Catalyst
Chapter 12
By Dani J.
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Summary: Kurt and Blaine have decided to just be friends and the dapper boy realized he really missed Dalton Academy so he's gone back. No Klaine-bashing is intended, it just wouldn't have worked for this fic. However, Kurt has an admirer in a new kid… and Puck isn't happy at all but doesn't seem willing to step up.
Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever. Blame RM and company for this unfairly attractive and addictive group of characters. Well, except for my cute, original character, Kristopher.
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Last chapter: Noah looked down at the floor of the stage and then, as if bracing himself, looked up finally at Kurt.
"Did you like the gift?"
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Kurt wondered when he had ever been in such a surreal situation. He gaped at Noah for seconds before gathering his wits enough to shake his head 'no'.
"I, uhm, didn't want to open it in front of all the others," he said softly and took a step towards Noah. He really had thought the gift had been from Kris and now he realized he had inadvertently saved himself from being embarrassed. What would Kristopher have thought if Kurt had gushed about the gift and he knew nothing about it? Kurt shook his head at himself.
Noah watched him and then asked, with a shrug, "Are you going to open it… now that you know it's from me?"
Kurt's eyes flew up to Noah's and he sighed at the vulnerability he could see in the other boy's face. He nodded rapidly. "Oh, yes, of course, I'm going to open it!"
He knew that was the right thing to say because the tension in Noah's shoulders eased and he seemed to flow into a more relaxed stance. Kurt tore his eyes away from the boy's attractive body and fumbled within his bag for the little gift. He smiled when he withdrew it and then looked back up at Noah.
Noah watched the boy he was falling for handle the gift that had taken him a whole weekend to find. He knew he wanted to give Kurt something that he would like, something that wasn't too expensive that would make him uncomfortable. Finally, after something his ma had said, he knew what to look for and, thankfully found it in a vintage store.
Kurt's hand absolutely did not shake as he carefully pulled at the cute wrapping with its little bow. Finally, he got down to the box itself and carefully eased the lid up. His lips formed into a soft 'o' as he stared at his gift and then his eyes lifted to Noah's, shining with laughter.
"Oh, my_ Noah, this is so cute!"
Noah relaxed and ventured a little grin himself and he walked closer to Kurt as the slender boy eased the gift out of its box. He brought the little pin closer to his eyes and stared at it and then he actually laughed.
"A porcelain angel… this is beautiful, Noah, thank you!"
He and Noah looked at the little angel, posed with its back to the viewer and holding up a tiny trumpet. The angel and the trumpet were all in gold but the angel's back, revealed by the elegant dip in its draped robes, was white enamel, looking like porcelain. It really was cute … and beautiful just like Kurt, Noah thought.
Noah felt himself swell a little with pride at the look on Kurt's face; the boy just couldn't seem to stop staring at the little pin. Noah cleared his throat and when Kurt looked at him, a smile still in his eyes and on his lips, Noah ventured to ask, "Are you going to put it on now?"
Kurt immediately shook his head and looked again at the brooch. "Oh, no, this is too special for school!"
Noah felt a mixture of elation and faint disappointment. He had wanted Kurt to put it on immediately but with him declaring it was "too special", Noah had to admit he was content with that.
"Okay, then, I'm glad you like it," he said softly as one of Kurt's slender index fingers smoothed down the angel's back.
"Oh, shoot, I'm sorry – I didn't even say 'thanks'," Kurt shook his head as he berated himself for his poor manners.
Noah reached out to stroke the little brooch as well and marveled at the difference in their skin tone. He shrugged though as he moved back to shove his hands into his pockets again.
"You're welcome; I saw it and it seemed to just say it was yours," he smiled as Kurt's head whipped up and their eyes met and held. For what felt like a long moment, they looked at each other but there was no tension between them and Kurt smiled again.
"So, what's the Hebrew or Yiddish for 'angel'?"
Noah was definitely surprised by the question but he thought and then answered softly, "Uhm, 'mal'ach' is the word for 'angel', which means messenger, actually."
Kurt repeated it softly while stroking the enamel back of the little figure. "This really is sweet of you, Noah… and after I've been so_"
He broke off as Noah's larger hand closed around the hand that held the brooch and Kurt looked up at him, slightly startled.
Noah didn't release the hand but lowered it between them. He was once again looking serious and Kurt knew he was about to be put on the spot again.
Noah stared at the beautiful blue eyes before him, cleared his throat and then asked surprisingly firmly, "Would you come out with me this weekend?"
Kurt couldn't honestly say that he was surprised by the request. What did surprise him was the little clench that his stomach did; he knew that it meant that Noah excited him and he bit his lip as he thought of his answer.
This time Noah waited patiently for an answer and although deep down he knew that he stood as much chance of dating Kurt as Jacob ben Israel did, he still had to try.
That thing that Kurt was doing with his teeth and his bottom lip was seriously distracting, though, and the next thing Noah knew he had brought up his other hand to brush Kurt's chin, just below where the teeth were sunk into the plump red flesh of his lip.
Kurt's eyes widened and flew up to Noah's and he took a breath to ask him what he thought he was doing. However, no words came as Kurt registered the look deep within the browny-green depths of Noah's amazing eyes. 'I just thought his eyes are amazing,' Kurt thought dazedly as they stared at each other.
Noah knew he could have leant in the few inches that separated them and kissed Kurt but something told him not to. He didn't always listen to his gut; the times when he didn't were etched painfully in his memory and recorded forever in his school records and at Juvenile Hall. This time, though, despite the strong attraction that not even Kurt could deny, he did not want to take advantage of the slender boy standing before him.
Dropping the hand that was still holding Kurt's chin, Noah looked at the other hand holding Kurt's and asked softly, "Well, will you?"
Kurt shook his head as if throwing off a veil and then found himself nodding. "Yes... yes, Noah, this weekend is good."
Noah's head came up abruptly and he looked at Kurt as if he hadn't really expected him to agree to go out with him. A smile that Kurt had hardly ever seen before spread slowly over Noah's face; the last time he'd looked like that was when he was singing 'Beth' to his unborn daughter.
"Really? Wow, uhm, I-I didn't think…" Noah stuttered and then knew his cheeks were turning red but Kurt only grinned and shook his head at him teasingly.
"Noah Puckerman, you look almost shy!" Kurt actually giggled and Noah wanted to frown at him but he knew Kurt wasn't being malicious. He pouted a bit, though, and that just set Kurt off again. After chuckling a bit, the blue-eyed boy looked at Noah and said softly, "You're really cute when you pout, you know."
Okay, he was definitely turning red now and Noah's only thought of rescuing the situation was to drop Kurt's hand and shove his own hands into his pockets again. He looked away quickly and then back again; noticing that Kurt was still definitely smiling at him, he smiled too.
Shrugging and trying for nonchalance, he muttered, "Well, I think you're cute, too…"
And grinned when Kurt's melodic giggles filled the air between them. When Kurt sobered a bit, he looked at Noah with a faintly conspiratorial air and said, lowering his voice even though they were the only people in the auditorium, "Hey, do you want to go get something to eat? I know you like bacon burgers – bad Jew that you are!"
Noah grinned outright at him, surprised at the ease that had fallen between them and nodded quickly. "Yeah, that sounds great; seriously, I'm starving, dude!"
They had turned to walk out of the auditorium but Kurt stopped abruptly and held up a fist as if he were some military commander halting the troops walking stealthily behind him. It just so happened that his fist bumped softly against Noah's solid chest and he repressed a slight shudder at the contact.
"First off, don't call me 'dude'. Clear?!"
Noah looked at him with wide eyes and then started to grin. This was the Kurt he was accustomed to; after all the times he was over at the Hudmel residence, he would know that imperious tone in his sleep. Now he smirked at Kurt but nodded. "Sir, yes, sir!"
The tone should have been a tad brisker but for some reason it came out pretty flirtatiously and Kurt felt his cheeks color but he simply sniffed, stuck his nose up and stalked ahead of Noah. Little did he know that Noah was busier studying his back view than taking any offense at the return of Kurt's trademark haughty attitude. He chuckled as he followed the diva up the aisle and out the auditorium door that led directly to the parking lot.
Oh yes, even if he wasn't going to get a taste of that, he was happy with the view… at least for now. He had to be honest with himself, even if he rarely was with anyone else. Kurt was hot and a definite handful; best of all, he knew the smaller boy wasn't indifferent to his charms and Noah felt a little ember of contentment start glowing in his chest.
The question Kurt had asked back inside the auditorium was a pretty serious one. Noah knew he had to think on it seriously… but not now. Right now he was sliding into the passenger seat of Kurt's Navigator and he buckled in with a secret smile on his face. He had ridden with Kurt before when a whole bunch of them would head out for pizza or something but never shotgun. Wow, the view here was great, too, he congratulated himself as he stared at the way Kurt's tight jeans bulged at the crotch and the muscles in his legs shifted as he settled in behind the wheel.
Noah grinned as he looked away, knowing that if Kurt saw him leering it would probably put his back up. Still, as Noah thought about it, he realized that the Kristopher kid had been doing that almost from his first day at school and Kurt hadn't seemed to mind at all. Hmmm, that was something else he would have to think on. Would Kurt be receptive to the same kind of attention from him?
'You'll never know if you don't try, Puckerman,' he admonished himself but his common sense told him that now was not necessarily the time. 'Soon, then,' his mind piped up once more. 'You don't want him to think you don't find him attractive, do you?'
Noah flicked his eyes sideways as Kurt drove and argued with himself the whole way to McDonald's.
Maybe he didn't want to model his behavior after the new kid's; he should probably let Kurt make the first move then. That wouldn't stop him from flirting subtly with Kurt; he just wouldn't come on all heavy-handed like he did with the Cheerios. They seemed to like the whole swept-off-their feet thing. Kurt, though, was pretty domineering for such a slender guy and Noah found that quite interesting.
When Kurt slid into the burger joint's parking lot, pulling in expertly in a just-vacated spot, he turned off the engine and turned to Noah with a slightly raised eyebrow. He wondered why Noah had been so quiet on the ride over and now he looked at him curiously.
His eyes widened as he saw the way Noah's eyes were riveted to his lower body and he felt his cheeks flush at the look on the jock's face. Whoa, nelly! Kurt felt his heart rate speed up and when Noah's eyes flicked up to Kurt's face, the heat in the dark amber eyes made Kurt hold his breath.
He cleared his throat and threw his door open even though he was still staring at the other boy. "Uhm, are you coming?"
Shit! His cheeks flamed as the double entendre left his mouth and he held back a groan at the interested flare of Noah's eyes. The jock was unfairly sexy and right now he was oozing sex and Kurt felt beads of perspiration pop up on his top lip. Licking his lips – uh-oh, bad move! – he stuttered out, "I-I mean aren't you coming in?"
Noah's gaze was glued to Kurt's damp pink lips and he told himself to get his mind out of the gutter before nodding quickly at Kurt. He smiled lopsided at how flustered Kurt appeared and then opened his door. He waited, though to watch Kurt slide out from behind the wheel and then he stepped out of the car, shutting the door firmly and then hearing the chirp as Kurt touched his key ring.
If this had been a date, Kurt would have waited for Noah to join him; as it was, it was just two students skipping the cafeteria lunch to come and grab a burger. He walked off, Noah joining him quickly and when he got to the glass doors, before he could pull on the metal handle, a tanned hand was there before his got there.
He should have said 'thank you' but Noah was so close behind him and there was barely an inch difference in their height that, if he had turned his head to say it, they would have been way too close. Kurt was still reeling a little from that strange moment in the car and he knew his cheeks were still slightly pink. 'What's wrong with you, you nut?!' His inner voice was just as bitchy as he was and he argued back: 'He's hot, okay? I can't help it if I have normal teenage boy hormones!'
He ignored the slight scoffing note to his internal voice and walked forward to stand in line. Once again he felt Noah's heat behind him and he closed his eyes briefly. He really didn't want to feel this intense sexual attraction to the other boy; he was quite happy with the thought of Kristopher as a potential boyfriend. He really did not need Noah to complicate things; then he sighed because, whether he liked it or not, things were already complicated.
He moved up to the counter when the cashier called for the next customer and when the two boys stepped up, Kurt noticed her eyes become riveted to Noah. Kurt cleared his throat to bring her attention back to him and he smiled snidely. Out of nowhere he tilted his head a bit in Noah's direction and said clearly but softly, "You still want that bacon burger, right?"
Kurt knew his body language was giving the girl the impression that he and Noah were an item when he saw how her eyes widened and they flicked rapidly from him to Noah and back again. He smiled at her when Noah angled his body towards Kurt's, the space between them less than a few inches.
They finished ordering and Kurt, just to mess with the girl's head, paid for them both. He felt Noah stiffen slightly beside him but he continued with the transaction with a cool smoothness that brooked no discussion. When he picked up the tray that held their orders, he strutted ahead, his shoulders back and head up. He found a table that abutted the outside wall and gave a view out onto the road.
Noah grinned to himself – 'possessive little diva', his mind supplied – and took both their cups to collect their sodas. He made sure to get all the condiments and their straws and as he moved off he remembered napkins. He grabbed some quickly, noticing the girl was still staring at him and he threw her a friendly smile as he joined Kurt.
As they prepared their sandwiches the way they liked them, Noah suddenly leaned forward and, considering that those little two-seater tables were pretty small, it looked as if he were whispering to Kurt. He congratulated Kurt silently on not flinching when the warmth of his breath touched Kurt's ear.
"So, what was that back there," he asked and leaned back to watch Kurt's eyes. One of his favorite things about Kurt – huh, he hadn't even realized he had favorite things about Kurt – were his eyes. They could look calm and blue-green or they could look stormy and blue-grey. When he was mad enough so that he could barely speak, they were almost slate grey. Noah hadn't realized before that he knew all this but now he appreciated the light from the window because it turned Kurt's eyes an intriguing light blue as he smiled back at him.
"Oh, that," Kurt shrugged nonchalantly. "I just have a problem when the person I'm with is being ogled… more than me that is," and he laughed out loud. Noah stared at him and then grinned; that was Kurt's special laugh that was something very few people heard. Here he was, just being the Kurt that Noah would see on the weekends – rarely at school because it was if he was always on guard. This laugh somehow made Noah feel as if maybe, just maybe, he might have a chance.
They tucked into the food, stealing each other's fries and it was fun and goofy and relaxed, except for a few dodgy moments when the attraction tried to intervene. Those were the times when Kurt would catch Noah's gaze suddenly and Noah hadn't had time to mask his interest, the silence would become charged and the tension would suddenly be there again. Then one of them would look away quickly, someone would make a joke and things would be easy between them again.
Finally, the last French fry was eaten and the last of the soda slurped most disgracefully and it was time to leave. Noah gathered the detritus of their meal and took the tray to dump its contents while Kurt made a quick stop in the restroom. As Noah headed to the exit to wait for Kurt, he hummed to himself, smirking at the little look Kurt threw at the cashier as he passed her.
Kurt for his part simply looked at the girl with a little tilt to one side of his lips, knowing she was once again eyeing Noah. As he did his business and then washed his hands, he stared at himself in the mirror and grinned at the way his eyes looked brighter than usual. 'Are you turning into a slut, Kurt Hummel, now that Blaine's out of the picture?'
He scoffed at the voice and as he tweaked some hair into place quite unnecessarily, he stared directly into his eyes and said to the voice, 'Fuck off.' With a last grin he strutted out of the restroom and joined Noah beside his car.
The drive back to school was just as quiet as before but now the atmosphere was more relaxed. However, as they pulled into the McKinley High parking lot and Kurt turned off the radio and the engine, Noah stopped him with a touch to the wrist. Kurt looked up at him curiously and waited.
Noah smiled at how relaxed Kurt was but he knew that what he said next might just disrupt it. He still had to ask though so he smiled slowly at Kurt and didn't make a move to leave the vehicle.
"So, you paid for our lunch; does that make this a date?"
Kurt's eyes widened but thankfully he seemed more amused than anything else. A slightly flirtatious look appeared in his eyes and he sat back against his seat before replying.
"It's what it is, Noah; two friends having burger and fries together. A real date would have had a more – hmmm – interesting ending."
Kurt knew he was pushing Noah's buttons but he just couldn't seem to stop himself. Sitting here in the silent car, just the two of them, all sorts of ideas were making him want to live dangerously – a least a little bit. He bit his lip at the heat that flared in the amber eyes staring at him and he held his breath.
Noah moved a hand across the Nav's console and took Kurt's hand gently. He glanced down at it and then back up at Kurt. With his eyes riveted to Kurt's teeth once again pressed into the plump bottom lip, he murmured, "As long as the ending leads to more dates, I'm good with it."
Kurt felt the breath he was holding leave him softly and he squeezed Noah's hand before letting go and opening his door. When he had locked the car he joined Noah in front of the huge vehicle and squinted at him in the sunlight. Really, the jock looked pretty hot in that outfit and he blurted the first thing that came to his mind.
"Do you have more of that?"
Noah almost missed a step as they had begun walking towards the school building but he threw a frowning look at Kurt to ask, "More of what?"
Kurt chuckled and shook his head at his own silliness. "I meant that shirt, those jeans; you really look good today. In fact, anything without that infernal letterman jacket would be an improvement!"
Noah held a mock frown for maybe two seconds and then relaxed into a grin. "Hey, I happen to think I look good in that letterman jacket. Chicks dig it!"
Kurt paused and without meaning to, brought the relaxed mood between them to a grinding halt.
"Noah," and when the jock turned to him, curiosity deep in his amber eyes, Kurt asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" The hand that flickered between the two of them clarified his words.
Noah turned back towards the tall, slender boy standing before him. The next few words would be some of the most important he'd ever uttered so he had to get it right.
"Kurt, I don't know what I am right now, if it's a label you want." He took a deep breath and moved closer still. "What I do know is that I want nothing more than to be the person you look at first… and last. Does that make sense?"
Kurt's throat had tightened and he could barely speak, what with the intensity pouring off of the boy in front of him. He nodded that he understood and nodded again, a stunned look on his face and his lips curving into a slow, soft smile.
Noah stared at him and then nodded too before turning towards the school. He glanced at Kurt and jerked his head in a little movement towards the building. "Coming?"
Kurt barely held back a roll of his eyes but he sped up to join Noah as they hurried towards the next period after lunch. The tension between them was gone; the attraction between them was a little more pronounced, though. If their hands brushed as they hurried along, neither boy acknowledged it, simply smiling secretly as they walked.
Noah grabbed the handle of one of the double doors and yanked it open, bowing playfully as he ushered Kurt through. Kurt, smiling happily, nodded his head and this time murmured a soft 'thank you'. As they stepped inside, however, the smiles dropped from their faces and both boys slid into their at-school personas effortlessly. They needed to.
Leaning against one of the lockers, Kristopher turned at the sound of the door opening, his eyes widening slightly. Kurt had just skipped through – Kris couldn't call his steps anything but skipping, they were so light-hearted – and right behind him was Puckerman.
Puckerman and Kurt? What?
Kris straightened up and put a smile on his face, patently ignoring the tanned jock and called to Kurt. "Hey, you didn't finish lunch; I wondered where you'd got to…"
Noah turned to Kurt and with a soft 'see ya', he left Kurt and Kristopher and headed to his class. Physics was not his favorite subject but given that he was ahead in Math, he found it fairly easy. He deliberately did not look back to see if the Marshall kid was touching Kurt. If he had, he probably would have turned back and he didn't want to seem to be pressuring Kurt. Holding his head down, Noah got to his classroom just in time as the bell rang.
Kurt, however, paused to greet Kris, smiling slightly at the taller teen. "Oh, that salad wasn't doing it for me; plus, I was on a mission."
He knew that Kris and everyone in the cafeteria had seen him head out after Puck – no, Noah now – and he figured the other kid must be curious. Still, he didn't intend to elaborate so he just moved off – or he tried to.
Kris laid a restraining hand on Kurt's arm, nothing forceful but it did stop Kurt from moving away. "Is something going on with Puckerman, Kurt?"
Kurt stared at the boy that just an hour ago he had been flirting with and wondered as well. Was something going on? Did he want something to be going on with Noah? Tugging his arm out of the other boy's grasp, Kurt smiled reassuringly at him and said, "Honestly, Kristopher, I don't know."
He left a stunned Kris in his wake as he strutted down the hallway, wincing as the bell rang and he had to negotiate at least two more hallways before getting to his French class. Sighing at the odd turn his life had taken, he found himself wishing that none of them would get hurt as things developed.
He definitely found Kris attractive; the boy was hot and sophisticated, without a doubt. Noah, though, probably because Kurt had known him for some time, was proving to be just as distracting. While no one could accuse him of being sophisticated, Kurt was finding that there was a depth to Noah that called to him.
Sexy and confident versus sexy and brooding. The two things percolated in Kurt's brain throughout his French class and he knew that soon he would need a session with his best girl. He also had to make up for his snotty behavior earlier.
He grinned to himself; this called for a spa day and they were long overdue for one anyway. He thought of including Tina but then decided it would just be between his bff and himself. Pulling out his cellphone, he fired off a quick text to Mercedes.
'Spa. Sat. Noon.'
Seconds later, the reply caused his silenced phone to vibrate. Grabbing it quickly, he grinned as he read the text.
'Sat. Noon. Choc. Lots!'
Mercedes had forgiven his little snit and as he put his phone away, Kurt smiled to himself. He had yet to tell her about his gift from Noah and he had a sneaking feeling that she would be happy with the latest development. Heck, he was pretty happy with the latest development himself.
Finally turning his full attention to the other students' mangling of his favorite foreign language, Kurt pushed the very pleasant problem of juggling two hot guys to the back of his mind.
TBC
