Old hangups and new beginnings

Chapter 7

Kurt's waiting for Puck to come back from the bathroom, torn between excited about the possibility of continuing what they'd started and anxious about how to get there. Do they just jump back in again? Or do they have to talk it out first?

And what is he supposed to say? He doesn't know what this is and he clearly doesn't know where he wants it to go from here. High school ended and he's still involved a poorly executed plot for a high school movie.

He's about to pull out his phone to see if the internet might have some answers for this situation, when the door bursts open, alarmed he sits up just to see a clearly drunk Santana.

"Busted!" she yells stumbling into the room.

She is still looking around for who-knows-what when her friend/neighbor from earlier follows her into the room, covering his eyes.

"Sorry guys," he says embarrassed and holding on to the wall, "but she wanted to look for you and I couldn't stop her. I really tried."

And Kurt thought the night couldn't get any weirder. Until Santana starts crawling on the floor towards the bed.

"Santana? Are you alright? Do you want some water?" Kurt asks, hoping that is not some strange way of seducing him. He can handle Puck liking him, but a lesbian trying to get into bed with him is too much even for him.

"Is she throwing up?" the guy (what was his name? Greg? Steve? he wonders) leaves the confinement of the wall and walks into the room with outstretched arms and closed eyes, "Just tell me where she's at and I'll get her out of here."

Meanwhile Kurt's backed up towards the headboard since Santana reached him. His fears of her getting into bed with him are unproven when she gets under it instead. Her disappointment at not finding whatever it is she was looking for is evident until she starts moaning about her head. Her friend is still trying to get to her stumbling over furniture and bottles that other guests left behind when Puck renters the room.

Kurt is sitting confused in a corner of a king sized bed. Santana is sprawled half under the bed. And the guy-without-a-name is holding his balance by hugging the ugliest lamp since the invention of lamps.

"What's going on?"

Santana gives an excited squeal that is probably supposed to mean Noah and tries to struggle back out from under the bed. She manages it when her friend (who finally opened his eyes) drags her out by a leg.

"Dan?" Apparently the guy's name is Dan and Puck clearly thinks him more capable of giving him an idea of what's happening.

"Well, someone said you two were up here and Santana wanted to check on you?"

"Bullshit! They said you were hooking up and we wanted to watch!"

(Oh god! Are people talking about them?)

"Not true!", Dan cries out in alarm, "I tried to stop her but she gets crazy strong when she drinks."

"Yeah." Puck nods appreciatively

Santana flops back on the floor, "Now that we're all here, you can get it on."

Dan mouths "Sorry" at both of them and Kurt really wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

"How 'bout we take you home?" Puck counters.

That's probably the best since the mood has definitely disappeared. The thought that there are people outside of this room talking about what they think is going on in here doesn't help. And he can't even put it aside as a silly rumor.

In a joint effort the three of them manage to get Santana into Kurt's backseat. It probably would have taken less time if she hadn't put all of her strength into resisting. She wants to see them making out. She doesn't want to go. She's hungry.

They drive for ten minutes and Kurt's been pretty sure she was asleep - until she starts talking, "I'm glad for you. It was about time."

Turning around Puck puts on a really serious voice, "Nothing happened!"

Kurt would have believed him, if he wasn't present when nothing happened.

"Right!", she snorts, "Okay, don't tell me. But at least you can stop writing those sappy songs. If I ever see you coming to my house with a guitar again..." she threatens.

Sappy songs? There has to be some truth to it considering Puck's blush, "What kind of songs, Santana?"

"Don't answer that!" Puck yelps.

Santana just cackles ominously, which makes Kurt snicker too. The thought of Puck writing love songs and then playing them for Santana is hilarious. And amazing. Since Puck took time to write songs for him.

"I hope your song writing skills improved since you serenaded Lauren." Kurt tells him grinning, "I can be quite demanding."

"They did, don't worry."

Santana reminds them of her presence, "I think I'm gonna puke."

"You started it."

"No, not about your bad flirting. I think I'm gonna be sick."

Luckily they reach her house without her throwing up in his car. Kurt offers to help Puck, but he waves him off, "I know what I'm doing."

Santana starts mumbling half asleep when Puck takes her bridal style. "Where's Britt? Take me to her! Gonna break up..."

"Not now!"

Kurt watches them go into the garden, probably towards the back door. Puck is going to come back and then they will have to talk, it's the first time they'll be alone since the kiss. It would have already been awkward back in the room where it happened. But in a car in Lima Heights? He's not sure if he should even bring it up.

Before he can decide his next move, Puck slides into the passenger seat. "Well, that was fun." he says sarcastically.

"Is she okay?"

"She's gonna be. But she is bound to dump Britt."

"Maybe it was the alcohol talking?"

"Yeah..."

They drive in silence. It isn't until they turn into Puck's street that he asks Kurt if he wants to come inside.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kurt gives the most vague answer there is.

He wants to keep going, recount his arguments on why they shouldn't continue what started in that bedroom he's been listing in his head since Puck left for the bathroom. He's not sure if he's still hung-up on Blaine. He's leaving for New York soon. He's afraid of his feelings.

It doesn't come to that when Puck leans forward and gives him a soft kiss, "Okay. Thanks for tonight, get home safe." He gives Kurt another kiss, one that is reciprocated and a lot longer and despite Kurt's best efforts they are about to seriously making out in front of Puck's house. It's eventually Puck who breaks it off and leaves the car with a wave.

Goodbye kisses. Apparently that's something they do now.