me have pool parties at her house. I live with Taylor."
Puck looked over at Taylor who was eyeing him with a measuring look.
"So, you didn't answer my question before," said Raine after a few moments of silence.
"Uh," stammered Puck feeling unnerved by Taylor's cool stare.
"I asked if you liked threesomes," she said.
Puck looked away from Taylor to regard Raine who was looking at him with a smirk on her bright red lips.
"With you two?" asked Puck.
"Yeah," spoke Taylor in her husky voice. "Would that be a problem?"
"No, it'd probably be pretty hot," answered Puck, feeling his palms begin to sweat. "But... I uh..."
"Oh, it most definitely is," purred Taylor.
"Maybe we'll hit you up for one sometime," said Raine.
The two then stood up and linked hands before walking out of the classroom. Puck watched as Taylor's black skirt/kilt thing swished around her thighs. She had really hot legs for a such a skinny chick.
"See you later," said Raine. "We need a smoke."
"Why have I not met those two before," Puck asked himself as he shook himself out of the strange yet hot and bothered feeling being in their midst gave him.
"They mostly keep to themselves," offered a hippy girl sitting not far from him.
Puck nodded at her. He spent the rest of the class doodling idly in his notebook. When the bell rang for lunch, Puck was quick to leave. He wasn't sure how he felt about having to spend 50 minutes of every other school day in that classroom with the strangest kids Lima, Ohio had to offer, but Taylor and Raine intrigued him.
Artie was sitting with the majority of the glee kids when Puck made his way into the cafeteria, so he felt resigned to do the same. He glanced around the room to see if Raine and Taylor might be seated somewhere but didn't catch sight of any of the kids that were in Art class with him. It made sense, though, seeing as he'd never seen any of them before.
"Hey," greeted Artie when Puck sat down next to him at the table. "How's it going."
"Pretty awesome," answered Puck. "I just got invited to have a threesome with some hot goth girls. I bet they do some freaky shit in the bedroom."
Artie gave him an incredulous look before fist bumping him. Puck smirked. His smirk fell off his face, though, when Santana sunk gracefully down into the empty seat next to him.
"What do you want?" asked Puck.
"Nothing," bit back Santana. "Can't I sit with my Glee Club?"
"Of course you can, Santana," said Artie with a smile. "But why aren't you sitting with the Cheerios like you usually do?"
Santana bit her lip and glanced over at the table across the room that housed the majority of the Cheerios clique. She looked upset but she forced a sickly sweet smile.
"I just thought I should bond with the members of my other clique," she said before quickly looking down at her salad and grabbing the packet of salad dressing to rip open.
Puck looked over at the Cheerios table and saw Brittany sitting on Kurt's lap while the other girls all laughed and acting flirty with him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise before turning his attention back to Santana.
"Did you still want that beard?" he asked in a low voice.
Santana lifted her head and gave him a sharp look.
"Why?" she asked defensively. "You change your mind?"
"No," replied Puck, taken aback by how defeated Santana looked. "But I met these two chicks in Art class."
"You're taking Art?" she cut in, her face covered in a look of disbelief.
"I needed more credits," replied Puck with a shrug. "It seemed easier than French."
Santana narrowed his eyes at him but moved her hand in a gesture that said 'go on'.
"So, anyway, I met these two hot goth chicks in Art class who are totally together, so I thought... why even have a beard? If there's other lezbo couples at our school, then it shouldn't be so bad to come out."
"Who?" asked Tina from across the table. "I know like all the art students and I don't know of any lesbian couples."
Santana glared at Puck causing Puck to grimace, he realized he hadn't been talking as quietly as he had initially thought. Tina either hadn't realized why he was talking to Santana about lesbians, or already knew about Santana, because she didn't seemed to react to the whole 'come out' part of what he had said.
"Raine and Taylor," said Puck. "You know them? They asked me to have a threesome with them."
Tina burst out into a fit of laughter at that. Puck frowned at her.
"What?" he snapped.
"Taylor is not a girl," she managed to say as she gasped for breath.
Puck's eyes widened. So he had made the wrong guess on Taylor's gender... interesting.
"But he was wearing a skirt," stammered Puck, baffled.
"Kurt wears skirts," offered Santana, clearly amused by the change in events.
"But Taylor was totally making out with Raine after class," said Puck, remembering leaving the Art when the bell rang just in time to see the two goth chicks quickly breaking apart from what looked like a hot make-out session in the corner next to the doors.
"And that makes him a chick because..." asked Tina, still giggling.
"Well, cuz only gay dudes would wear skirts and Raine is most definitely a chick," explained Puck, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"You are hopeless," exclaimed Santana with a loud laugh that caught the attention of the rest of the people at their table.
"Scottish guys wear kilts," offered Artie, suddenly bringing himself into the conversation.
"Sexuality is a fluid thing, Puck," said Tina. "And you don't have to be gay or straight or whatever to wear a certain item of clothing."
Puck nodded contemplatively as he took in what she said.
"Oh G*d," he said, suddenly, his face clouding with anxiety. "What am I gonna do when they ask me over for that threesome?"
Santana cackled. At least he managed to cheer her up.
a/n: Thank you for being patient. I promise the Puckurt/Purt will come.
