Title: Changes

Summary: McKinley is a mutant school and Kurt's unusual ability has turned more than just heads.

Rating: T for now.

Pairing: Puck/Kurt eventually

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

3rd Person POV

Guilt, Sue decided, was an emotion best left to those feeling it. Guilt had different flavors and most came with a taste that curdled on Sue's tongue and made her sick. Over the years she had developed quite the palate for it, mostly because of her sister's condition, and every distinct flavor of guilt conjured a crisp picture in her mind. That's why she was letting Franken-fish scurry out of her office with only a swift warning and a detention. Finn Hudson's guilt rolled over Sue like a thick smoke, bitter and dry. He was sorry for what he had done and wouldn't do it again. Guilt on behalf of action and the humanity of the situation, exactly what she wanted to feel. Sue had the distinct feeling that if she came across Puckerman she'd feel a hot sting, like being doused in boiling water. His guilt almost always felt that way, hot and clean. Sue thought him an idiot for making himself suffer that way. If she were a better person she'd talk to him about it, but instead she grew to like the taste of his self-loathing. That's why she hadn't gone looking for him. Sue knew that Puck would talk with Finn and show up for detention with time to spare, tasting and feeling like hot water.

David Karofsky did not taste like smoke or water. Sue sat across from him, leaning forward in her seat, chin on knuckles, and felt. Karofsky's guilt didn't reach out and wrap around her. Instead it pulled in, stabbing deep into Karofsky like icy daggers. Sue felt a numbing tingling sensation start outward from her heart and scoffed. Karofsky held ithat/i kind of guilt. It wasn't about Kurt being scared. It wasn't about seeing the error in your own ways. It was about revelations, about being caught, about something deep inside that niggled at your brain every time you thought you were safe from it. Sue wanted to know David Karofsky's secret.

"I'm revoking your off-campus privileges and giving you detention for the next week." In front of her Karofsky scowled and mashed his teeth together. Sue heard quick snatches of snarky remarks and indignation. iNot fair, Hudson got one day. Puckerman nothin'. Just fuckin' water./i By now he should have known to keep his thoughts quiet but Sue gave him credit for at least keeping his mouth shut. "You will not touch, speak to, or look at Kurt Hummel for the rest of the day. If I hear so much as a passing thought about you doing otherwise," she paused here to lean back and dig her nails into the arms of her chair, "we will have more than words. Do you understand me?" Karofsky nodded once, tight and angry. "Get out of my sight." Karofsky left without another word but the tingling cold of his guilt lingered on for a while longer.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

The mess hall was, as usual, loud. Voices, footsteps, and the clatter of cutlery kept people sufficiently occupied and distracted. Under normal circumstances Kurt felt that it was likely for a bomb to go off unheard. But he feared that with all the iexcitement/i concerning his ability he would be noticed. He had managed to shake Sam, insisting that he wanted a private moment to collect himself. The sheer terror and humiliation had waned but the rolling nausea he felt told him the humiliation was sure to return. With a deep breath Kurt rolled his shoulders back and stepping into the mess.

There was no sudden silence, no slew of whispers, no group of girls ready to throw tampons at him. It was in fact rather anti-climactic in a way that made Kurt oddly depressed. No one noticed his entrance at all and while the normalcy was welcome, he couldn't help but feel like a bit of furniture. Everyone was focused on their own meals, their own conversations, and Kurt was able to slip by unnoticed. He plucked a salad and bottled water from the line, then dashed back for a pudding cup before sliding into his seat next to Artie. The conversation halted for only a moment, long enough for a quick round of 'hellos' then started again. Mercedes and Rachel were arguing about what constituted 'soul' music and Kurt for once couldn't be happier that Rachel was stubborn and windy despite knowing she was wrong.

He drifted in and out of the conversations, offering Rachel scathing comments and Mercedes his support and nodding along with the others. No one asked him if he was alright or drew attention to the occasional point in his direction. It was comforting, knowing that not everything had changed. He was also delighted to know that his friends, for all of their borderline incestuous prodding and codependency, knew when to let things lie. With a happy sigh Kurt pulls back the lid of his pudding cup, with every intention of savoring his first taste of chocolate in months when someone barrels into him from behind. His pudding cup flings forward, splattering Rachel in chocolate goop and Kurt only had a moment to think 'that could have been in my mouth' before glossy lips are peppering his face in kisses. The terrified squawk Rachel let out cued a great deal of the mess hall into what was happening. Everyone so inclined turned to see Brittany Piece wrapped, rather like an octopus, around Kurt Hummel. She had one arm around Kurt's arm and face and the other tight to his chest. Her legs were pulled tight around his hips, her heels digging rather painfully into his thighs.

For anyone who'd been at McKinley for more than a month or so, seeing Brittany lavish Kurt in attention was not uncommon. The two of them had an unusual relationship that led to various people questioning Kurt's actual sexuality, a debate renewed as his ability was discovered. A few people let their gazes linger, wishing they were in Kurt's place, but most people were bored of it already.

"Brittany. Brittany. Brittany! Stop, I love you but stop." Kurt's friends looked on in amusement as Brittany squashed Kurt's face with kisses. When Brittany showed no signs of letting up Kurt gripped tightly to the edge of the table and leaned back, then wiggled around until she flopped to the ground. She scrambled up quickly and pushed Artie farther along on the bench then sat.

"So can we have sweet lady kisses now?" A beat of silence then, "You know, because everyone knows. You're capital G gay right? So we can have sweet lady kisses and be lower case l lesbians together with Santana?" Kurt slowly dropped his head to the table and tried to hide the furious blush that had developed. Across from him Sam mouthed i'lower case?'/i and furrowed his brow. The others, not quite as tactful, either laughed outright or tried, and failed, to stifle giggles behind their hands.

"I like men Brittany."

"So do I, but I like sweet lady kisses too." By now the whole table had given up any pretext of hiding their giggles. Kurt's friends in particular never got tired of Brittany's occasional attempts at sparking romance. The two of them had had a brief fling the year before when Kurt had a personality crisis. He had wondered if his female persona was bleeding into his male one and causing sexual confusion. A few muted make-out sessions later had proved that, no, women were not his thing regardless of his own personal plumbing. Afterward Brittany made sporadic attempts at romance, almost all being in response to Santana in some way shape or form. Despite Kurt's obvious initial embarrassment, he never felt truly offended by it and his friends felt just fine mocking the whole thing. And as nice as it felt to be treated like the rest of the afternoon hadn't happened, Kurt was a little frustrated.

"While kissing you certainly wasn't iunpleasant/i, it's not something I'd care to repeat again. I'd like to only kiss boys from now on okay." Kurt turned his head, still against the table, to watch Brittany's reaction. To his horror, her lip wobbled just a little bit.

"But you still love me right?" Kurt tutted and rose, then held out his arms to pull her in. Brittany curled herself around Kurt and tucked her face into his neck, giving a small smile at the feel of his fingers carding through her hair.

"Of course I love you Brittany." The others turned their attention back to their own plates, feeling sad and uncomfortable about Brittany's unsure tone. Rachel wanted to butt in but a single shrewd look from Mercedes had her poking at her pudding soiled napkin.

"Did your penis grow back okay?" And the somber was over. Kurt's hand stilled for a moment, but he recovered quickly and assured her that his penis had grown back just fine thank you, and no it didn't hurt when it went away. She could feel his honesty and amusement, even if it was a bit frayed, and relaxed.

Blah, I'm SOOOOOO sorry for the shortness, and lateness, of this chapter. I wanted this to go in a bunch of different directions and after finally deciding on this one I couldn't push it any farther. I beg for your mercy!

Anyhoo, I hope you guys liked it regardless.