Ok... I apologise MOST profusely for the complete lack of updates recently - I have been soooo busy with school and have just got back from expedition and blah blah blah... so I'm sorry! If you are reading this, then I thank you for sticking with it, even though it's been months! Haha thanks for reading, hope you enjoy, review if you want to :) Hopefully updates will be a bit sooner this time! :P

Chapter 10

Kurt took in the familiar surroundings as he stepped out of the truck, into the Puckermans' front yard. A few scraggly bushes lined the perimeter; the gravelled drive was dusty and interspersed with weeds.

"Alright?" Puck turned back as Kurt had lingered for a moment; he loved Puck's house. It was so homey and had a very motherly feel to it, something which Kurt missed deeply, even though he could barely remember what it was like.

Puck held out his hand, a small smile on face.

"Yeah," Kurt breathed, placing his own hand in Puck's, walking side-by-side over the threshold.

Kurt had gotten used to the routine now: whenever Puck's mom was out, usually ferrying his little sister around, he would invite Kurt over for a few hours. Kurt always dumped his bag down in the hall, placing his shoes carefully next to it, and they proceeded to the living room, where watching a movie or making out would occur, often at the same time. They'd get a pizza or something, and Kurt would stare in admiration and amusement at Puck as he devoured a plate piled high with food; he just nibbled on a slice or two.

So, Kurt assumed, today would be no different. He took his shoes off, arranging them neatly next to his messenger bag, and started to make his way into the lounge, but Puck caught his arm.

"Wait," he said quietly.

"What?" Kurt's eyes were wide with intrigue.

"Up here," Puck found Kurt's hand, lacing their finger's together. He smiled warmly, gently leading Kurt up the stairs. Kurt's heart raced; Puck seemed so serious, but there was also a quiet excitement in his eyes. It made Kurt feel all tingly.

They reached the top of the stairs, and Kurt's stomach lurched as they headed towards a door with the word 'Noah' scratched into it. His breathing got shallower as they neared the door: were they really going to-?

But Puck steered him away at the last minute, to a small spiral staircase just off the main landing; Kurt wasn't going to lie to himself, he felt a little disappointed at this change of intention. They clambered up the cramped, wrought-iron stairs, Kurt getting more and more confused with every step, until they emerged through a small door onto the fenced roof.

The November air was still and cool; it was pitch black even despite the early evening, and the stars crept through the dark blanket of sky. Kurt stood in awe, feeling very small; he squeezed Puck's hand even tighter.

"I come up here a lot," Puck's voice broke through the silent air. They stood together, gazing up at the stars, hand in hand. "My dad used to bring me up here when I was little... Before he left." Kurt turned his head shyly in Puck's direction, shocked to hear Puck talking about his father. This subject had never come up before, and Kurt could hear the raw emotion in his voice.

"He used to say that... If ever we were apart, to just look up at the night sky and know that, wherever he was... he was looking at the same stars, the same amazing balls of gas, burning away in the universe... and that fact would bring us together, bring us closer... A secret understanding..." Puck turned to face Kurt now, taking both his hands in his own, cradling them, "and I want you to do the same. I don't ever want to be parted from you, Kurt, but if for any reason we are, I want you to look up at the stars and think of me, knowing that I'll be doing exactly the same... thinking of you."

Puck slowly raised a hand to Kurt's cheek, his fingertips tracing the contours of his skin ever so gently. Kurt's eyelids fluttered; it was a thousand kisses later, but still every touch felt like magic. He was surprised to find his eyes filling with tears, but he knew they were joyful; he'd never been so happy in his life.

"Noah..." Kurt whispered, raising his head to look deep into Puck's eyes, "I... I love you." It hung in the air; it was the first time either one had said those three little words.

"What?" Puck sounded a little shocked: no one had ever said that to him before. Kurt immediately regretted it; he removed his hands from Puck's grasp and turned his head away. The tears of happiness were soon going to be of the other extreme – he could feel it.

"I'm sorry... I just thought- you know that-" but Puck cut him off, placing a finger on his soft, full lips. He stroked the tears away with his thumb and tilted Kurt's chin up to face him.

"Shh..." he breathed, very slowly lowering his face so their foreheads touched. Puck paused there; he could feel Kurt trembling under the contact, drawing out the moment for eternity. Then, when the tension became unbearable, Puck's lips met Kurt's in desperation. He could feel the tears still streaked down Kurt's cheek; it made the kiss so raw and all the more meaningful... His hands were in Kurt's hair, he wanted to stay like this forever.

Kurt smiled to himself, his lips still pressed against Puck's... He thought he knew what this meant. Puck broke away slightly, still stroking the side of Kurt's face.

"What is it?" he whispered, resting his forehead against Kurt's again, savouring the moment.

"Nothing... I'm just happy," Kurt smiled, wide-eyed, at the boy in front of him.

"Good... You... you know I love you too right?" Puck frowned a little. Had he made that clear?

Kurt breathed a small laugh, biting his lip and looking at Puck from beneath his eyelashes.

"Yes, I do," and he leant up on his tiptoes to plant another kiss on Puck's slightly confused mouth. They both laughed, the sound whipping through the night air, carried away on a breeze. The stars shone and twinkled above their embrace...

It was with great difficulty that Kurt dragged himself out of Puck's truck at 10.59pm; neither wanted to leave the other, but they knew they'd have to answer to Burt's wrath if Kurt was but a minute late coming through the front door.

"Noah, stop," Kurt placed a hand on Puck's chest, reluctantly pushing him away as he leant in from another kiss, "I have to go. I love you," he smiled as he opened the passenger door.

"Fine," Puck feigned annoyance, but his eyes blazed with happiness, "I love you too, Kurt."

"See you tomorrow," he whispered, closing the door and waving all the way down the path until he reached the front door. Puck waved back once, and then drove off; he didn't want the awkward stares when Burt opened the door, but it was hard to leave; he would stay there all night if he could.

"Good time?" Burt tried to make conversation as Kurt rounded the corner into the kitchen with a big grin on his face. He checked his watch absent-mindedly; he seemed a little disappointed that it was actually dead-on 11pm.

"Yeah, thanks. Really good," Kurt tried not show his elation, tried to play it cool, but he could already feel the joy creeping through: he wanted to jump up and down and sing at the top of his voice, but that would have to wait, "I'm gonna go to bed, Dad. Quite tired now – I'll see you in the morning." Kurt hugged Burt quickly, before removing himself from the situation and escaping downstairs to his basement.

Burt stared after him, unsure what to feel. He should be pleased that Kurt had found someone who obviously made him very happy, shouldn't he? But at the same time, he'd just smelt someone else's aftershave on his son's skin as he'd hugged him goodnight, and he didn't want to know how it got there...

Puck couldn't sleep that night; he could still feel Kurt's lips on his, his hands still ran through his hair... It was amazing, but as he fantasised, the same four words kept running through his mind: your son's a fag...

Puck flinched, remembering what he had done with chagrin.

His stomach fell as he realised those words were the reason for his relationship with Kurt right now... you couldn't build a relationship on something like that, could you? Did that make it based only on a lie?

Ughh, he thought to himself, he was a horrible person. But, as long as Kurt never found out, what did it matter? He was so over those bullying days, there would be no need to re-open old wounds, would there? Puck didn't think so. He was ready to put that phone call behind him, and get on with his new, amazing life, with Kurt none the wiser...