Put Me Back Together
Hummel Tires and Lube

"Why you so jumpy, kid?" The gravelly voice of Terry, one of the shop's mechanics, caused Kurt to start slightly. Terry was in his early-fifties and had a head of deep red hair flecked with gray that suited him perfectly. He'd been working at Hummel Tires and Lube for as long as Kurt could remember. And for as long as Kurt could remember, Terry had gone out of his way to ignore him, only speaking to Kurt when absolutely necessary.

So for Terry to voluntarily speak to him, about something other than tires or donuts, was unnerving.

After all, Kurt knew he was a little jittery today, but he wasn't that on edge.

Or… he didn't think so anyway.

And really, Kurt couldn't help but think that he had a right to be nervous. After all, Puck was supposed to be stopping by the shop today. Not just for a visit either. He was coming in to have his truck looked at. And while Kurt knew he was great with a monkey wrench, that fact just added a whole other layer of pressure to the whole thing.

So, was he a little wound up? Sure. But he wasn't tripping over his own feet or anything like that.

Nervously adjusting his coveralls, Kurt looked over the counter at Terry, who was stuffing a cheese Danish in his mouth. "I am not jumpy." Just as the words left his mouth, the sound of a horn blast from the garage caused Kurt to drop the wrench that was in his hand.

As the tool landed on the floor with a resounding clank, Terry snorted. "Nope, you're not jumpy at all." The words were muffled by the pastry Terry was trying to swallow whole, but Kurt had understood him nonetheless.

But rather than spend any energy coming up with a witty retort (that Terry wouldn't have understood anyway), Kurt bent over and picked up the wrench he'd dropped. When he stood back up again, Terry was washing down the roll with a swig of the coffee that Kurt had made when he'd arrived that morning.

"Whatever, kid, just don't screw up anything today because you can't keep your tools in your hands." Terry grabbed another one of the donuts Kurt had picked up.

Kurt had the sudden desire to tell Terry that he owed him three dollars for the rolls he'd just snarfed down. But Kurt knew that if he did, it would get back to his dad before lunchtime, so he kept his mouth shut.

It wasn't that he thought his dad would be mad. Kurt just didn't want to deal with the drama Terry would surely cause.

So Kurt watched silently as Terry walked over to his station, coffee in one hand and a chocolate sprinkled long John in the other. As Terry sat his breakfast down in order to flip on the shop's radio (104.9, a classic rock station in Lima) before getting to work on the green bug waiting for him, Kurt walked over to the register.

So far, the Bug was the only car there, but it was only a little after ten, so that wasn't really surprising. There would be more vehicles later; the appointment book was practically full. But for now, Kurt had nothing to do. His station was clean, all of the tools in their proper place. The break area was even still in pretty good condition (surprisingly enough). So Kurt sat down next to the phone and pulled out his English textbook, trying to ignore the sound of Foreigner that was currently filling the shop. He had homework that needed to be done.

But try as he might, he just couldn't concentrate.

Images of Puck kept popping into his head, pulling his attention away from the essay on Shakespeare he was supposed to be reading. And even though Kurt kept trying to clear his mind, he just couldn't. It was absolutely hopeless.

So rather than read the same sentence over and over, Kurt shoved his textbook back into his bag with a heavy sigh. Thanks to his wandering mind, Kurt was going to be stuck doing his homework on Saturday night. And that just wasn't acceptable as far as Kurt was concerned.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt adjusted the collar of his coveralls before grabbing a rag from under the counter top. Just like the break area, the register was still relatively clean, but Kurt began wiping it down anyway. He made it all the way to re-stacking all of the auto-magazines on the counter top before the sound of an engine pulled his attention away from seeing his reflection in the countertop.

But the second he heard the uneven rumble of an engine, Kurt's head snapped up. His heart was pounding in anticipation as he waited to see if Puck's blue truck would pull into the garage. It was still early in the morning, and logically, Kurt knew that Puck was probably still in bed, but he couldn't help but hope.

"Please…" Kurt whispered the word, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet.

When a new, green Ford, complete with extended cab, pulled into the garage, Kurt felt his stomach drop. Even though he'd known it wasn't Puck, seeing the evidence in front of him was still disappointing.

And in an effort to console himself, Kurt reminded himself that it was still early and that Puck had said he'd come by.

Unfortunately though, it didn't totally help, and Kurt was left with a niggling fear that Puck wouldn't show up. So, resigned to a day of being jumpy and worried, Kurt placed the rag back under the counter and walked over to the green truck.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

One truck became two, and then three and before Kurt knew it, it was after one o'clock.

And Puck still hadn't been by.

As the day passed, Kurt became more and more convinced that Puck wasn't going to show. On his lunch break, he'd checked his phone, hoping to find a text or a voice mail from the other boy, but there had been nothing.

Well… there had been a text from Mercedes. But it was just a bunch of gushing about how cute he and Puck looked together. Kurt had rolled his eyes even as he'd tried to hide a smile. He hadn't replied, but that was because Kurt didn't really know what to say. And after eating his lunch, Kurt got back to work on the tires he'd been rotating.

But just as he set to work on them, Kurt heard his dad's voice over the roar of an engine.

"Terry, take over the tire job Kurt is working on!" Why Burt would want Terry to take over his job was beyond Kurt, so he didn't bother to quit what he was doing. He was too wrapped up in self-pity and disappointment to care about tires or Terry.

But even though Kurt was focused on the rotating tires and the disappointment he was wallowing in, Kurt couldn't help overhearing Terry as he yelled back. "What? Why? He's almost finished. Why can't I just take the truck coming in?"

Confused, Kurt turned away from the car he was working on to look at his dad. Because as much as he disliked Terry, the man did have a point. Kurt was almost finished, so why pull him off the job now?

However, before Kurt could ask his dad what was going on, Burt was yelling back to Terry. "Cause I'm the boss, that's why." He didn't sound upset, but Kurt could tell that his dad meant what he was saying. He wanted Terry to take over Kurt's job, and Burt wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Dad?" Kurt stepped out from behind the car in his station. As he did, he pulled a rag out of his back pocket and began wiping the grease off of his hands. Looking down at the slick, black liquid under his nails, Kurt wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What's going -" When Kurt looked up from his hand, his mouth fell open in shock.

Puck's flaking blue truck was sitting the parking lot of Hummel Tires and Lube.

"I take it you two worked things out?" Burt walked over to stand next to Kurt.

"I…" When Kurt looked at his dad, he couldn't help but smile shyly.

Burt had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was looking down at Kurt, a knowing look in his eyes. He looked a little uncomfortable, but Kurt could tell that his dad was happy for him. And that was what mattered the most.

Before Kurt could say anything something, his dad elbowed him a little. "Go." He didn't say anything else. Instead, Burt just smiled a little at his son.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt nodded at his dad once before walking out to Puck's truck. It took all of the self-control he possessed, but Kurt managed to keep from running across the garage. And as he walked, Kurt's heart began to pound so painfully he thought it was trying to escape from his chest.

When he finally made it to Puck's truck, Kurt was happy to see that the other boy had the window rolled down. His elbow was resting on the window frame, and he was smiling out at Kurt. "Hey."

Kurt stood next to the window, his hands on either side of Puck's elbow. And for the moment, his dirty nails were forgotten. "Hi." The relief Kurt felt at seeing Puck there had lightened his entire mood so much that he was practically bouncing on his feet. "Umh, you can pull your truck in there." He pointed at the station that Terry had been using.

"Cool." Puck turned the truck's ignition back on. And as the engine roared to life, Kurt heard the same strange clicking in the engine he'd heard before.

When the truck lurched forward, Kurt stepped aside, allowing Puck to drive in ahead of him. As he followed the truck into the garage, Kurt forced himself to take a few deep breaths in an effort to calm the nerves and excitement cascading through his body. He wanted to be calm and collected when he popped the hood of Puck's truck, not a jumpy, jittery mess that couldn't hold onto a wrench.

Before Kurt was inside, Puck was out of the truck and pushing open the hood. Or… He was trying to anyway, because even though the hood was going up, it looked like Puck was having a hard time with it.

"Here, let me." Kurt stood next to Puck and put out his hands as if waiting for the other boy to let him take over.

Puck, however, didn't move. "Nah, see…" He gave the hood one final shove, causing it to pop open the rest of the way. "It sticks. You gotta know how to handle it."

"I'm sure that I could have gotten it, Noah." Kurt smiled softly as he brushed at a small spot of grease on his sleeve.

"Wait…" Puck took a step back and fully took in Kurt's appearance for the first time since arriving. "You work here, work here?" He sounded surprised, if a little doubtful. "I thought that you, like, answered phones and stuff."

Kurt couldn't help but smile in earnest. "I do that too."

"Huh. I'd never have guessed that you could fix cars. If I'd have known, I'd have made you my personal mechanic rather than throwing you in the dumpster." Puck's voice was light and joking, but Kurt's stomach dropped anyway, the smile slipping from his face. And as it did, Puck's expression darkened as if he'd just realized what he'd said. "Kurt, man, I'm…"

"No, no… I…" Kurt pressed his lips together, trying to hold back the surge of sorrow he felt. He knew that Puck hadn't meant anything by the comment and that they had both moved beyond those days. But it still hurt. The memories of being tormented and tossed in the dumpster were still too fresh to be taken lightly. And Kurt knew that it would take a lot for him to truly get over that.

"Kurt, please…" Puck reached out and placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I didn't mean… I mean…" The sentence trailed off as if he couldn't find the right words for what needed to be said.

And really, Kurt couldn't blame him, because while an apology would be nice… it wouldn't, couldn't wash away the pain he felt.

The only thing that could help that was time.

Time that Kurt found himself hoping they had.

"It's ok. Or… it's not." Puck's hand tensed on Kurt's shoulder, and Kurt could feel the worry in it. "But it will be. Someday." Kurt forced himself to smile a little and hoped that he looked reassuring. "So… Let's see what's wrong with your truck."

Kurt leaned over the open hood of Puck's truck, happy to have a reason to hide his face for a moment. He needed a second to compose himself, to try and once again find the excitement he'd been feeling only moments before. He knew Puck hadn't meant anything by the comment, but the way it made him feel was another thing altogether.

"Well?" Puck's voice sounded closer than it had before Kurt had bent over the truck, and he couldn't stop himself from looking up.

"I haven't had…" Kurt's voice trailed off as he came face to face with Puck.

In the short time Kurt had been looking under the car's hood, Puck had leaned on the side of the truck. And even though he was technically on the side of the vehicle, when he'd leaned over, that brought their faces very close together.

So close that Kurt could feel Puck's breath on his face.

And before Kurt could stop himself, he smiled a little and said, "Hi."

The second the word slipped out of his mouth, Kurt felt the tips of his ears begin to burn. Because, of all the things he could have said at that moment, "hi" was quite possibly the lamest. And more than anything, he wished he could take it back.

Puck, however, just smiled. It was soft and sweet and caused the skin around his eyes to crease slightly. "Well hey yourself." As he was speaking, Puck leaned forward a little more, and Kurt felt himself do the same.

But before their lips touched, Kurt heard a loud clanking and a sarcastic yell. "Hey, Kurt, you still jumpy over there?" Terry's voice was knowing, and Kurt could have killed him.

Sighing in irritation, Kurt peeked his head out from under the truck's hood to see Terry smirking at him. "No, Terry, I'm not. In fact, I'm marvelous. Thank you for asking."

Terry stared at him for a minute, the smirk still on his face. But when it became obvious that Kurt wasn't going to back down, Terry turned and walked to the back of the shop. But even though he'd been the one to back down, Kurt could hear him laughing.

And with a roll of the eyes that Terry would never know about, Kurt ducked back under the truck. "I really can't stand that man." Even though Terry was no longer within earshot, Kurt found himself whispering to Puck.

Puck, still in the same spot as before, snorted a little. "He always like that?" He sounded genuinely interested.

"Sadly, yes." Kurt was back under the hood of the truck. He wasn't as close to Puck as before, but they were still close. "I'll never really und -"

Before Kurt could finish his sentence, Puck leaned forward a little more and pressed his lips against Kurt's for a second before pulling away. Puck's mouth had been sure and warm against his, and it left Kurt wanting more.

"We ok?" Puck searched Kurt's face as he waited for an answer.

"Yes, we're ok." Kurt smiled, and this time it wasn't forced.

For a moment, they just stood there together. Kurt wanted to lean forward and capture Puck's mouth in a kiss of his own, but there was no telling when Terry, or even his dad, might walk into the shop. And as much as Kurt wanted to kiss Puck again, he wasn't ready for any public displays of affection just yet.

"So…" Kurt chuckled a little, unsure of what to say. "I guess I should…" He pointed weakly at the truck's engine before ducking back under the hood. As he did, Kurt reached for the oil tank, figuring that that was the most likely cause of a clunking noise in the engine.

"How'd you learn all this stuff?" From the nearness of Puck's voice, Kurt could tell that he was still leaning over the truck.

"My dad taught me." Kurt pulled the long rod that measured the truck's oil out of the oil tank.

"Are you two close?" Puck sounded curious, but Kurt could also sense a trace of sadness in his voice.

Before Kurt answered, he pulled the rag out of his back pocket. And running it along the rod, Kurt considered his answer. "We… we never used to be. But we're getting closer."

Puck didn't say anything for a minute. And Kurt knew that it was because he understood what it was like to not have a relationship with his dad. "What changed?"

The question hung in the air between them, the truck and its clunking engine long forgotten. The fact that Kurt was gay was common knowledge amongst the glee club and the rest of the school. But to say it out loud, to verbally say to someone, "I'm gay," was another thing altogether. Telling Mercedes and his dad had been difficult, but Kurt didn't want to hide. Even if Puck already knew. "I came out to him."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kurt dropped his head to the rag in his hands. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to see Puck's face at that moment.

"Was he cool about it?" Puck sounded curious, and it caused Kurt to lift his head a bit.

"Umh… Yeah." Kurt thought back to the night he'd told his dad he was gay and just how accepting he'd been. "I mean… he still has a hard time with it, but he's trying." Kurt smiled slightly and lifted his head the rest of the way. When he did, he was surprised to see Burt walking towards them over Puck's shoulder. "And that's really more than I could have hoped for."

Squeeka Cuomo's Notes
- The title and opening quote for this fic come from the beautiful Weezer song, "Put Me Back Together."
- This chapter is dedicated (with much love) to Firithnovwen who did a gorgeous drawing for chapter 23. Thank you SO much! :) (You can check it out on her Deviant Art account. It's called "Perfect.")
- Early chapter is early. I'm not switching to Wednesdays but I have a wake and funeral to attend this week. I wanted to error on the side of caution and get this posted just in case.
- Thank you to everyone who has read or reviewed. And thank you for being so patient these past couple of weeks. It's been a very difficult time.
- Quack: You are amazing. Thank you.
- Reviews are love.