Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Turning Tables.

Note: Three chapters in a row; you guys and gals are lucky! A sidenote on the timeline for this story: by the time you read the final word of the final chapter, excluding the Epilogue, a month will have passed in the Glee world. As you can already tell, the events take place one after the other; two or three chapters might take place on the same day. Anyway, here we go. Six more chapters, plus the Epilogue after this; review.

Close enough to start a war
All that I have is on the floor
God only knows what we're fighting for
All that I say, you only say more

Kurt sighed as Puck held him tightly. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Might've mentioned it," Puck smiled.

"Well, I love you," Kurt giggled.

"I know," Puck kissed the top of Kurt's head. "I love you, too."

"Tell me why you love me," Kurt demanded sweetly.

"Well," Puck laid his hands over the pale boy's own. "I love your laugh. I love your smile. I love the way you call me Noah, and how it sounds like an angle sighing." Puck squeezed Kurt's hands. "Simply put, I love you, all of you, and that's all there is to it."

Kurt blushed. "Thank you," he whispered, unsure of what to say.

I can't keep up with your turning tables
Under your thumb, I can't breathe

"Can I kiss you?" Puck asked cautiously, always nervous that he would upset Kurt unintentionally. Kurt nodded with a moment's hesitation. He turned his head to look up at Puck and closed his eyes, waiting. Puck chuckled, leaning in to press a sweet kiss to Kurt's lips. After a couple of seconds, Kurt opened his eyes. They darted back and forth, panic-stricken. He hurriedly pushed Puck away. "Babe, what's wrong?"

Kurt drew in ragged breaths. "I can't…I can't do this…the physical stuff…I can't…oh, God, Noah, I'm so sorry, but…it reminds me too much…to much…I…I love you, but the kissing stuff…I can't."

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me
I can't give you what you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables…

"Kurt," Puck looked taken aback. "Kurt, I'm sorry…I thought you were okay with it…"

Kurt trembled. "K…know how the other week…I wasn't speaking to you?" Puck nodded. "I was in the…the hallway after Glee…and Karofsky…he…he groped me…made me give him oral s…sex…" Kurt collapsed into Puck's arms, sobbing. "Th…that's why I can't give myself t…to you," Kurt sniffled as Puck rubbed his back soothingly. "Be…cause of him."

Puck held Kurt tight to his chest, and Kurt could hear Puck's heartbeat. "Shh," he whispered. "I'll kick his ass, I swear…Kurt, why didn't you tell anyone?"

Kurt took a shuddering breath. "Scared," he said quietly. "He s…said he'd k…k…kill me…if I told."

Under haunted skies, I see you
Where love is lost, your ghost is found
I braved a hundred storms to leave you
As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down

"God," Puck muttered. "Report him, Kurt! Get his ass behind bars!"

Kurt pulled away from him, terrified. "But he'll…he…"

"Won't lay a hand on you," Puck promised. "Kurt, I made a vow to protect you, and I am going to honor that. I care about you more than anyone could imagine, and I hate seeing you so broken like this. I hate seeing your soul shattered, your spirit broken." He gently wiped Kurt's tears away with his thumb. "When you weren't talking to me, it killed. When you broke up with me…God, Kurt, that was the longest day of my life. And then when Quinn called me…told me you'd tried to kill yourself…I felt entirely to blame." Kurt's eyes clouded over, and Puck found his expression to be unreadable. "Say something," Puck begged.

I can't keep up with your turning tables
Under your thumb, I can't breathe

"I can't," Kurt said softly.

"Can't what?"

"Can't…tell anyone…Noah, you have to keep this between us."

Puck shook his head. "No. Kurt, you have to talk to someone about this. Aren't you still seeing that psychologist?" Kurt froze. "Oh, Kurt," Puck groaned.

"I had to stop," Kurt said. "I couldn't keep going…everything was going so well…it wasn't helping me anymore, to talk to her…"

Puck shook his head. "Kurt, you gotta go back and talk to her...and not just about Karofsky, but about us…about how you can't be…physical…with me…I'll go with you, if you want…please…I just want you to get better."

Kurt looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Noah…"

Puck put his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "I'm putting you before me," he said firmly. "And, besides my sister, I've never done that for anyone…please, Kurt."

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me
I can't give you what you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables…

Kurt scooted to the end of the couch, curling into a ball. "Babe…please don't…come on now," Puck moved over, putting an arm around Kurt's shoulders. "You don't have to talk to someone, but I think it would be good for you. I talked to someone after my grandmother died," Puck admitted, "and it really helped me." Puck had never told anyone, not even Finn, about the several months he had talked to a therapist. He didn't want people to think that he was weak. Puck knew there was a stigma attached to seeing a therapist, especially if you were a man. He knew that this couldn't be easy for Kurt, but at the same time, he wished his boyfriend would listen, to stop being so damn stubborn for once and just give in, to just let someone help him.

Kurt put his head in his knees. "I don't want to talk to anyone about this," he mumbled. "This conversation is over."

Puck sighed, but just nodded. "Okay, Kurt. But if you want to...I'll take you myself." Kurt didn't respond; he didn't want to. He just wanted to be left alone.

Next time, I'll be braver, I'll be my own savior
When the thunder calls for me
Next time, I'll be braver, I'll be my own savoir
Standing on my own two feet

Kurt lifted his head. "Noah? Can you please leave now?"

Puck sighed. "Yeah. Okay. Get some sleep, babe. You'll feel better. Or take one of your aromathingy baths."

Kurt cracked a tiny smile for half a second. "Aromatherapy," he said quietly. "And I think I will. Thanks, Noah. For not judging me…for just…listening."

Puck stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Sure, anytime." He leaned down to kiss Kurt's forehead. Kurt watched him walk up the stairs, giving one long last look towards him as he left. Kurt loved Noah Elijah Puckerman more than he'd ever loved anyone before, and he didn't know how to show it. He couldn't show it physically…he mind and body stumbled over the physical aspects, not allowing him to love Puck in that way…and Kurt often struggled to find the words to express his love. He lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He wanted desperately to stand on his own two feet for once, to push through this without someone to cling on to. He wanted to be his own savior. He wanted to love Puck, and by God, he was going to love him even if he took a hundred years to do so.

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me
I can't give you what you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables
To turning tables