AU - Set during Senior Year on the run up to Christmas. Made as a companion story to Good Boy Kurt and will follow everyone else's POV except for Kurt's. All for added background illumination as the other story is obviously Kurt centric.
Rated M only… and I hope I've got this written right.
Warnings: Various adult themes, including abusive relationships, talk of rape, beatings, language etc... Not your thing, please move on… I'm assuming you've ready Good Boy Kurt from now on.
This Chapter covers Good Boy Kurt Chapter Eleven
From the Other Side Chapter Eleven
Mercedes Jones:
She watches as Kurt puts the collar back on and she tries not to show how much she hates it. When he links his arm with hers she cuddles into him, "Okay Kurt, let's get you cleaned up and ready to take on the world."
Steering him into the nearest girls bathroom she drags him over to the sink and he checks himself in the mirror, it gives her hope that he's still so vain and she sets about fixing his face, her Boo really shouldn't cry in public, that damn whiter than white skin gets the most unattractive blotches on it.
He gives her a few tips and then she busies herself and she uses the time to give herself another pep talk, to remember to support Kurt and not pick on him, finished she turns him to the mirror and the boy looks fine.
Clapping his hands in the way only Kurt could do he praises her, "Perfect as usual Mercedes."
He's happy and this might be the only chance she gets, "Kurt..." Anyone could walk in so she goes and locks the door to give them some privacy. Holding his hands she clears her throat, "Kurt I need to ask you a question and I really hope you'll answer me. I want you to know I'm not judging you, that I really care for you, you're my best friend, and I've always known you'll have my back," please dear god don't let him turn away, let him answer it truthfully.
Nodding he clutches her hands looking nervous.
"Kurt, I love you, you will always be more than a friend to me, you're family. I know how lonely you used to be, I watched you watch everyone else pair up, and you would always be left out, because there was no other openly gay kid around."
At least she'd had Puck for a while even if it had been fake, and Kurt even if he was gay.
The way Kurt would sometimes gaze at the couples, she understood some of it and she always made him laugh when they played at eyeing men up at the mall.
Tightening her hold on him she hopes she does this right and doesn't scare him off, "I held you after Finn broke your heart." Kurt had sobbed for hours in her arms, even though he'd known Finn would never say yes the way he'd pushed Kurt away had hurt her Boo much more than he'd ever let on.
"I listened as you raved about Sam," and the damn duet that Finn had talked Kurt out of doing, she knew Kurt had been happy for Quinn and Sam but it still hurt him.
"I endured the Blaine worshipping," and it had been hard, 'Blaine said this', 'Blaine said that', and she was left out on her own. It had stopped suddenly around that Christmas and Kurt had cheered up and been so happy. She hadn't had to hold him over Blaine not being interested in him. Which she was now damned suspicious about.
"And I cried so hard every night because Karofsky scared you so bad you nearly stopped being Kurt," she sees him flinch at the reminder and she can clearly see him huddling afraid, refusing to eat because his stomach hurt, and the light slowly dying in his eyes.
"So I need you to stop, and think, and remember that this is me, you can tell me anything, you came out to me first and I never told a soul. I know you've hidden things from me before, but I need you to tell me the truth." Come on Kurt, please, tell me, please, she chants in her head.
"Do you love Karofsky?"
Blinking at her a few times he gives this shuddering sigh and smiles at her, "Yes Mercedes I do love David Karofsky, and not just that, I really like him too. You don't know him Mercedes, the real David, you only see what he's let people see. He's had to hide himself for good reason for so long, and he's gotten really good at it."
Studying his face she feels her heart break, he really means it, she really hopes Kurt's right about that boy, and Karofsky had been friendly to her, he'd only attacked Rachel after the girl had attacked Kurt and Karofsky.
"Okay Kurt, I trust you." Ginning at him she says, "And you'll spill all the juicy details, how you hooked up, your first time losing your v card to him," that would tell them more about Kurt and Karofsky and what kind of relationship they had.
Flushing bright red Kurt's hands press on his cheeks, "Mercedes!" He sounds so shocked.
"Uh-uh, you did not get those hickeys holding hands white boy, come on I'm single and have to live through my friends' adventures," she teases him touching the side of him neck. "And that almost kiss by the lockers?" She fans herself, "it was hawt!"
"Mercedes!" he bitches in mock anger at her making her smile, "There is more to a relationship that hawtness!" And suddenly things are looking up, Kurt still knows there is more to it than that!
Calling him on his bitchiness she sasses, "Oh and you're telling me you don't think he's a total stud?"
Lifting his nose in the air Kurt stares down at her in that regal way of his and then ruins it by giggling, "He's totally hot and the most studly of studs. He makes my knees weak," he confesses and she can see why, when that boy tried to be nice he was very damn nice, pity he was such a bully.
They end up hugging and she clings to him, "I've really missed you Mercedes, I love you so much," he tells her.
Rubbing her hand on his back she does an internal victory dance, "And I've missed you Kurt, everything's been so colourless without you." Other than Tina, who else gets fashion the way he does, or schemes to get at Rachel, or the hundred other things that made them best friends?
So of course that's when her phone starts ringing, fishing it out of her bag she can see Tina's number. Shooting a glance at him she answers it.
Tina Cohen-Chang:
Standing in a circle with the others she nervously listens as the phone rings, she has it on speakerphone so everyone can hear.
Someone picks up the other end and Tina asks, "Mercedes?"
"This is she," Mercedes sounds calm and sassy, so Tina and everyone else breathes a sigh of relief.
They've already agreed a list of questions so she reads the first one, "Are you with Kurt?"
"Uh-huh," comes the agreement.
Changing the question slightly Tina asks, "Are you okay? Are you free to talk?"
"Yes and no," and the tension leaks out of the room, Mercedes is okay.
"Is Karofsky there?"
"No."
"Is Kurt okay?" And everyone tenses again.
"Yes," now everyone's grinning.
"Rachel said Kurt has love bites," Finn breaks in looking anxious.
"Yes," and the good mood drops.
Elbowing Finn, Puck and Santana hush him and Tina's waved on to continue, "Rachel said Karofsky lost his temper."
It goes silent for a second and then an annoyed, "Kinda," unhelpfully comes back.
"Did Karofsky hit you or Kurt?" Tina closes her eyes praying the answer is no, that the huge boy didn't do anything, after all the only reason she didn't get flattened playing football for the Championship game was because Karofsky rejoined the team early and protected her as she made the touchdown.
"No," and she wants to do a dance in relief.
"We need to get a full report from you later," Tina says.
"Yes. See you later," and Mercedes' sounded pleased before the phone went dead.
Hopeful Tina stares at the others, maybe this was the break they'd been looking for.
Mercedes Jones:
At least they'd cared enough to phone her but Rachel was getting a big piece of her mind later. And now Kurt was staring at her looking worried, "That was Tina," she tries to downplay it.
"'Cedes, when I said I love you I meant it. So please don't take this the wrong way because you mean the world to me. But I will protect you, even if it's from other people that mean well," he says firmly
"Kurt what is it?" Oh god was Karofsky going to kill her?
Hugging her he's deadly serious, "If it comes down to a choice between me and Glee, I want you to promise me that you will choose Glee."
Shocked she pushes him back so she can stare at him some more, maybe he hit his head? "I don't understand. Why would I have to choose? And I know you'd win over Glee."
"Oh Mercedes, I couldn't bear it if they turned on you because of me! It hurt so much when they did it to me, and I had David to turn to. So if they get upset, you have to protect yourself first 'Cedes, we can always meet up after school, or after we graduate, because I do not want to loose you." He means it, oh god they should never have done what they did to him.
Trying to get through to him she takes his face in her hands, "You are never going to loose me, and everything is going to turn out for the best, you'll see."
Clearly not believing her he nods, "Do you know how my dad is?" And this is something she can help him with. "David tries to listen in when Finn talks about him, but it can get pretty loud in the locker room, and well this is Finn we are talking about he tends to get confused about things," so Artie was right Karofsky was eavesdropping on them, and he was telling Kurt.
"Your dad is doing great," she reassures him, "Carole is making sure he eats right and keeps exercising. The last time I was there for a meeting he had some of his test results in his hands, and was trying to get Carole to let him have some cake for being so good, she swatted his hands away and made him have the special snacks instead, he sulked for over an hour."
"Thank you," he kisses her cheek relieved at her news. "I've been so worried, you know what he's like."
"Oh I know, he's still bitching about all the veg he has to eat," she shudders, secretly pleased that even though Kurt ran away he still loves his Dad so much, Burt was going to be so happy.
As it's getting late she links her arm in his, she doesn't want to get him into trouble, "Well? Are you ready to face the world? To let them know Kurt Hummel is not only back but is gonna own 'em all? Plus we have class to get to," she pays him a few compliments so she can start building his self esteem up and then they can wean him off of Karofsky.
"I'm ready!" he tells her, "Let's knock them dead. Its just so annoying that no one else in Lima gets fashion, if they did we'd rule this school!"
Noah Puckerman:
"Right I have Math with Kurt next, I'll sit with him and do bro stuff," he tells them and leaves; they're just uselessly circling the same stuff again and again. He needs to see Kurt, to see how his bro is moving, to see how badly hurt he is after last night.
Mercedes Jones:
Strolling along with Kurt it seems her Boo was higher up the food chain than he used to be, which is when he hisses, "Why are they staring, is something wrong?"
"Sweetie, you walk around with those not so little love bites, people are gonna look at you, and this is my stop." Turning to him she hugs him and gives him a kiss on his cheek. "Now you run along to class, and I'll see you later baby. Love you Kurt," love you lots Kurt.
"Love you too," he tells her and kisses her cheek in return. And then she has to leave him and go to class where Tina is waiting anxiously for her.
Sitting down she whispers the whole thing and Tina looks worried too but she praises Mercedes for sticking up for Kurt and helps plan a smack down for Rachel.
Noah Puckerman:
Loitering outside the classroom he watches his bro walk quietly up to the door, easy and pain free, and then glare at it. The teacher was a complete douche and an asshat. Didn't stop Kurt from sweetly pointing out the man's mistakes, it was a hate-hate relationship and it made Puck and most of the class grin every single time Kurt bested the man.
"Hey Princess," he sneaks up and drapes his arm over Kurt's shoulders, he can feel that Kurt seems solid and not too thin any more, he hopes that's a good sign. "Ready for another great math day?"
Those big eyes turn to look at him surprised and Puck's gonna take any advantage he can to find out some info, so far Kurt's moved just fine and seemingly not in agony. Smirking to hide his real feelings he's determined to do whatever it takes.
A/N: Sorry for any and all mistakes, I'm only human. And I'm doing my best to keep them all in character but it's hard bouncing from POV to POV thank you for bearing with me on this one.
I refuse to promise how often I'll update this one, its tough to write.
